February 14, 2011 A weekend in Loja and Vilcambamba, Ecuador

Happy Valentine's Day to all. We celebrated by spending a weekend on our own traveling south from Cuenca.

On the river in Parque Jiparo, Loja, Ecuador

We left Friday by bus, after finishing our second week of classes, to Loja - a 5 hour bus trip. We stayed at a hotel in the center of town - Hotel Podocarpus. This is a bustling city - about the size of San Miguel - 110,000 people though it felt bigger. It seems to be a town of business and living and we saw virtually no tourists. As typical in Ecuador - there are several churches with small parks for sitting and meeting around them. We have tried a few of the local foods - one we love is humitas - somewhat like tamales but a smoother consistency of cornmeal and usually little cheese. There are loads of specialties that we have not tried - like guinea pig! We walked around both Fri night and Saturday went to two different parks - Parque Jiparo which was like a fantasy land for children with buildings of different countries to visit and learn about. A beautiful lake in the middle and various wildlife around the lake. Then off to another zoological park with animals and a beautiful orchid garden.



Parque Jiparo



plantains and beans



in the zoological park

and we didn't even go to the Galapagos!

Later on Saturday afternoon we took the 1 hour bus to Vilcambamba - the land of longevity. Apparently this town was written up many years ago in Readers Digest because there are so many people living over the age of 100 with good healthy lives, some working into their 90's out in the fields. However our first impressions were that the town (of 4000) is more like Woodstock, NY probably back in the 60's though maybe it is still the same today - hippies all around the center of town in tie dyed clothing selling necklaces and earrings on tables or blankets. Some are Ecuadorean and many others seem to be foreigners but not too many North Americans - many Europeans. From some in town we learned however that there is about 25% of the 4000 who are foreigners of retirement age buying land and living a very simple life with good air and good water and incredible scenery. We did see some large homes dotting the green mountains. Our immediate impression was that it would not be a place to spend months or longer for us but would likely be a place to visit for a a few more days as there are so many wonderful hikes that we heard about and if it were not the rainy season, just beautiful to go to chill out for a few days, It is hard to describe this beautiful land which we saw from the bus rides through the areas and during our exciting hike on Sunday.

making adobe bricks

"cock" fighting ring

On Sunday we got up early and met our guide Angel (which we had arranged the night before) and took off for about 2 miles until we got to the path into the woods heading first along a river and then up into the mountain to a Cascade - big waterfall. It would have been a wonderful hike in good weather but it got much more exciting because it first drizzled and then rained hard so all the rivers and the cascade were flowing very heavily and the path also turned into a muddy river. At first we walked carefully - me trying not to get mud on my shoes but that did not last very long. By the end of the 7 hours - 4 up to the cascade, a little time for delicious lunch prepared by Angel's wife - empanadas with broccoli inside and fruit and then a very careful 3 hours back down - we were soaked and covered with mud. We fell a few times and I took Angel down once as he was holding my hand in precarious spots - not damaging at all as it doesn't hurt when you fall in mud!



check out the mud!



back at the hotel

We returned happy and wet and moved from one hotel to another. There are incredibly beautiful hotels in Vilcambamba (Jardin Escondito on Sat. night and Hosteleria Izhcayluma on Sunday night). After nice long hot showers and changing our clothes we ate at their delicious restaurant. (owned by Germans who liked our German family names).  Again it was pouring at night so off to bed by 8:30 - pooped. We left this morning, Monday back to Cuenca in a van directly which was only 4 hours. Now as I write on Monday my shoes are still wet!  Check out these movies. The first is of the "cascade" and the second is the view from our hotel of the beautiful surroundings. Hard to capture the feel of the mountains and green pastures and village of Vilcambamba but I tried my best.

Traveling in Ecuador is easy, all the people are very friendly, the countryside is awesome and I am understanding a bit more spanish each day. Many people speak quite fast so I am always happy when I find someone who slows down a bit.

It was nice to come "home" to our families and tomorrow we start our 3rd week of school. (We played hookey today).