COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader
Chillin' in Banos
Hanging out at Cafe Hood with Jeannie & BudCould it be? Another blog entry so soon?? Well, I have some time on my hands this week, so I'll take the opportunity to catch up on my most recent travels and adventures.
When I completed my month at the farm, I swung through Quito and picked up dear friends Jeannie & Bud on my way back down to Banos. Just being with Jeannie & Bud makes me smile! They'd been to Banos once before, briefly years ago, but they'd never been to Puyo - 1 1/2 hours past Banos on the edge of the Amazon basin. Even though I'm a guest at Shana's house, I can share the guest house in the garden with my guests! The volcano was active again, so we all enjoyed amazing views of Mama Tungurahua!
The excursion from Banos to Puyo is one of my faves, and since we had decided to spend the night in Puyo we had plenty of time to visit all of the best spots. En route down to Puyo we stopped to ooh & aah at dozens of waterfalls. We paused for a riverside hike at
Mosaic Shower Stalls
The mosaic art just never stops at Casa del Arbol near Puyo. the crest of The Devil's Cauldron - what they call the Pre-Cascada of Pailon del Diablo. I adore this dramatic grotto of gushing, roiling waters -- ferns and orchids dancing and drooping in the powerful spray.
Then we made the obligatory visit to the 11-story treehouse alongside the funky mosaic caverns. I met the quirky artist, Jaime, four years ago when I first discovered this unique spot. It appears that he keeps on building (new showers, changing rooms, a rooftop performance space) but has not kept up with maintenance on the original parts. I wanted to show my friends the amazing mosaic work in the underground tunnels, but most of the light bulbs were burnt out and you can only appreciate so much by the light of a cell phone screen. Flash photography was the best way to catch a glimpse of some of the darkest corners.
Continuing down to Puyo, we arrived at our hotel before the afternoon deluge (it seems to rain every day in Puyo!) I had stopped for a meal at El Jardin many times, but this was the first time I'd
Foto Ops!
At the Orchid Garden in Puyo - gorgeous play of light and shadow. stayed at their guest lodge. My octagonal room was the former massage room and was a lovely relaxing spot. The lush gardens were populated by raucous macaws and large iguanas. We met up with a new friend, Samuel, for dinner at the hotel that night. At an outdoor table alongside a babbling brook we shared stories and enjoyed a fabulous meal.
After a glorious night's sleep (so wonderful to breathe richly oxygenated air after dropping down from higher altitude) and a gourmet breakfast, we continued on to a viewing point at the very edge of the Amazon Basin. Glimpsing the Andes rising in the distance and the Pastaza River spreading out below, one is reminded how compact, yet how diverse this amazing country is!
We then found our way to the Orchid Gardens - a former cow pasture that Omar has lovingly brought back to life over the past 35 years. The interpretative center (donated by a German orchid lover) shows how the planting of trees and intense composting has lured insect life, bird life and eventually small mammals back to this expanse of previously overgrazed
Through the Looking Glass
Omar shows Bud a miniscule orchid bloom through a small but powerful lens. & exhausted land. Now a dense forest criss-crossed with streams it boasts scores of orchid species, from microscopic to large & flashy. Thank you to Omar for sharing your passion during our in-depth tour.
After a fabulous meal with friends back in Banos, we enjoyed one more night of spectacular volcano viewing before Jeannie & Bud returned to Quito. Then, Shana and I had a few days to catch up on our ongoing Scrabble tournament (now in its 25th year!) as well as a few visits to the healing hot springs. Then, it was time for me to hit the road again.
I enjoyed the perfect audiobook for my 5 1/2 hour solo drive down to Cuenca. Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann narrated their co-written book, Traveling with Pomegranates. I thought about my Mom a lot as I listened to their narration about Greece all the while admiring amazing Andean views. In Cuenca I stayed with Tamera & Frank, a cool couple who had been former guests at Hosteria Mandala, the hotel where I work on the coast. They connected me with
Mandango Mountain
Meaning "Reclining God" in Kichwa, this majestic peak dominates the Sacred Valley of Vilcabamba the owners at Madre Tierra Resort & Spa in Vilcabamba where I now sit writing this blog.
Tamera & Frank used to live here in Vilcabamba, a huge lush valley in the very south of Ecuador. They now live in Cuenca and are adapting to city life, where they enjoy museums, symphony and other cultural activities. They welcomed me into their spacious 3 bdrm apt where I especially enjoyed a long hot bath (bathtubs are few and far between in Ecuador!) and outstanding conversation. We prepared a build-your-own burrito dinner and were joined by another Vilcabamba friend who was in town visiting.
Frank came along with me for the four hour drive from Cuenca to Vilcabamba. Great company - lots of laughter. We stopped in the indigenous village of Saraguro for lunch. Descending into the valley of Vilcabamba I had the same feeling of emotion that I get each time I approach the green valleys of Banos. Densely forested hillsides, criss-crossed with almost vertical agriculture make for breathtaking views! It's a huge, emerald green bowl with soft velvety textured sides.
Restaurant Terrace
Madre Tierra serves healthy, yummy food in an outdoor setting. After dropping Frank at his friends' place I continued on to Madre Tierra where I would spend a week on what I am calling my "observacation". How many people have the chance to hang out and see how a place functions before deciding whether or not they take a job there? Madre Tierra Resort & Spa is a very special place which has been around for over 30 years. In 1989, when I was teaching at the American School in Quito, I first came down here. The original owners, a French Canadian married to a local guy, were running a backpacker style place with shared lodgings and baths plus a few private thatched huts up on the hillside.
I returned to Madre Tierra (Mother Earth) when I came in 2003 on a journey to decide if I'd be moving back to Ecuador for good. By then the new owners, an American couple, had it classed up, adding a fabulous spa. In the following years they built a conference center and a half a dozen more upscale rooms, all decked out with beautiful mosaic and stonework. The current owners, Gail & Peter, bought
Stunning Shower!
I loved the stone and mosaic work in the shower! the place two years ago. I met them briefly when they were on the coast and they invited me to come for a visit in hopes that I'd return as substitute manager this summer so they can attend their older daughter's college graduation.
They had prepared one of the nicest rooms for me, complete with whimsical mosaics in the toilet, sink and shower areas. The hammock terrace looks out over fabulous valley views. I knew right away how much they really wanted me to take the job, and by the third day here I had committed to six weeks (frm late May to early July). In comparison with the fast pace of my job on the coast, this is so much more relaxed and laid back. Granted, this week before Easter (Semana Santa) tends to be a slow one, but I remain convinced that this job will be about half the work & stress of my Puerto Lopez Hotel-Sitting gig.
Instead of 1000 details to remember, here I'll have less than 500! The staff here at Madre Tierra is great and so many of
View frm my Terrace
At Madre Tierra Resort & Spa I was given one of the best rooms!! the duties I'm used to handling on my own will be taken care off by the full-time bookkeeper/administrator and the bilingual receptionists. The restaurant menu is about 1/4 the size of Mandala's, and the kitchen is closed & cleaned each night by 9 pm (taxis to take the staff home don't run any later!) SO, I will hopefully get my 8 hours a night sleep -- no more exhaustion to add to the stress. Granted, it may look totally different once I'm here in charge, but from where I sit now I look forward to this new challenge.
I realize that so many of the things I've learned while working at Mandala, especially as regards reservations, bookings and seeing to guests' needs and desires, now seem like second nature and the experience will serve me well in this new endeavor. Again I am blessed to have the opportunity to work in an incredibly beautiful place! The Valley of Vilcabamba hosts a huge expat population (the highest per capita in Ecuador) and there are some quirky, off-beat people. Many of them are regulars at the Madre Tierra restaurant, so I will have the opportunity
Artistic Pools
Small swimming pool (or oversized water feature?!) to meet raw foodists, breatharians, conspiracy theorists and other folks with unique outlooks!
Tomorrow I head back up to Cuenca where I will be picking up donations from departing expats (Cuenca boasts another dense concentration of North American retirees). How could I even think of heading to Banos with an empty pick-up truck? We're looking ahead to another garage sale fundraiser in Banos around mid-May. Before that I'll be with the Engineers Without Borders project high up in the Andes for a few weeks, and then I'll take the opportunity to pick up more donations in Quito!
NO, my life is never dull!
HEY YOU!!! Be sure to view ALL the photos -- there's a whole gallery of flowers at the end of this entry!!
COMING SOON HOUSE ADVERTISING ads_leader_blog_bottom
Tot: 0.273s; Tpl: 0.015s; cc: 15; qc: 72; dbt: 0.2127s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
sarese
non-member comment
Happy Passover
This looks lovely, enjoy your new job! We're good, Frank's still at Motorola, I have 300 hours left of my internship, Molly is preparing to move to Palo Alto with her almost fiance Paul, and Elory is still at NIU probably transferring from Art to some type of therapy for geriatrics. Jack Benny is funny as ever. Here's to matzoh!