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Rainbow Welcome
I arrived a few hours before Johanna -she was coming up from Peru, me down frm Cuenca- and this was my first glimpse of the Vilcabamba Valley. Breathtaking!Ten years ago, Johanna was a student in my Spanish ab initio class at Atlanta Int'l School. We've been in contact, so via email we planned a tour of Ecuador as the final two weeks of her 5 month South America adventures. Although the entire country of Ecuador is only about the size of Colorado, the Andes run up the middle and the roads are of variable quality, so it was no mean feat to show Johanna the wonders of the mountains, coast, and jungle in just two weeks. Most places we stayed 2 or 3 nights so at least I had a pause between long days of driving. My last few days in Puerto Lopez before meeting up with her, I had come down with a nasty respiratory infection, so on most of the interim non-driving days I laid low and tried to recuperate. Nonetheless, it was a fabulous adventure. Read on for details...
First stop frm Pto Lopez was just 3 1/2 hrs away. I stayed in Guayaquil with a new friend, Patricia. Her husband works at the American Consulate and we met when they were guests at the hotel I
Mondongo Mtns in Vilcabamba
As glimpsed from the terrace of our cabana at Izhcayluma. The owner is friends with Mandala's owners, so he booked me into the room with the best view! manage. Patricia and I had planned a ladies' lunch and a visit to a museum that had recently opened there. I parked my car in front of her house, and she drove into the city (Whew! I hate driving in Guayaquil!) On the way downtown we stopped at the Chinese Consulate so I could make sure I had the full details of what I'd need for my VISA to China. Unfortunately, I was feeling really ill that day, so we had a short museum visit and a quick lunch before she took me back to her comfy home to stretch out on the sofa, watch a movie and eat chicken soup.
The next day I had a 5 hr drive down to Cuenca. I stayed with a family I had also met at the hotel, and again I just hung out and stayed in bed for the day. I was taking a strong antibiotic and it was knocking me flat....that and the bone-clattering coughing fits. This journey with Johanna had been planned for months and months, so I was determined to try to go thru with our itinerary as planned. I continued
On the road again.....
Me at the wheel, Johanna riding shotgun - this photo taken by Luis frm the back seat! In two weeks we drove over 50 hours to glimpse Ecuador's varied regions. driving south the following morning, and arrived in Vilcabamba mid-afternoon. Luckily, the road is excellent and the scenery stunning. When I drive alone, I usually listen to audiobooks to pass the time. I had just finished a silly novel as I reached the valley of Vilcabamba. Johanna was travelling north from Peru, so our meeting point was the valley of longevity in the extreme south of Ecuador.
We were booked at Izhcayluma, a fabulous inn owned by two German brothers. They started building about the same time as Mandala (where I work on the coast) and since both places are built with natural materials, the lodging set within lush gardens, they are sort of sister hosterias. When I reserved. I had told the owner that I was the substitute manager at Mandala so he gave me a deluxe room at the economy price (let's hear it for upgrades!). I settled into our ample cabana, took a long hot shower in the natural stone bathroom, and admired the valley views before settling in for an afternoon nap. By early evening the restaurant terrace with its gorgeous views and ample menu were beckoning, so
Silliness at the dinner table...
Restaurant Bambu at Alandaluz serves most meals adorned with a red hibiscus blossom. My dish didn't have a flower, so I had to improvise with the red light of my headlamp! I went down for an early dinner. I ordered a German noodle dish, Spaetzle, and since Johanna would likely be arriving after the restaurant closed, I took the wrapped leftovers to our room. Johanna is originally from the German speaking area of northern Italy (Sud Tirol) so she was thrilled with a taste of home after months on the road.
As we caught up on our respective lives and travels, Johanna confessed to me that she had met someone special during the last month of her travels. Luis is Chilean, but has lived in Australia since he was a kid. He had taken the bus up from Peru with her, but they said farewell in Loja since he didn't want to horn in on her time with me. Nonsense, I protested and we made plans for me to meet him and give my seal of approval in Cuenca the next day. He passed with flying colors, and I was glad that they could bop around and explore together while I continued laying low and getting well.
Luis then travelled on to the coast with us.
Dinner at La Barquita
Last evening on the coast we enjoyed great sunset views before out farewell supper with Luis at a restaurant styled like a boat I reserved one of my smaller cabanas for the "kids" and I crashed at my own place for a couple more days, refilling my antibiotic and trying to kill the nasty bug. We did do a bit of sightseeing up and down the coast, and one day I sent Johanna & Luis off in a mototaxi to explore Agua Blanca lagoon while my truck was being repaired in Puerto Lopez. In the meanwhile, I did something I'd never done before...I laid down on the sofa upstairs at Mandala and chilled out watching TV! There were a lot of construction and renovation projects going on at the hotel and I was grateful I was no longer working in that sawdusty mess! The three of us had some wonderful meals together at Alandaluz, Mandala and La Barquita before bidding farewell to Luis and putting him on the bus to Quito.
Johanna and I had our longest (& toughest) day driving up the Andes. We left my house at the crack of dawn and made a brief stop in Manta (2 hrs north) so I could get a quick chiropractic adjustment. Dr Larry opened his
Quilotoa Crater Innkeeper
I had visited this amazing spot before - the collapsed caldera of an extinct volcano. This time I spent the night in a nearby hostel...at 14,000+ ft altitude...BRR! office early to treat me and I was in and out in under 15 minutes! Since our plan was to head to Quilotoa Crater high in the Andes that same day, we took the most direct road (which is definitely not one that's in very good condition!) We spend a few hours dodging potholes and thunking over speed bumps as we passed through lots of small villages, - interesting views if tedious driving. Now and again there would be someone who'd taken the initiative to bring out their shovel and fill the potholes with dirt and gravel. I always made sure to toss them a few coins. Thankfully, we finally hit a stretch of smooth asphalt where the roadwork had been completed. But I knew that our driving adventure for that day was far from over!!
As we continued onward and upward, I was prepared for the mountainous stretches to still be under construction, but I was appalled by the ineptitude of the roadworkers who were supposed to be directing vehicles around the heavy equipment and across single lane tracks. Most used cell phone text messaging to community the final license plate with
Cotopaxi Volcano
The advantage of getting an early start -- the mountains have not yet clouded over - outstanding views of several Andean peaks! the guy at the other end, but that doesn't take into account vehicles that might have passed or joined the queue. One guy told us that the batteries of his two-way radio had died so we could proceed at our own risk. At one point we were in total fog (perhaps driving thru a cloud since we were over 14,000 ft!) and the construction worker waved us ahead onto a narrow muddy track with steep dropoffs. Of course we came bumper to bumper with a car coming the other way! He had to back up so I could get thru. Needless to stay there were some stressful moments!!
We were so glad to finally reach Quilotoa Crater and we checked into an indigenous-run guest house right near the rim. The clouds cleared out so we got great views of the emerald green waters of the lake in the collapsed volcanic cone. I didn't stay long near the crater's edge - I was exhausted and chilled to the bone. I lighted up the wood stove in my room and cuddled up with a magazine. The $12/night included dinner and breakfast so I stirred from
Share the Road!
Sheep and llamas and cows and goats all have the right of way on these backroads! my warm cocoon for supper. The cook's daughter was worried that my wood fire was burning low, so she asked for my key to tend to it. She stoked that thing so full of wood that when I returned to my room after dinner, it was like a SAUNA! After having escaped a heat wave on the coast this was NOT what I was seeking. I had to leave the windows and door open for 1/2 hr before I could even stay in the room for more than a few moments!
Next morning our drive over the Andes was so much more pleasant than the previous day's rough and rocky road. The sky was clear and we had outstanding views of several snow-capped peaks for long stretches of the newly asphalted road. We did have to pause from time to time for herders with their sheep, llamas, cows, goats...often very small children walking with the animals. We made our way to Banos in time to take Shana & Karl to lunch at Chamanapamba, one of our favorite restaurants at the base of a waterfall. Johanna and I went to the hot baths the
Mossy Stairway
We discovered a hike thru a Secret Garden which took us to the TOP of a waterfall - stunning views! next day and then met friends for a fabulous fondue supper. One of the best things about Banos is the variety of wonderful cuisine.
After 2 nights in Banos, we headed east -- to the "Oriente", which is how Ecuadorians refer to the Amazon basin (essentially everything east of the Andes). Dropping down from Banos, thru the tunnels and with the Pastaza river rushing below, numerous waterfalls dumping into it, we stopped often for photo ops. You'll notice that this blog has more photos with me in it than usual -- that's what happens when you travel with someone else! Thanks, Johanna, for all the photos from your camera that I've used in this blog.
As we worked our way along waterfall lane, we stopped for a short hike through some beautiful gardens which led us to the top of Pailon del Diablo waterfall (the Devil's Cauldron. What an amazing perspective of that powerful, crashing curtain of water. The trail wound up and around to overlook a churning, roiling lagoon dripping with hanging vines, what they refer to as the "pre-cascada". It was a refreshing and
Above the Waterfall
I had visited Pailon del Diablo (Devil's Cauldron) frm below, but this was a whole new perspective! invigorating walk before taking to the road again, destination Tena. Since the road had been improved we madeit in half the time I'd allotted, so there was time to try to find my friend Uli before we were to meet the canoe to take us to the jungle lodge.
I had met Uli back in 2003 while staying at Rio Muchacho Organic Farm. He and his girlfriend requested a Spanish lesson about the subjunctive, a very complex grammatical concept. We had a lot of fun during that mini-course. In 2006 I ran into Uli again, this time at Hosteria Mandala where he was staying with his folks. I couldn't place whre I'd met him before, but he remembered me. Uli had decided to stay in Ecuador (san girlfriend) and he was one of the founders of a nature reserve called Curiquingue near Tena. I turned my truck off the main road, just a short way up the narrow track. There were several German volunteers working on wildlife rescue and reforestation. but Uli was not there. The trouble began when I tried to turn my truck around. The last time I had visited I
Arajuno River
This tributary of the Rio Napo (one of the Amazon's largest secondary rivers) provided a peaceful contrast to the rushing waterfalls of that day's drive. was able to drive just past the foundation and make a U- turn at a wide spot in the road. This time it was too muddy and slippery and my only choice was to continue on a bit further, but the narrow gravel quickly dropped down into a rocky river bed. OY VEY -- I managed to get turned around but making it back up the gravel hill was proving impossible.
Some of the volunteers came and tried to push, we piled some people into the truck bed to give it more weight, but without 4 wheel drive or a pull I wasn't going anywhere. What's worse, in just an hour we were supposed to meet the canoe at the river port 15 miles up the road (and we're not talking about 15 miles of paved roads!) So, what to do? Johanna stayed with the truck and I walked up to the main road to consult with the neighbor. He laughed when I asked if we could use his mules to pull, next he tried calling two of his friends who had trucks (neither one was nearby), and then he sped off on
Lovely Liana Lodge
Perched above the Rio Arajuno, this special place works together with the local indigenous community to receive tourists in an environmentally mindful way. his motorbike to attend a meeting. Not a lot of traffic on this secondary road, but when I saw a truck approaching I practically jumped out in front of him waving my arms. I begged, pleaded for his help, offered him $30, which made his eyes light up. He was worried about getting stuck himself since he was not loaded with cargo, but he came to our rescue and after a mere 3-4 minutes of pulling we were up the hill and rolling free. Whew!!!
We found our way to Puerto Barantilla where we were met by the Liana Lodge canoe. In the end we were less than 10 minutes late for the agreed upon time -- early by Ecuadorian standards! Just a short trip up the Arajuno River, watching people wash their clothes and fish, the children gleefully swimming, their slick brown bodies glowing in the early evening light. I had visited this lodge once, just for a drink, when Pam and I came for a visit. The owners, a Swiss German woman and her indigenous Kichwa husband, come to Mandala regularly with their kids. I'd always wanted to stay there,
Blow Gun Goddess...not!
I didn't get anywhere near the target fruit that was perched atop a pole! Look pretty good trying though! so here was my chance!
We were met with a cup of herbal tea and shown to our cabana, high up on the hill. Time for a nice hot shower before dinner! As dusk fell the river glowed with an eerie light and the chorus of squawking birds and buzzing insects became deafening. After a delicious supper of plantain soup and roasted free range chicken, we settled in for the night. The cabana was screened all around so no mosquito nets were needed. Peering out the window from my bed, looking into the dense rainforest growth, I was struck by an eerie light which set each leaf and stem aglow. The moonlight was so bright that it lit up the huge jungle plants, and then, in an instant, all was dark as the moon slipped behind a cloud. A distant storm lit up the sky now and then with flashes of lightning. It was magical falling asleep to the sounds and glow.
Johanna set off on a big hike the next morning but I got back into bed after breakfast. Still nursing the end
Fabian & the Ayahuasca Vine
Sorta like 'Jack and the Beanstalk", only different! of this cough. After lunch we set off together to visit the indigenous village on the island across the way. Donning rubber boots, we took a gentle walk, our guide pointing out medicinal plants, the hoatzin bird, vines and rotting tree trunks and spider webs and more. For some unique flower fotos, be sure to scroll down to the pix at the very end! I was fascinated to see how the leafcutter ants not only carry a piece of leaf 3X their size, there's also a smaller soldier ant lounging on each bit of leaf! Ayoung girl gave us a demonstration of how they traditionally make Chicha, a fermented yuca drink. She used a spiny piece of bark as a grater to add some sweet potato shavings to the mix - sugar speeds the fermentation process. In the olden days (and probably still now) the women would chew bits of yuca and spit them back into a common bowl, the enzymes in their saliva kick-starting the fermenting. We tried our hand at using a blow gun -- you look good trying even if you get nowhere near the target!
After the visit to
Monkey See Monkey Do
At breakfast time, the monkeys come trooping by, swinging from tree to tree. The Liana Lodge cat keeps them at bay - if not they'd steal your food! the island, the canoes took us back upriver so we could float down with inner tubes. AH! Heavenly to spin and bob in the gentle current -- occasional rapids and swirls. This is just the pace to enjoy the views, observing the river banks. Looking upward at massive treetops and admiring the swirling helix shapes of heliconia flowers. A sudden flutter of birds taking wing or the crashing of monkeys swinging from branch to branch. A pair of turtles floating on a log, more kids splashing and swimming as their moms pound the laundry on stones or in swish clothing in brightly colored plastic basins. Arriving back at the river bank by the lodge I pitched the inner tube and swam against the current for awhile. It was the perfect strength to give me exercise, keeping me in the same spot all the time (like those endless swimming pool jets they advertise!)
During our final breakfast at Liana, the monkeys gave us a show - leaping from tree to tree just beside the restaurant terrace. The lodge's cat keeps them in line, or they'd probably jump onto the table and nick the
Baby Turtles
Seen along the Arajuno River, a tributary of the Rio Napo which is a major waterway feeding into the mighy Amazon! fruit. Cheeky little buggers, these jungle monkeys! The kitty just needs to jump up on the railing and hiss at them and they all scatter. After catching a canoe taxi back to where the truck was parked, we headed north on the new highway which shoots up the eastern side of the Andes, El Troncal Amazonico. Excellent road conditions made for a beautiful day of driving with more amazing views. In less time than I anticipated, we were at Papallacta, a glorious hot springs complex just a few hours from Quito. We had a nice lunch at the fancy hotel (lamb chops for me, one of my favorites!) and hit the baths.
When I first came to Ecuador we used to visit the Papallacta hot spring - it was just a little rocky pool alongside an icy cold river. I have fond memories of going there with my Mom and Dad and my friend Jean back in 1989. Termas de Papallacta has grown into a great recreation area, a dozen or more hot, warm & cold pools nestled into bowl-like valley of the high parramo (14,000+ ft). We spent a few hours sampling the
At the Papallacta Baths
The place has changed in the past 20 years, but they've kept this original pool, alongside the river, more natural. different temperature waters and chatting with other bathers. I ran into one of the tour guides who often brings groups to Mandala. In Cuenca and at Liana Lodge I also crossed paths with guides from the various agencies who book at the hotel. It was fun to see them in a different context, this time with me as the tourist!
Just a short hop back to Quito, but wait, the day's adventures are far from over. Someone had warned me that since the beginning of May Quito has begun to institute a "no-driving" policy for plates that end in a certain number for each day of the week (Pica y Placa). My plate ends with a 7, and it was a Thursday, NO SEVENS day. I thought I could come into the city via a back road and weave thru residential neighborhoods to get us to our hostel, but NOOO -- the cops were stationed at all of the entry points off the ring roads, "helping" people out by reminding them that it would be an $80 fine (first infraction) and impoundment of the vehicle.
The
La Ronda in Quito
This historical street has had a tourist facelift. We enjoyed peeking into doorways and exploring hidden courtyards, funky stores, artisan wkshps and an artspace for children! good/bad news was that the exclusion is only during peak hours. We had to kill 2 hrs before we could drive back in at 7:30. So, I took a turn down a smaller cobbled road towards Zambiza, a town I'd always liked the name of (two Zs and two As in the name grabbed my fancy). We hung out at the town square until dusk - until the batteries on the computer ran down. Then it got chilly and began to drizzle so we ducked into a little burger place and ordered hot chocolate. The nice lady there told us she only makes fries & dogs & burgers, but she sent her son to the corner shop to buy some chocolate powder and she fixed us up two warm mugs. We spent an hour chatting with her, helping her kids with their homework, greeting the customers who came and went. Finally time for them to let us in!
The police barricades guided us to a part of Quito I didn't know well, and we spent over a half hour weaving thru traffic. When we finally came up the street where the hostel was,
Chess in the Land of Giants
A fun feature at Izhcayluma! Wish I knew how to play. I must have been overeager to get there and as I turned in toward the curb to park I clipped the fender of a double-parked brand new car in front of the Chinese restaurant next door. OH NO! The ripping, scraping sound was horrible. Just what I needed! It ended up that the car belonged to the restaurant's manager, a handsome young Quiteno. He was as nice as could be and told me not to worry, we'd talk about it in the morning. Get a good night's sleep, it didn't look like there was serious damage (plastic front fender twisted and pulled away, a few scratches on the side panel). The only apparent effect on my truck was that some of the built up dirt was smudged off of the lower door panel.
We were staying at Casa Helbling, a homey hostal whose owner is also a good friend of the Mandala owners. When Claus came to stay at Mandala, we hit it off right away and since he had filled in as substitute manager there once, we could commiserate on the challenges of the job. Of course he had booked us
Mama Tungurahua
Churning and rumbling and shaking and spewing!! a great room at half price! The following day I took care of medical and banking stuff and had a meeting with the Alandaluz account while Johanna explored the old town on her own. In the afternoon I met with the guy whose car I had hit, and when he showed me a $500 estimate just for the replacement parts, I decided to contact my Insurance Company. They emailed me a claim form, Claus let me print it out at the hostel, the restaurant manager used his photocopier to duplicate all of the accompanying documents he'd need when he took his vehicle to the insurance company. I left him with all of my contact info -- and it's been almost 2 weeks and no word from him or the insurance company. I hope that no news is good news! My policy has a $150 deductible so we'll see how long it takes them to hit me up for that.
I was able to do a bit of touring around Quito with Johanna andsome gift shopping at the weekend artisan market in the park. She met a few of my friends as we
Tropical Flowers
I'm always finding bizarre blooms I've never seen before....this one at Izhcayluma in Vilcabamba. took a spin to pick up more donations for the upcoming benefit garage sale. I dropped her at the airport and made my way back down to Banos, where I am now sitting - putting the final touches on this blog to the sound of the deep rumbling of Tunguraha volcano less than 10 miles away! My next blog will tell all about what it's like to live under the volcano as well as recounting my adventures with the next group of volunteers from Engineers Without Borders. Thanks for reading!
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charmaine
non-member comment
Hi Jill lovely photographs. xc