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Published: August 15th 2009
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Mandango
Mandango, the sleeping Inca, whose presence is said to protect the area from earthquakes and other natural disasters. After visiting last year, returning to Vilcabamba was a little like coming home. To get here, Jack and I hopped on a local bus in Loja and bounced 40 kilometers up and down narrow Andean roads, passing little villages and verdent valleys, our views impeded by our carry-ons and daypacks stacked on our laps. (Knowing the driving style here, maybe it's a good thing we couldn't see how close we came to the cliffs or other vehicles.).
In Vilcabamba, we made our way to Le Rendezvous, a collection of cottages clustered around a lovely garden. The rooms are rustic and clean with a simple charm and breakfast consists of a hearty homemade bread, fresh fruit and juice, and a bowl of fruit or eggs. It's run by Serge and Isabelle, a French couple with a 10-month old baby. On one side of us, an Idaho woman who regularly comes to see her nieces and nephews; on the other, a computer scientist from Montreal; across the way, a traveler from France and an escapee from New York.
Vilcabamba has drawn visitors from around the world for decades. It gained special notoriety in 1973 when it was featured in National Geographic
So You Think You've Got a Load on Your Shoulders!
There's a donkey buried under the sugar cane. He delivers it from the field to the mill. No help needed. as one of the few places in the world where residents regularly live to be over 100, along with Abhazia, Georgia, and the Hunza. Because of Vilcabamba's fame, it has earned the nickname of "The Valley of Longevity."
This blog's going to be different from my usual (if I can ever post it thanks to a very unreliable internet connection here). Since we're planning to stay here a month, I thought it would be worth taking some time to explore the reasons why people are said to live longer here. I find Vilcabamba's reputation for longevity fascinating and I think exploring it at the front of our visit will also help put the rest of my blogs in context. I thought you might enjoy learning more about the reasons behind Vilcabamba's fame, too.
According to an article on Vilcabamba.org, scientists from all over the world have come to this Andean village to discover what accounted for the longevity and health of its residents. After their study, Japanese scientists determined it was due to the remarkably pure air, charged with negative ions. Breathing it, they said, served as a natural chelation treatment, cleansing the arteries of toxins and keeping
them flexible and young.
Chelation seemed to be the end result of living here no matter how it was approached. Scientists from the U.S. said the perfect balance of minerals in the water was responsible for the effect, while French scientists concluded that the perfect year-round temperatures meant the body didn't have to adjust to extremes and could use the extra energy to expel toxins—to chelate itself.
Not only were the residents of Vilcabamba living longer, but according to one study, the residents of Vilcabamba had the bones of teenagers. No osteoporosis.
Another visiting scientist took hair samples from residents and discovered that although the children had a natural genetic variation of mineral content in their bones, by the time residents reached 50-years-old, the mineral content in all their bones was virtually the same, with toxic metals at unbelievably low levels.
Samples of river water and local fruits and vegetables were also analyzed, intriguing scientists who discovered that the mineral ratio in the elderly was exactly the same as the mineral ratio in the water and the local produce. The balance of calcium, magnesium, and manganese in the water was virtually perfect, preventing calcium from leaving
Loving Family
Family is everything in Ecuador. the bones once it was absorbed. Just by eating and drinking, the locals were getting a sophicated chelation treatment.
Not only that, the perfect ratio of minerals kept calcium out of the blood where it mixes with cholesterol, a deadly duo that results in clogged arteries, making them stiff and diseased.
But why is the water so magical here? The article by Glen Cayton credits the source of the water and the journey it takes to get to Vilcabamba. It comes from high Andean peaks that are favored with nearly constant precipitation. Like all precipitation, it contains some dissolved solids, but these solids are filtered and mineralized as the water passes through a sponge-like plant that grows and dies, each stacked upon the other.
In addition, the water makes its way to the valley unimpeded. No dams. No farms or cattle or pollution in the rough and rocky watershed along the way. And because there's never been gold in the mountains surrounding Vilcabamba the creeks aren't contaminated with mercury and other toxins. "This tundra, cloud-forest area is useless, besides producing the most therapeutic water on the earth's surface." said Clayton.
Now, ironically, the village water itself
is chlorinated, and most visitors drink bottled water. But we couldn't believe our first taste of the water offered to us by friends on the mountainside—water that came directly from the Podocarpus National Park, spanning 360,000 acres. The water that comes straight from the mountain truly tastes like nectar from the gods. We've never had anything like it.
All this said, as "progress" envelopes the valley, the lifespans of the residents are said to be decreasing and "normal" diseases are becoming more common. Although several organic farms seem to be in development, organic vegetables are no longer the rule in local stores or the Sunday market, and Coca Cola trucks are seen to ply the little streets.
I'll stick to the water, thanks!
More about Vilcabamba and the wonderful characters we're meeting here tomorrow—depending on the internet connection!
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yuyuchai
non-member comment
thanks for sharring
my sister-in-law was in vilcabamba recently to look for property to build. we're in our sixties and still working, may plan a trip next year. any suggestions?