Spanish colonial building in Cuenca

VILCABAMBA - valley of eternal youth

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September 21st 2008
Trip to Cuenca on surprisingly comfortable bus, despite playing 2 Sylvester Stallone (in Spanish, claro…) films at volume high enough to create distortion. Scnenery of balana plantations and some very basic rural living conditions, many shacks with pigs tethered outside. Bit alarmed by 2 ft gully at side of road when going through cloud forest, but we made it to Cuenca 4 hours later. Cuenca ... read more

South America » Ecuador » South » Vilcabamba

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The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A b... ... read more