Peguche Waterfall, Ecuador (January 2014)

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22 January 2014 – Wednesday – Otavalo, Ecuador

This morning we hopped onto one of the 25 cent local buses and rode about 15 minutes to the centre of Peguche along with the school kids and elderly Ecuadorans. From there we hiked into the Peguche waterfall, a beautiful 18 meter (about 50 feet) cascade of roaring water. This waterfall originates at the foothills of Imbabura volcano. There were a few other gringos as well as Ecuadoran families enjoying the hike and waterfall and the river. This lovely waterfall is considered a Ceremonial Site by the indigenous Ecuadoran people. Purification baths are held here prior to the Inti Raymi harvest celebration in June.

There are several legends relevant to this waterfall. The main one concerns a golden bowl located in the interior of the waterfall that is protected by two black dogs. Beside the bowl the devil is seated, holding on his hand a small plate filled with sand. The falling water washes daily the sand in the plate little by little until it empties the plate. At this point the Devil will take away the soul of whoever enters the waterfall at that moment.

At the waterfall’s summit we encountered four young Ecuadoran men, tempting that devil, who had stripped down to their underwear and we walking further up the fast-flowing river under the low, over-hanging trees and between boulders. While walking the various trails around the park we would see in the distance in front of us a young couple holding hands and then at the next corner they would have disappeared into the forest! We stopped and had our packed lunch beside the river and a little further down river a couple of school girls had built a small fire and its wonderful incense wafted up to us. We hiked back on a secondary path and then hopped onto another 25 cent bus back to Otavalo. It was a wonderful day just walking in the fresh open air.

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