Vilcabamba & Cuenca

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After we got through the horrendous Peru/Ecuador border, we headed for Loja and spent a night there. It was a Sunday and election day, so everything was closed. Loja was a lovely little town though - just a bit boring really (like a mini-Cuenca) after you've had an inital potter about. We left there for Vilcabamba in the south. How great was that place! It was hot, sunny and totally chilled out. It was quiet anyway (coz it's so small) but there are hardly any tourists at the moment, so it was even more tranquil. We stayed in an amazing hostel where they bring breakfast to your room terrace in the sunshine each morning. I went horse-riding again and really enjoyed it (no safety precautions like a helmet of course!). Jon went mountain-biking. We went trekking and visiting nature reserves. It was totally brilliant.

We left Vilcambamba on a bus to Cuenca yesterday, and 2hrs into the journey, we got to this little village where they'd blocked the road in protest (about trading licences etc) and wouldn't let anyone through. One bloke off our bus got dead annoyed and started having a go at the locals, to which they practically lynched him and he had to run for refuge on the bus. After hours of waiting, someone from the bus company headquarters (who obviously had more authority than our 16-yr old driver and his 14-yr old conductor) came to bribe the strikers. A pay-off was done and we were on our way, leaving everyone else stuck in the blockade. Kinda defeating the object of the strike really!

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Comments

[Fil]

Safe Trekking
I am glad that you always seem to avoid any serious trouble with hostile and angry mobs of locals?!? Take care, Fil.