High Ho Silver - he's certainly away

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Out of Peru and into Ecuador. We had intended to miss Ecuador entirely, thinking it was small enough to make a separate trip on a different trip further into our dotage (no comments please). But somehow we had seen enough of Peru and Ecuador was in the way between us and Columbia, and therefore needed to be explored some.

So we make a break for the border, leaving Claire’s mum in Lima for her own tour and flying way north to Tumbes to cross over. Upon leaving the airport we meet a friendly guy called Walter who promptly ripped us off for a significant sum of dollars. Due to intense embarrassment and probably blame on my part I am not prepared to divulge the amount or the details of this scam, suffice to say we weren’t terribly happy with our first taste of Ecuador...‘nuf said.

After reading the LP to see what’s available and knowing we need some R+R, we come up with a place called Vilcabamba in the deep south of Ecuador. Supposedly a hippy hangout with a great climate and good to chill out for a while. Perfect, we think, and after a long bus ride (aren’t they all?) check into a randomly selected hostel for a couple of nights.

Ten days later we dragged ourselves away, reluctantly but realising that if we stayed any longer we might forget to leave altogether. Fantastic place, the village and our hostel - run by two German guys who have managed to boil down all the good things a hostel needs. Really nice cabin fro two, good food, entertainment and good company. For a bit of background on Vilcabamba and the hostel go to www.izhcayluma.com (is this beginning to sound like a holiday brochure?)

After the first couple of days chilling out (that means largely sitting around on our proverbials doing nothing), an American chap named Bert convinced us to accompany him on a two day horse-riding trip up in the mountains around the village with a local legend called Gavin. He runs a horse riding company whose catch phrase is ‘we take you higher’...I’ll leave you to your own conclusions on this one....

Not everybody knows this, but Claire and I are pretty good at horse riding, having had quite a lot of virtual almost experience in daily London cowboy life, and an hour or so actual experience while on holiday in Cuba (during which we thought we might get thrown off and die several times), so the thought of living on a horse for two days climbing thousands of feet into the mountains was instantly appealing. But we are after all, intrepid explorers and experience/adrenaline are the food of our existence. Peter, the hostel owner, recommended we talk to the owner/operator first, so off we went for a pre-trip chat with Gavin, mostly it seemed for him to assess if we were worthy to ride on his horses. Duly approved, and with a sense that Gavin (as a New Zealander who had also forgotten to go home) might not be in possession of a full picnic of sandwiches, but was clearly more than capable with horses, we committed to the trip.

Early next day and we arrived to take possession of our steeds. I was given a lovely young lad called Mandango (the name of the local sacred mountain) who was good natured but had a severe wobble when cantering, and Claire got Mesquale, another boy who didn’t like yellow lorries. A couple of pointers and we’re off up the road like old-hands. A great first days riding and we arrive fairly sore at Gavins mountain refuge. Straight away Gavin produces the first bottle of vodka, declaring the bar open for ‘sundowners’. Luckily Gavin has brought his trusty helper Oscar along, a young local lad who does most of the work, as by the time he and us three ‘clients’ have finished the first bottle watching the sun go down, he is in no fit state to cook anything.

Gavin owns a large chunk of mountain on which his hand-built refuge takes pride of place. The refuge is in an amazing spot (and this isn’t just the vodka talking!). It looks directly west down what they call the sacred valley, so the setting sun is right in your face and sets over the (no doubt equally sacred) mountain far in the distance. The setting sun creates silhouettes of the mountains from which you can see the faces and people which the ‘ancients’ used to make their legends. It really is mind blowing to watch. To top that, the moon rose directly over the mountain, framed by Venus and Mars. I rare sight I will never forget. Even Gavin was amazed and he must see great sunsets and night skies every time he goes up there.

We sat and talked and watched, and drank, for hours - listening to Gavins tales of how he ended up in Vilcabamba, how he got the land for next to nothing, what the ‘ancients’ used to do here and the names of all the mountains, how he might loose the land to his ex wife or NZ taxman etc, and how many times he has seen UFOs flying over the night sky here. Fascinating stuff, especially after two and a half bottles of best Ecuadorian vodka. He is a real character and you believe every word, especially about the aliens. Eventually, but reluctantly, we stumbled into bed, a wooden/tin hut with more than a few permanent residents of the multi-legged variety, to allow our bodies to recover for the next days riding.

Coming down the mountain the next day was just as good. Neither Claire nor I came off the horses and by the end of it we were feeling pretty confident. Confident that is that the horse wasn’t about to willingly throw us off. You are given some instructions on how to ‘control’ the animal at the start. These you follow and think that you are in control of it - how wrong. These horses know where they are going, how to get there, how fast they want to go and when they want to stop for a drink/feed/poo. And they plot with each other against us. At every opportunity the horses would start to canter and then gallop along treacherously thin mountain trails with precipitous drops to one side. On the other side the tree limbs were ready to snap any of my own desperately outstretched limbs attempting to maintain balance on the animal. At first this is terrifying. No, it is always terrifying. That said, once you got the rhythm and kept your legs in the stirrups, it is really exhilarating to ride a horse fast in this environment. Much more scary was the road back into town at the end. By then the horse was clearly bored of me and the trip and they all started to race home along the road with us clinging onto their back. But a still great trip which will leave me with memories forever (and bruises in my arse I think), Gavin is a real character who won’t be forgotten in a hurry - it’s people like him who make travelling worthwhile.

We ended up staying in Vilcabamba far longer than expected, but not intentionally. We did a few other walks and went to a great park of protected cloud-forest, but generally time just seemed to drift past. The climate is fantastic - it has a microclimate that means year round sun and not much rain. Go an hour up the road and the weather is abysmal. Its no wonder the ancients considered this place to be sacred. Its the sort of place that you want to tell everyone to go but actually want no-one to go in case they spoil it. I have to go back one day.

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Photos

Cowboy Simon
...what a natural!

The view of the sacred valley from Gavins refugio
The mountains in the background create outlines of people lying on their sides at sunset (squint a bit!)

The refugio
...along with a horses arse and Bert. (Berts the one on the left!)

True cowboys!
Claire, me, Bert and the one and only Gavin (who isnt paying attention to the shot!)

Loo with a view
...mind the wasps nest under you though.

Outdoor internet
...its not easy producing this stuff in these conditions you know!

Comments

[Richard]

Hello
Hello both hope you are okay, being reading your latest blogs and spoke with pat at the weekend in brum who had us in stiches especially with the menu translations. Went to see sarahs baby very cute try and send you some piccies, sarahs exhausted but both doing okay. Love the loo with a view and the crocodile dundee hats! Will follow your progress take care Rich and Kathryn

[Pat/Mom]

No wonder I haven't heard from you!
Just been catching up with your latest travels, sounds as though you had a great time. I think Gavin's taking note of his own 'shot' Simon. Keep up the good work.