Blogs from Vilcabamba, South, Ecuador, South America - page 5

From Colombia I was on a mad dash for Quito. This meant that there were a couple of things missed and a couple of good sites and stops bypassed, but I had my mission. I know not why nor ever discovered, but there is a short ‘low season’ in the Galapagos from May through mid-June and I wanted to catch some of the lower fares. Having dallied in Venezuela too long, meant by the time I had bren to Bogota and the fabulous Zone Cafetera, I was beginning to be pushed for time. So, off to Quito. It took me about 2 days to check out the different tours available to the Galapagos, book the tour and the flights. It really wasn’t difficult, but this may have been because it was off season. The whole thing ... read more

Loja was cold on Sunday! Now I understand why a Vilcabamba local, looking at the influx of cars one recent afternoon said, "Oh, those are Lojans, coming down to Vilcabamba to warm up." It didn't register at the time, and I made the mistake of wearing a sleeveless top to the city 40 kilometers up the hill instead of my black leather jacket, which would have been just about right. It is winter in Ecuador. We may forget about that in Vilcabamba, "land of eternal spring," but we got a chilly reminder in Loja. Elevation matters. Vilcabamba's combination of 5,600-feet and latitude may create the perfect climate, but going up in elevation just another 600-feet and it's time to dig out the jacket—or at least that was the case on Sunday. I'm sure Loja's equivalent of ... read more

There's something about Vilcabamba that attracts people on opposite ends of the spectrum—any spectrum you define —political, religous, financial, moral, etc. You'll meet some of the nicest and most evolved people anywhere here—locals, transplants, and transients—and you'll also meet characters who just want to take advantage of the innocents. As far as we can tell the highest population of scoundrels seems to be among the recent transplants (yes, many of whom are in real estate). Some say it's the vortex and the powerful sacred mountain of Mandango that draws such disparate energies and brings out the best—and the worst—in people here. Some say it's just human nature that a certain type of unscrupulous operator will smell money in a burgeoning area and come running. The "Wild West" is a term people often use when describing Vilcabamba ... read more

Hoi allemaal, Ditmaal een berichtje vanuit het paradijs, want dat is waar we nu zijn aanbeland. Voor degenen die er nog naar op zoek zijn, stop maar met zoeken en vlieg naar de Galapagos eilanden. Moet je wel even waarschuwen, blijkbaar kan het ook regenen in het paradijs. Dat mag de pret echter niet drukken. Na regen is er zonneschijn en het is er lekker warm. Eindelijk kunnen die melkflessen een beetje bijkleuren. Natuurlijk hebben we al wat van de natuur gezien. Maar a.s. zondag gaat het allemaal echt van start. Dan cruisen we op een jacht rond de verschillende eilanden en hopen flink wat van de onderwaterwereld te zien. Goed, genoeg over wat we in het vooruitzicht hebben. Nu eerst nog even terug naar de reis naar Ecuador, want die verliep wat anders als gepland. ... read more

Todas las guias indican que en Vilcabamba el viajero deja su mochila olvidada durante dias y dias y aplaza el momento de salir una y otra vez. Es el tipico lugar en el que uno "se queda colgado".... Nosotros, los churris sin rumbo, hicimos lo mismo, pero los motivos...ay, los motivos fueron bien distintos... El primero fue encontrar una pareja muy especial, una extraña combinacion de frances-rumana que nos dieron desde el principio justo lo que necesitabamos: charla, charla y charla, risas y complicidad. Un gusto hablar con personas como ellos. El segundo...buf!, el segundo fue un motivo nada agradable: claro, a la churri (o sea yo) todo le pasa. Y me paso de veras. Ya se sabe que aqui, por estas latitudes, todo pincha, todo muerde o todo mata. Pero coño!, tambien la fruta?. Pues ... read more