Cuenca and Cajas National Park

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I am now back in Cuenca. Two days ago I did some Christmas shopping. Although Cuenca is famous for its artesania, it was not so easy to find some shops which did not sell only kitsch.

Yesterday I went on a guided tour to Cajas National Park, together with a couple from Switzerland. This national park lies between 3100 and 4450 m. It has received 3 important internation creditations, including the Unesco one. It is famous for its very clean water which it achieves through its particular vegetation system which cleans the water. It is called Cajas (= boxes) park, as its lakes and valleys look a little like boxes.

Especially interesting was the walk through the Polylepsis forest. The Polylepsis tree is the tree which can live on the highest altitude. It grows extremely slowy and it takes several hundred years until a tree ís a few meters high. The trees look very errie like the ones in the Lord of the Rings. Also, the guide told us that in this forest lives the chusulongo , some kind of a man-ghost who likes to capture women..

It was a very special landscape in the park, very beautiful, but very different from the places I have seen so far in Ecuador. This makes this country so exciting - it is so small, but it has such an enormous diversity on landscape, flora, fauna and people.

We also saw many medicinal plants, including valerian and stuff for malaria.

Last night I went out just for a beer, but I ended up dancing for hours in the Eucalyptus cafe. They had a life band there which played hot Latino rhythms. I was the only gringo, but it never takes long until you meet people...I must admit though that the guy talked a bit too much....

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Photos

200712140010
Laguna Llaviucu

Comments

[anonymous]

excellent pics