Banos

It was kind of a shock to arrive in Banos after the quiet of Chugchilan/Quilotoa. It felt like the Vegas of Ecuador in comparison. But a really fun contrast, and especially fun to arrive there with our two new Australian hiking friends, who were either headed there anyway or were open to being convinced to do so.

Just a couple nights in Banos, enough time for a full day adventure of taking a public bus way up the mountainside to a little park...

...with all these fun swings that would have given amazing views of the local volcano, if it had not been completely shrouded in clouds the entire time.

I really appreciated these awesome translations of the swing guidelines:

Then we descended on foot the 2,500 feet we'd climbed by bus on a VERY steep foothill path. That this creature could probably have navigated way more gracefully (albeit slowly) than we did.

Once we got back in sight of Banos, we were treated to a rainbow arched over the city. And from there we went to a hotsprings near town that was the PERFECT antidote to that downhill walk. No pictures of that, but if I had any, they would probably just be of all of us with big, relaxed smiles on our faces.

Quilotoa Loop

From Cuenca, my long-time friend and current travel buddy D and I hopped a bus for the 8-hour ride north to the town of Latacunga, which isn't really on many people's travel itineraries for it's own sake, but is the access point for our next destination: The Quilotoa Loop.

I did really like Latacunga for its own sake for the one overnight we spent there, though. A beautiful public park, mellow vibe, the same relaxed, friendly people I've been encountering everywhere in Ecuador...it was a great stop.

 

The next morning though, we continued on our way on a regional bus into the high-altitude, ruggedly gorgeous area around legendary Lake Quilotoa. We made our home for a few nights at an amazing ecolodge (that I would and will recommend to anyone making a future trip to Ecuador!) in the town of Chugchilan. The skylit attic of this hobbit-like abode was my room for the stay.

And check out the view from the seat of one of the composting toilets!:

The town of Chugchilan was VERY quiet. But also beautiful in its own way.

You can't beat these views, right?

Or maybe you can, because one of the days we were here, D and I--plus two new Australian friends we met along the way--did a beautiful but kind of crazy hike. We got a pick-up ride to the town of Quilotoa, which is situated right by the lake of the same name. This volcanic crater lake, according to local legend, has no bottom, though I wouldn't be surprised if they think that because no one ever really wanted to try to explore for that. It's pretty chilly up here! (At about 12,000 ft.)

But spectacularly gorgeous. After we walked around about 1/3 of the crater rim, we dropped down and walked the 8 or so miles back to Chugchilan, which probably ranks in the top 5 of insane hikes I've taken. Suffice it to say if we'd known in advance how sketchy parts of the trail were, we would definitely have taken an alternate route, but since it's done, we now have a nice, harrowing, funny (in retrospect) story to tell. Which I'm happy to tell in person next time I see you. But for now, I'll just leave you with this last shot of beautiful Lake Quilotoa. Enjoy!

Las Cajas National Park

While staying in Cuenca, I got to make two day trips to nearby, stunningly beautiful Las Cajas National Park. The first visit was to the lower elevations of the park, for a walk around Laguna Llaviucu.

It was a chilly, drizzly day, but the warm company more than made up for that. (For you PC Mada folks lurking here, you'll recognize my cohort-member B on the left, and maybe also the family R, sandwiched between me and B.)

There were also some llamas for company who were amazingly tolerant of us approaching their babies for pictures.

You have to look closely, but there are also wild orchids along the trail.

A couple days later, B took me up higher into the park for a second hike that started at Lake Toreadora. The scenery here was even more spectacular, as we made our way about 4 miles downhill to the reward of a potato soup and trout lunch.

Llama poop!

Spending time in Cuenca, with all the beautiful day walks and time with friends I've not seen in a long time, has been so completely wonderful. Luckily Ecuador in general seems completely wonderful, with amazing landscapes and really mellow, relaxed people. So there's a good chance the next leg of the adventure will be equally great.

Cuenca and Paute

Ecuador stop #2 is the lovely city of Cuenca, where I've been lucky enough to stay with a Peace Corps Madagascar friend who retired here, and this is the view from his guest room window!:

The center of Cuenca is lovely, a fantastic place to wander markets and stop for a cappuccino and stroll along the riverfront and admire the beautiful old architecture.

As always, the best part about visiting someone who lives in the area is that they have their own local happy-places that I would never otherwise know existed. Exhibit 1: a daytrip to the nearby town of Paute, where we grabbed a pick-up ride way up into the hills above...

...and then hiked back down into town, enjoying the amazing peacefulness and bucolic sights of the Ecuadorian countryside.

I especially appreciated how colorful Paute is...

...and how colorful (and, most importantly, delicious) my lunch of trout, hominy, and salad was once we made it all the way back to town.

There may also have been an afternoon nap enjoyed on the bus ride through the mountains back to Cuenca. Possibly.

Vilcabamba...ECUADOR!!

I'm on the road again!

It's Part II of the 2017 South America adventures--this time, a month each in Ecuador and Peru.

First stop on the adventure was Vilcabamba, Ecuador, in the southern highlands, near the town of Loja. I would say it is a one-horse town, but there were actually literally a lot of horses around, so that wouldn't be very accurate. It was a small town, though, so it was a little overwhelming how many American hippies and then retirees were swarming around town. A sweet first stop where I could chill out a bit after the trip south, all the same. And a picturesque setting, for sure!