Vilcabamba, Ecuador, the Valley of Longevity, the humble town trapped by lush, green mountains that forces one into a state of incomparable serenity. The last five days I have arisen to a never-ending vista of rolling hills and numerous shades of green being brightened by the morning sun peaking over the mountains. The hostel provides a quaint patio overlooking the beautiful valley as I sip on my coffee and sigh in relief at the quiet. It is not surprising that the inhabitants of this paradise live to be 135 years – the presence of something divine refuses non-spirituality; the resources of mineral water and fresh fruit provide for a healthy mind and body; and the absence of technology and modernization that confuse us helps you to stay in the present moment.
Hillsides of the Andes during our hike
It’s a small hostel tucked away on the side of the mountain with no internet, no air conditioning, and plants and flowers surrounding you everywhere! It reminds me of Manoa in Hawaii. It is so beautiful here, I even tried to get a job at the Hostel but an Australian beat me to it by a day! There are people here from everywhere – and mostly not from the U.S. (I’ve began to notice that Americans just don’t travel like the rest of the world). Especially, we have befriended an Israeli, Hagar, on her quest ‘round South America – all Israelis are obligated to two years of service in the army after high school, after which they all travel in South America or East Asia for 6 months; Israelis are everywhere! It has been interesting exchanging stories and theories on the age-old conflict in her country, and noting the irony at the difference of information we each receive from our governments or media. I always think differently about a situation once I meet a real, live person surviving it.
The three of us set out on the Izhcayluma Hike through the Ecuadorian Andes, which got Michael and I into much more than we were prepared for! The hike was about 6.5 hours and returned us just before the sun fell in the valley. The ascent was not bad and the views were, to use the clich̩ but appropriate phrase, truly breath-taking! Rising only about 6,000 feet, the mountains are still covered in beautiful shades of green, have wild horses roaming, and have no power lines to ruin the panorama either! However, the descent consisted of a purely ridgeline hike for about two hours on a path 1.5 feet wide, straight across and down the face of the mountain. We lost the blue rocks guiding our way at one point and went an hour out of the way only to turn around and climb straight back up. My legs were shaking in fatigue, my ankles hurt, and the equatorial sun was rough Рbut we made it! We trekked the Andes!
Are we in trouble yet?
Day two consisted of a massage from the Hostel and relaxation. We rode horses up to the beautiful mountain views on Sunday as well; however, I believe that will be my last horse ride for me – the pains from that 3 hour bull ride (as it seemed to me) are still piercing my back and butt as I type this message now.
We met a French couple, German medical missionaries, an intelligent Dutch couple traveling for a year (who just couldn’t understand that phenomenon we call Privatized Health Care in the U.S.), and so many more. The weekend was a breath of fresh air, literally, and I miss it already! I can’t say much more, just look at the pictures!
We met a French couple, German medical missionaries, an intelligent Dutch couple traveling for a year (who just couldn’t understand that phenomenon we call Privatized Health Care in the U.S.), and so many more. The weekend was a breath of fresh air, literally, and I miss it already! I can’t say much more, just look at the pictures!
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