Vilcabamba - Retirement ?

Not many towns are as relaxing and secluded as Vicabamba, population 4000. This is Ecuadorian cowboy country at it´s best with stunning green hills and mountains. The local, friendly people are laid back, while running little tiendas, cafes, organic farming and advertise horseback riding trips and massages. The weather here is warmer, considered "eternal spring" all year around. So far, perhaps because Ecuador has a higher elevation, and certainly not including the jungle, there are few bugs or mosquitos.

I heard about Vilcabamba from friends of mine, who built a home here for their part time retirement. This is the perfect inspiring location for musicians, artists, and anyone who is or wants to be creative. It is also extremely peaceful, with a small quaint downtown area.

I was delighted to stay at Jardin Escondido, a colorful little hotel, surrounded and hidden in the gardens. Several varieties of colorful birds and butterflies are enjoying the vegetations here.

Vilcabamba is known and famous as the ¨Valley of Lontevity¨, where people easily live to 100 years old and older. Perhaps the secret is the natural pure spring waters, or the organic, healthy foods available or what appears to be relaxed living? The locals I´m told, do work hard, walk everywhere and have no cars but utilize their horses and donkeys. To change statistics a bit, at least in the last few years, foreigners from all around the world are moving into the area, building houses and retiring here.





My three travel partners..George, Judy and Angela.

One day we all decided to go to an orphanage in Loja, about 45 minutes bus ride from Vilcabamba. We thought we did well in spanish, including getting and following directions, and receiving information about the facility. Even though we were told this was "the orphanage", the facility didn't really look like an orphanage and was more like a day care center/school. Whether it was or was not an orphanage, I was happy to unload-donate my art supplies and books, I'd taken with me from San Francisco. In a classroom we visited, there were about 15-20 kids. Anyway the administrator gave us a background in spanish and they were delighted to receive the donation. The children were so cute and then they clapped....and then all together in unison said, "gracias".

Another little adventure was to take a short horse tour around the town with our guide Julio. My thought was to finally face my fears about horses, since the last time I was on a horse, over 20 years ago, I was bucked off, and it resulted in a serious, painful, back fracture (with hospitalization and two months off work). Carefully,
I chose my horse from a book where guests wrote in about their horse experiences. Because the name, "Corazon" was mentioned so many times, I decided this was the horse for me. "Corazon" means ¨heart.....how very appropriate for me. She was a sedate, reliable, loving horse who liked to snack on weeds continuously along the way. Slowly...slowly, I began to trust Corazon that she wouldn't buck me off and it was then that it became a very healing experience for me. In the past, I've always loved horses!

Ingapirca - Inca Ruins at Sun Down

Ingapirca "Wall of Inca" is the most important Inca site in Ecuador and was built in the 15th century during the Inca expansion from Peru. The main structure, an elliptical platform, known as the Temple of the Sun, was used for ceremonial and religious purposes and appears a solar observatory. I was impressed by the mortarless stonework, in it's finist precision.

When I visited with my guide, the sun had set and we were the only ones on site. How awesome it was to have a panoramic view from it's higher location, looking out to the valleys and farmlands and mountains. I don't know if it was the higher elevation or what, but I certainly felt light hearted and almost as if I could levitate. It was completely silent,
semi-dark and there were dark clouds forming, while sprinkling some holy water on our heads.

I overnighted in a nearby small village, where there were few services open, and had a redundant large plate of rice/potatoes with chicken meat and complemented it with an always well deserved cerveza (beer).

At 4am, the village Church broadcasted really really loud music, which some songs about "Madre" and Jesus and found out they are honoring the mother. But 4am? I asked the lady at the hotel if she liked the 4am music and she had pulled a nasty face, telling me in a few words of Spanish that I understood, of how the priests were in charge of the village. She also showed me a painful, dark bruise on her right shoulder and chest, with very little mobility of her arm. There is no nearby doctor and she was adamant about not going to the doctor. She had a story of how she was milking the family cow and got kicked in the shoulder. Gave her a Reiki treatment, which she said helped the pain. When I saw the fear in the childrens eyes and also her withdrawn fear, I just didnt believe her story.

From Banos to Puyo, Jungle Tour, Shaman Healing

From Banos to Puyo, the road dips downhill and passes through a few underground tunnels, with spectacular views of a dozen waterfalls. For a closer look at one of them we took a small, cagelike cable car, which dangled and transported us high over the river gorge.

Later in a misty forested area, we followed a muddy jungle trail led by our tour guide - driver. We were accompanied by several monkeys swinging from tree to tree, as well as climbing our legs and jumping on our shoulders. Remembering a past Bali experience, I was not going to allow a monkey thief steal my glasses again nor my camera. So it was an interesting hike walking my glasses hidden away, while experiencing the sounds and smells and sensations.

Our guide was loved by the monkeys, sat on his shoulders, nibbled his ears and groomed his hair. He is the strong, sure footed, hunter, silent type. Surely he was not afraid of spiders or the 75 lb boa snake that wrapped around his neck. We canoed along the river in a funky, leaking boat along a tributary of the Amazon, looking for crocodiles.

Below is a short jungle video....warning...it's in Spanish!





Our lodge that night was more primitive than I expected. The bungalow was high upon wooden stilts, reached by climbing a dry rot latter. It was covered by thatch,
open aired at the top of the walls with thin foam mattresses. The bathroom...well...
down a trail somewhere. I woke up with a little monkey inside the room, silently checking me out on the other side of my mosquito net. CUTE but not to be trusted.

The owner of the lodge, his family and our tour guide cooked us dinner, barbequed fish wrapped up in a banana leaf, overly salted veggies, potatoes and an alcohol drink made of sugar cane.

Elva getting a healing/ black stone rubbing

The owner (?) is known to be a real Indian Shaman who gives healings. He offered us a treatment. Taking advantage of this, Alva and I stripped down to our waists, trying to create privacy, in a room of people. When I told him about headaches and back pain, he rubbed me all over with moist herbs with a black shiny stone. Then the fun part....he repeated took big swigs from
a bottle of forest herbs and alcohol. Then he proceded to spray and sputter the solution from his mouth all over me, including my face. As a finale, he gives both nipples a quick pinch.
Now I'm wondering? Is that the normal treatment?
Elva said she certainly didn't get it.

Falling in Love with Banos

Hot Springs - Baths which Banos is known for
At the bottom of the waterfall, looking down at the town.


After a few chaotic days in Quito, I took off with my friends Judy and George (whom I met in Guatemala last year) in their rental car, to our destination a couple of hours south- Banos. We asked what seemed like at least 10 people for directions on many lonely street corners. Between the three of us, we had to interpret the spanish directions and for awhile we found oureselves on a wild goose chase.

Eventually, we found the Pan America Highway and arrived in a lovely, green, mountainous and magical location, where a large waterfall caught our attention alongside the town. That night we could hear the waterfall nearby, along with the birds and the sounds of tropical bugs.

I love Banos! The little quaint town has about 7000 people and the center is only 5 or 6 blocks square. There is no excuse here for getting lost.It´s lush and scenic.
The nearby Tungagurahua Volcano (Little Hell)which last erupted only a few months ago, left the village smoky with ashes, evacuated and devoid of tourists. But now the town is back in order and tourists are coming back.

The Banos Baths include one that is a scalding 118 degrees, a warm pool -great for swimming and a cold pool (sure to give me goose bumps) they are all fed by thermal springs of healthy minerals and are constantly recycled. There are 4 total groups, 3one in town and one up the hill, all well organized with dressing rooms-showers.
I visited the one uphill, soaking hot - cold - warm
and sure enough....I felt 5 years younger!



Molar Breaking....Salt Water Taffy

Too Sweet .....Sugar Cane Drinks.....However better with alcohol.

I met another couple and they asked me to go on a 2 day jungle tour with them manana.So I am going to say good by for now, to George and Judy and hello to Tony and Elva.

Hasta manana.....