Adios Ecuador! Parting shots from Vilcabamba.

Our departure from Vilcabamba was a sad one. Over our 10 day stay at the Hacienda, we made new friends and felt as though we were just getting to know the place. But, we must move on. There's more of South America to explore.  At the moment, I'm writing the blog from our hotel in Guayaquil. We flew here late this afternoon and depart late afternoon tomorrow.  It's warm. It will get us ready for the heat of Rio de Janiero. As we keep moving south of the equator, we moved the cold weather clothes to the bottom of the suitcase.

More info and pictures of Vilcabamba...
Vilcabamba is located in a charming valley. It's almost at 5,000 ft. The name Vika Bamba means Sacred Valley in the indigenous tongue Quechua. This special site was reserved by the Incas for the main noble authorities, as it is a peaceful and quiet place. Vilcabamba is an old town with lots of dirt roads, very small (we've heard various numbers, but most agree that the town itself has about 1,500 folks and the town and surrounding area probably around 4,000 or so) with a laid back attitude. It has a ride-your-horse-through-town way of life. And, ride their horses through town is exactly what they do!

The way of life here reminds us of the way our grandparents lived "back in the day" in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan--- cows and chickens and goats in the yard, wash hanging on the line (or on the bushes out front if you don't have a clothes line) and  gardens right out back or front.  If they fixed up all the buildings and made everything spic and span, I'd probably not want to come back here. The genuine oldness and uniqueness of the place gives it its character. It's a wonderful little place in our great big world and people of all nationalities come here to live or visit. We are glad to have made a second acquaintance with Vilcabamba.

We loved to sit at one of the outdoor cafes in town and watch the small little world of Vilcabamba go by. It's nice and cozy and oh-so real. It's hard to describe the feeling. I hope that my pictures convey what we felt and maybe give you a sense of it. It's not perfect, far from it, but it's very very lovely to behold and the place has a big heart. Life is lived slowly here. Shop keepers have their 9-10 year old kids working during the school break. These kids can add up in their heads what you owe and by the way, NOTHING has a pricetag on it in these little mom and pop stores.  After doing the math in their heads,  they check their addition on a caculator and show you what you owe. Sometimes my bill for 6 different fruits/veggies was not even $2. I was always amazed. It's part of what I loved about the town.

It reminded both of us so much of our childhoods in the UP. It's easy. It's simple. Kids stay out after dark with no parents helicoptering them. They play in the street.

We happened by the elementary school one day as classes were ending. Not one parent was hovering at the door to pick up their kids. Kids came out, walked arm in arm, went to buy ice cream and walked home. A Toyoto truck 4 door taxi stopped in front of the school and about 10 kids jumped inside and in the back. It sped off to the outskirts of town delivering kids home who live out of town. Yup, the back was filled with kids! It so reminded me of when my father used to let us hop in the back of his truck for a ride.

No computers here, except for the backpackers and expats. The human mind still reigns. They count your change back very carefully. A lady shorted me by 50 cents the other day and she was very apologetic. I kept saying "no problemo, no problemo" and she kept saying "lo siento, lo siento". It was nice to run into honesty and caring at the same time.


Our Spanish is pathetic, but we do try. Everybody appreciates that you try. You can see it in their faces. Ecuadorians take the time to help you. They are generous in spirit. One day we were walking to town on the dirt road when a man stopped in his 2 seat truck and asked us if we wanted a ride. We accepted. He spoke little English, but we managed a conversation and found out he's an electrician. He was so proud of his Datsun truck. We told him we have a Honda and a Toyota. He said, "Bueno!" We rode into town (I had to sit on Bob!) talking about the gorgeous views,  how wonderful Vilcabama was etc. etc. He smiled the whole way as was so happy to give us a ride and show off his town and car. He was typical of everyone we met. It was very welcoming.


Gas in Ecuador is $1.48 a gallon. It is government controlled and has been that price for 9 years. Diesel is 99 cents a gallon. Food is very cheap. Eating out is cheap. A tasty meal will cost about $20 and that includes drinks.  Organic fruits and vegetable abound. We started each day with a fresh fruit salad of mango, pineapple, strawberry and papaya. Bob got a haircut for $2.50.
Forgive my ramblings... I'm tired and haven't taken the time to reread or edit. To bed I go.

Rio de Janiero or bust!

The main focus of the square in town is the Catholic church.

Pizza dinner with Yadira in town at a a Mexican restaurant.

School is out. Let's buy some ice cream!

Who is that cute guy walking the town in his Panama hat? Did you know that Panama hats are made in Ecuador and not in Panama?

Lots of new construction going on in Vilcabamba.

A nice park with a soccer field in the back.

We watched the physical labor of these men for an hour. They are building a new road on the square.

Tough work. Strong men.

This was out front of my favorite little store.

 Fresh, fresh, fresh eggs! I saw the little girl deliver them!

Our nightly snack!

Two scoops please.

Nachos and a beer. $3.00

Gringos getting a real Ecuadorian experience.

View from one of the outdoor cafes.

Typical taxi. Typical grocery/ice cream shop.