Mother Nature's Beauty...

surrounds us at Hacienda San Joaquin.

When we were here three years ago, I fell in love with the beauty and tranquility of this small special place in the world. Joe, developer/designer/owner/inspirational architect of HSJ has done an exceptional job of making an overgrown old run-down sugar cane plantation come alive with the best Mother Nature has to offer. No matter where you turn, walk, look, or gaze, you see the beauty of nature in this stunning valley of the Andes near Vilcabamba, Ecuador.  On that note, Bob and I decided to take a 3 hour hike way way way up above the Hacienda to see what there was to see in the other  valleys nearby and to see what the Hacienda looks like from above.

Joe's work crew made a trail (albeit overgrown in parts during this time of the year due to the rainy season) that extends up and over hills and ridges. It's not for the faint of heart. It will however, give you hours of heart pounding exercise and fill your senses with joy.

We  semi-circled the property and got an overview that is hard to beat when just walking on the roads down inside the Hacienda. It was an extremely difficult trek, but well worth it. Seeing a 6ft. very fat snake right off the bat, scared us, but once Bob got a stick to scare the next one away, we carried on and only saw a little one after that.

This is where Mother Nature does her work  24/7. Except for the trail, nothing here has been touched by humans. This is mother nature at her very best. Humans have not disturbed the land. It's raw earth. It's supremely beautiful.  My pictures tell the story of what Mother Nature brings to life during the rainy season at about mile high elevation. The blooms and greenery are exceptional. Even the dead things look interesting.

Part of the Hacienda. Our casa is on the left, tucked into the trees. Across the river are other houses that do not belong to the Hacienda San Joaquin.

You can see our trail on the ridgeline.

This is the hotel that is being built on the property.

One tired, but happy hiker. Homes in the valley of 

Vilcabamba in the background.

Even the weeds are gorgeous!

The serpiente (snake) whisperer.

...you have to pay attention to Mother Nature even when you are tired of the uphill slog, even when you can't breathe and want to put you head down. Instead, keep it up, something may be hidden and blossoming. You need to be aware. You need to LOOK! Amazement takes over your senses and you are again, wide-eyed, like a child. It's a good way to live and breathe. Life IS good at Haciend SJ.

Hiking is a great way to experience synaethesia... a blending of the senses. Sights and smells and sounds coming to you in one sensory experience. That's my new word for the day. I'm reading William Kitterage's book "The Nature of Generosity" on my Kindle and that's my new English word for the day. I like it. It rolls off the tongue nicely.

Bob and I have been trying to learn several new Spanish words a day. Yesterday's words were... serpiente (snake), excursion (hike) and ayer (yesterday).