| My first stop in Ecuador was in Loja, in southern Ecuador, where my friend, Chandi, is serving in the Peace Corps. She and I went to Vilcabamba for the weekend. Vilcabamba is a little town in the mountains near Loja with lots of little inexpensive resorts. Residents of the Vilcabamba valley claim to live to 120 year old, although none have been able to prove their old age (frankly, most South Americans over 60 look about 120). Since most tourists stay in northern Ecuador and it is Loja is a 12 hour bus ride from the capital of Quito, Vilcabamba really only serves as a resort for locals from Loja and gringo backpackers traveling through Ecuador on their way to Peru. In fact, it seemed like Chandi and I were the only gringos there without dreadlocks. It is a nice place to swim and eat, shop for locally made crafts, get a 1-hour message for $10, do some hiking or horsebackriding or just relax for a while and wth an altitude of 4800 feet so close to the equator, the weather is perfect year round. |
