At Zoociedad in Cuenca with Mariutsi, Veronica, Lindsay and Paul. Cuenca was fun and interesting, but time to move on
Another hopefully not too crazy bus trip through the Andes Mountains. It’s been raining nonstop for the last two days and that can only mean one thing: rocks falling and landslides. This time I am taking a minivan, known locally as a colectivo. It carries about 12 passengers and if you’re lucky it will be half that many so you can spread out. But more often than not it’s full and stuffed and stuffy. But it’s quicker than many of the buses that stop all along the way in every small town. At $12 it’s rather steep for Ecuador. I’m used to paying $2 to $6 for intercity transportation here. But I’m getting a late start and for that I must pay the price.
My destination is Vilcabamba, Ecuador, which has a large concentration of people more than 100 years old. Some say it’s the clean air. Some say it’s the lifestyle. I intend to find out.
I will actually try to relax in Vilcabamba – to regenerate. I am staying at the Izhcayluma Hosteria, which bills itself as a resort for backpackers. In other words, luxury at an affordable price. Here they will pamper backpackers. I plan to stay three days and probably won’t resist the beautiful trails and may well leave to the pool to go for a hike in the mountains. And of course I still have Peru ahead, much walking and hiking in my future.
Check back here. I am packing my overstuffed backpack now. I’ll tell you all about Vilcabamba and my journey there in the next post. Unless the land comes a sliding down 🙂
Mike Tends To Travel 
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