It has not even been a week and yet it seems like so much more time has passed since we left Rumi Wilco on Monday. We left early Monday morning for Loja and then caught another bus to Cuenca. In Cuenca we spent the first hour wandering around with our heavy packs trying to find a hostel. We had written down information for three hostels at Rumi Wilco, but apparently all of them have since gone out of business. After we settled into Hostel Siberia, we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the city, grabbing some food, and discovering the best ice cream shop! I had the Copa Hordo which consisted of three scoops of ice cream with three little half sugar cones, and a glass dish full of chocolate, creme and banana pieces, all for a whopping $2.60. That night we found a hookah bar where we got a pipe and two 1.5 liter beers for $7 total. I know nothing about hookah bars, but Aaron informed me that you can pay around $25 for two coals at a US hookah bar. The next day we went to the Banco Centro Museo and looked at art pieces from the 1500´s and then histories of many of the different indigenous peoples living around Ecuador. At the end we walked around this large Incan ruins that were built up on the edge of a hill aligned with a specific constellation. Below the ruins the museum has created a lovely garden area with all the various crops that are produced in Ecuador. We also wondered around to look at several churches and then returned to the ice cream shop from the previous night. This time I had a half liter of ice cream, again for a mere $2.60. This is actually quite expensive when taking into account that I can purchase an entire lunch of soup, meal and juice for $1.50 – $2.50. But ice cream is a luxury I will always splurge on. Cuenca is a really nice city. The atmosphere is great.

We left that evening for Riobamba, however. In Riobamba we ended up at a slightly dodgy hostel. No toilet paper, one toilet did not even have a toilet seat, no shower curtains, and a musty smell. But I suppose we were only paying $4 a night. We went out for supper that night and despite not being very hungry, I ended up with this huge calzone. It was at least tasty, but I did not need to eat nearly as much the next day. The next morning we found out that there is not really anything to do in Riobamba. It is not even that nice looking of a city. It is mostly a large, busy city where all the hiking areas around it are too far to walk to or take a taxi. We were on a bus to Baños later that morning.

Baños, however, is fantastic. It is extremely touristy, but for good reason. We have been staying at the nicest place, Residencial Timara. The older man who run it is extremely friendly and everything is so clean and nice. There is a full kitchen and warm showers. And the ladies who come in to do the cleaning and washing are incredibly amiable. Baños is situated down at the base of several mountains. It is also the home of Volcan Tunguarahua which is usually an extremely active volcano with frequent eruptions and ground shaking tremors. Of course this means that it was been silent the last few days. Well the first afternoon we trekked up the mountain side to get some great views of Baños and the surrounding lands. Then we hiked out to this lookout Bellavista which overlooks Baños. This was a several hour hike. Before we had left, we booked a night tour up to see the volcano. Of course this was before we found out it was not active. Though that night when we were riding a Chiva (an open air tour bus that is brightly painted with flashing lights and blaring music) to the top, it turned out that they did not even take us where we thought. We ended right back up at Bellavista! The view is really quite better in daytime and sort of a silly venture to have paid for. At least our tour outfit brought this warm cinnamon drink for us and some random guy who rode up with us made a fire and put on a show. I hope to actually make it to El Refugio which is still some distance below the crater but looks like Julie Andrews should suddenly stroll past singing.

Yesterday, however, has been hands down the best day yet. We rented mountain bikes and took off on the road towards Puyo to undertake what is called the waterfall way. In 24 km (14 miles) we saw about 6 or 7 waterfalls. Despite the day starting off rainy, it turned out to be warm and sunny. Though, for a good 30 minutes we rode with rain pelting into our face as well as the steady stream picked up from both bike tires. There were so many great waterfalls and at most there were activities such as a canopy tour or cable basket. At Manto de la Novia (a twin falls) we took a cable basket over the deep valley right up to and over the falls. When we got to the other side, we were able to hike around the top side of the falls and go onto a lookout directly over the edge. Gorgeous. Then we took the cable back and hiked to the bottom of the river basin and crossed a suspension bridge to look around at the bottom of the falls. Then we rode on. The road is directly along the valley overlooking this river where all the falls flow into. Then at Pailon del Diablo we hiked down to the largest of the falls. The whole way there you can hear the rush of water but when you finally get there it is breathtaking. The sheer magnitude of the water surging down into the valley is unbelievable. The walkway is literally built up to the edge of the water where the force of up spray can actually push you backwards. We of course were soaked after this, but luckily we had already eaten lunch. This waterfall is so heavily visited that the town Rio Verde literally built up around it. I took videos at this falls it was so magnificent. It even made the last falls, Rocío de Machay, seem to pale in comparison. Machay is this really long falls where the mist of up spray causes there to be rainbows everywhere. And the base has formed into these fast flowing eddies into pools. There are two entrances, we ended up at the new one through the Complejo Ecoturistico M’ Fanny’s, a restaurant gardens area. In all, it was quite fantastic. We could have ridden the entire 60 km to Puyo, but the road was beginning to up slope more and we were exhausted from riding and hiking as is. A bus picked us up at Rio San Francisco. Even if we were not so tired, we really would not have been able to ride back very well. There is a constant run of tunnels wide enough for a single vehicle with a pedestrian pathway built around the side only going towards Puyo and not the return way. After returning to Baños, we rode around a little with the bikes before returning them. I personally was exhausted after this and merely stayed in to finish my book and update the last week in my journal.

Today we are taking a break from physical activity, mostly because there is a consistent shower every hour or so. The day is not lost, though, because I found a book exchange cafe that shows free movies in the afternoon. 🙂 Tomorrow were are going to the zoo and then a hike up the mountain to the opposite side of Baños and then to a hot springs. We also hope to get up to El Refugio. There might even be time for a quick half day white water rafting trip. Baños is truly a great place to be right now. We are still making our way north and west to the coast, but we will be stopping in Puyo first. Puyo is just inside the Amazon region east of Baños. I am excited!

Another week done. Our physical requirements for work this week were increased. We grounded coffee almost everyday. Also I spent some time digging up unwanted grasses while Aaron was filling holes. This required the movement of dirt around in a wheelbarrow while making sure to keep the ground level in the area we were mining soil. We also spent a couple hours clearing down and fallen brush. Let me just say that it is an extremely rewarding experience to chop down a banana tree with a machete. Their trunks are surprisingly fleshy. Orlando uses all the mulch and sticks and trees to build up the bank along the river. He builds retaining walls and then the decaying material becomes excellent soil to plant new trees. I have really enjoyed the work at Rumi Wilco, but our time has finally come to an end. We are leaving tomorrow to head north and then to the coast. We are going to spend the next month to volunteer with Planet Drum in Bahia de Caraquez. Before we go there, though, we are going to spend a week wondering up and stopping at a few places. Our first stop is Cuenca. I have not fully made up my mind about the prospect of it, but we inevitably are following some of the gringo-trail. Though is really is quite unavoidable. I am excited for a change of scenery! Especially with the assurance that we have a place to settle down at on the coast for a little while where we can buy food stuffs in bulk. My only hope is that our next kitchen has an oven. Getting to finally cook for myself and not relying on the plethora of choice and stock in a cafeteria, I have begun to experiment with cooking. We did not have an oven at Rumi Wilco, but I think I have made good progress with skillet biscuits. I still need some work on the donuts. Pancakes and french toast are too easy, but they are quite tasty as well. My next cooking venture is to work with beans and rice (the raw form, none of that precooked, canned or instant ones). Though sauteed vegetables with guacamole has been a more than appetizing staple.
Since Friday was our last day of work and this our last weekend in Vilcabamba, Aaron and I have been quite busy. Yesterday, we trekked up a mountain to see a waterfall. It was about a 2.5 mile walk to the Podocarpus National Park then a 2-2.5 mile trek up to the falls. The path is heavily traversed via horse tours so in addition to huffing and puffing up the path we were dodging piles of horse droppings. Once you get to the end of the path there is a short segment that is straight down to the water. This leg of the journey was not so bad going down but was noticeably steep going back up. At the bottom is this awesome 40 foot falls. You can see where it continues further up between two peaks. We were able to walk out into the little pool below, a small basin below the falls created from the continuous beating of water. We tried to stand directly under the water, but it was so strong it was too difficult as well as freezing. Though after the arduous hike, I welcomed the cold water to wash off all the salt from sweating. Brilliantly, we brought lunch with us, which was also very welcomed. We ate at the foot of the falls, relaxed a bit, then headed back to Vilcabamba. Surprisingly, on foot, we were still able to pass a group on horse. We went back to Rumi Wilco to fill up water and regroup before trying to hike up to see the famed Agua de Hierro, this fine red sediment from up in the mountains. People use it for healing purposes such as a mud mask or drink. Well after hiking around for some time, we discovered that we were lost and not finding it. Sadly we eventually turned around with no success. Though we did get some great views. Also, despite our otherwise early evenings, we finally decided to go out last night and experience the night life of Vilcabamba. We went to the only club and enjoyed a couple beers and dancing. As the night wore on, it was extremely crowded and very hot but a fun time none-the-less. We met some other English-speaking travelers and chatted some. I do not know how I failed to mention this, but as prices go, we can spend about $12 a week on food for the both of us. This is of course making food and not going out but overall inexpensive. Other things are more comparable to U.S. prices just slightly less. Ecuador´s currency is equivalent to U.S. currency, by the way. Anyways, liter bottles of beer are only $1. Yes $1. And at the bar/club, they are only $1.25. And if you keep your bottles, you can return them to the store and get between 10-20 cents a bottle. The beer is not great, but with a deal like that it definitely tastes sweeter. Well that is all for now.

I know you all have been waiting eagerly in your seats for the next lesson on cultivating coffee. 🙂 Once the coffee is picked, it is laid out on flat cement surfaces to dry. The thinner the layer of beans, the faster it can dry. Everyday the beans are swept to rotate their posititions to make for more even drying. Once they are completely dried (this is after they have become shriveled up, dried brown, hard shells of the juicy red berries we selected. Once they are dried, they are dehusked. At Rumi Wilco this involves pouring about a gallons-worth into a hollowed out tree stump, deeper than it is wide. Then there is this large wooden grinder that is dropped on top of the beans for about 30 minutes or until most of the skins have cracked and separated out the beans from the husks. Basically it is like a giant mortar and pestal. Quite the process for how little coffee it will produce when all is told. After the beans are dehusked, they use a fan to blow away the whithered shells and keep only the unhusked and beans. Then the unhusked beans are filtered out. Once all these steps are complete, you are to the sorting process of good and bad beans. I hope we get to learn about the roasting. We also learned that while the beans are drying out, they many will mold a little. This is completely normal, but if the beans are dried and then become wet too many times during the drying out, they are no longer good. Also, we helped collect trash along the path from Rumi Wilco to the town street. It is about a 10-minute walk which includeds a bridge over the river. There is no public trash collecting service here, so Rumi Wilco takes it upon themselves to collect trash along the walking path, the road, and the river alongside their property. We only covered the walking path and collected a little more than four bags full of garbage. We found two separate spots were people are dumping trash behind the rock retaining walls. I think it is highly taken for granted the cleanliness of the US as compared to other countries.
On another note! We officially have our long lost bags back. We went yesterday to Loja, about a 40 km drive, to pick them up. Never have I been so overwelmed by the choices of CLEAN clothes that I could put on. It is a funny situation when you lose all your possessions. At first you are upset and cannot stop thinking about clean clothes, but after you have gone about two weeks it does not seem to matter quite as much. Though I must admit that by this time we had replaced a few things like soap, and a nice woman who was staying at Rumi Wilco with us lent me a shirt and pants. However, finally having our hiking clothes allowed to take advantage of the grounds being preserved by Rumi Wilco. We took one of the gulley trails and trekked along the rim of the southern hill and came back through the floodplain meander trail. I cannot wait to see more of the grounds. The view of Vilcabamba below with all the surrounding ranges was beautiful. You can also see all the lone houses scattered up into the hillsides. Other than that, it is the weekend, and like the famed tranquility of Vilcabamba, we have been relaxing, reading books and playing cards (though now we have a cribbage board too!).

Day 10 and still going stong! Ater having the weekend free to leisurely read books and play rummy, Aaron and I have been partaken in a variety of tasks so far this week. Monday we spent our work time picking coffee again. I hope those coffee-drinkers out there understand all the work involved in making a single cup of joe. The newer plants produce more berries than the older ones, but the berries all mature at different rates. This requires hand-picking little grape-sized berries from ten foot tall plants amongst spider ridden death traps (though I am kidding on the death traps. Despite the overwelming appearance of the giant spiders, they really do try to avoid us. Not that that has changed my fear of running face first into the thick yellow web of a creepy spider). Once you have been picking for hours, you realize how insignificant the amount of coffee seems (and this is before the several protective layers have been dehusked to produce an even smaller amount of coffee beans). It has been fun though. We also planted Guava trees along the river to help enforce the natural banks of the river from severe erosion when La Niña-induced flash floods take out 1.5 foot thick cement detaining walls. We also assisted in the porduction of homemade marmalade this morning with Alicia. Alicia and Orlando Falco are the owners and operators of Rumi Wilco. They have a nice ecolodge set-up for visitors and the potential researcher, as well as a magnificant preservation of natural fauna and flora. When we are out picking coffee, I am amazed at the number of butterflies effortlessly gliding through the myraid of spider webs like little trapeze artists. Anyways, we are off for more relaxation. Vilcabamba is apparently famous for its tranquility and the longevity of its residents. Though we have been told that has resulted in a large influx of foreigners moving to Vilcabamba for retirement or to raise families away from the wastefulness of the U.S.

Hello Everyone!
This is a few days late, but our journey has officially started. Sorry family! 🙂
So far we have started out with a few minor set backs. Our first flight was delayed out of Denver which caused us to spend a majority of two days in airports as we made our way to Guayaquil, Ecuador. The delay also led to the unfortunate event of LAN and AmericanAirlines losing our baggage. Luckily there was the Hotel Europa, aptly located just outside the airport and not far from the bus terminal. After a lot of confusion and frustration spent in Guayaquil with little to do but aimlessly waiting for our packs, we finally made it to the tour trap of Vilcabamba where we will spend the next while working at Rumi Wilco Ecolodge. We left Denver on Sunday and have yet to see our belongings (yes, that means five days with nothing but the clothes on our backs), but our adventure is in full fledge. We spent four hours this morning picking coffee. The first lesson of coffee-picking in Ecuador is that there are lots of spiders (some easily the size of 50 cent coins) everywhere. Also, leave it to me to spot the rare sighting of a snake curled up on the branch of a coffee plant.

Not living in our parents’ basements…Life after college

As recent university graduates, my friend Aaron and I will be taking the next logical step in life: traveling. Our agenda is to start in Ecuador and see as much of South America as possible. Let the adventures begin!