Ecuador

Last Tuesday I took a night bus from Mancora, Peru, to Vilcabamba, Ecuador. It took about eleven hours. We crossed the border at a town called Macara. The border crossing went a little something like this, big bridge spaning a river, one side peru, one side ecuador, bus stopped on the peruvian side of bridge, get off bus, get passport stamped out of peru, walk across bridge at exactly midnight, go to ecuadorian side and get passport stamped for 90 days of free travel, bus drives across, get on bus, drive away into ecuador. done. simple as pie. I got off the bus in Loja, and had to get on another bus to Vilcabamba, about one hour. The drive was insanely beautiful, a winding road weaving through the massive andes covered in lush vegetation. A slight rain coming down and clouds lightly covering the peaks of the mountains. Arrived into town at about 630 am and it was dead. only a few people here and there. I searched around trying to find a hostal but most were closed until I found The Hostal Sagrado, my savior jaja. I got a room, a tiny old thing, but it had a bed and that was all I needed, laid my pack down, and passed out. Woke up around lunch time, found a restaurant, and got a huge plate of rice, beans, chicken, salsa, and a soup and a drink, for only a buck fifty. beautiful stuff right there! Over the course of the next few days, I wandered and explored all over the city which didnt take long, because its a very small town, only 1500 hundred people or so. I swam in the river, hiked nearby mountains, played survivorman, built a spear and caught a fish, went for a 5 hour horseback ride through the Podocarpus national park which was one of my favorites experiences of the trip so far. There was a peaceful and tranquil feelings while galloping freaking fast on enormous mountains with no civilization around, no cars, no buildings, no people, no worries. just nature yet it was one heck of an adrenaline rush! after 3 hours we made it to Cascada. tied the horses up to trees and took a half hour hike down a trail, and I started to hear water, when we came around the bend there was a gigantic waterfall. took a swim and played in the water, such a great day, but it still hurts terribly to sit down... ha

I am currently in Cuenca, the 3rd largest city in ecuador. It is a beautiful city filled with amazing architecture and huge churches everywhere. There is a river running through town with bridges spanning it at every street. The elevation here is 2600 meters or something close to that, which is like 9000 feet so its very high. i got winded walking around town today, jaja. Today is sunday so it was a church day, i went inside a bunch of them to check it out, and they are beautiful, stained glass windows like you wouldnt believe!! religion is a huge part of life here, like it was in Peru. From what I have seen, poverty has an interesting relationship with religion. If i were starving on the street or my children were dying from malnutrition and disease, I would curse God and hate him for what he was doing to me, or not doing for that matter. but ironically enough, these people pray and pray and believe that God will get them out of their situation. They look to him, or it, or whatever you call God, for inspiritation and love, which isnt necesarily a bad thing, it keeps them going. day after day. night after night. i am inspired by the strength and good-nature of people here, despite lack of many basic necesities of life. It has taught me a lesson about what is important in life, and it should teach you all a thing or two, or a thousand, as well.

Best wishes everyone, I love you dearly and miss you tons!!

Morgito

p.s. happy thanksgiving, almost.