Our two weeks volunteering at Tagua Lodge in Manglaralto on the coast of Ecuador were super relaxing. Good company, a friendly village vibe and satisfying creative work to do at our own pace. But after two weeks we were both ready to continue the adventure. So it was ‘Coast to Andes’ and it was a spectacular 4 day adventure.
The first day was a long day, mostly because we took back roads, which progressively got worse. We now have an important date to record for this journey – Wednesday July 3rd 2013 – the first time the bike tipped. It was a steep muddy switchback, we were going slow – it was almost like slow motion. So there was Zorra, the bike, taking a nap in the middle of the narrow muddy track, and of course, a car comes along – the first one we had seen for about 30 minutes. They just stopped and watched us heave the bike up and push her up the steep hill. All in all it was kind of exciting – we survived our first stack!
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It took us two and a half hours to travel that first 40km, which was not such a good start since we were aiming for 350km that day. The next few hours were pretty boring - long straight highway with lots of traffic. But soon enough we were heading up, up, up into the Andes on windy mountain roads which started off as smooth tarmac, but soon evolved into a bumpy track. We climbed from sea level to around 3000m before desending a little way into the small town of Gurunda, where we spent the night.
The next morning was bright and clear – perfect weather to cruise up another 500m in altitude to a small town called Salinas (not to be confused with the large resort town of Salinas on the coast of Ecuador). Salinas has become quite well known as an excellent example of community cooperative industry. Back in 1971 an Italian missionary arrived there to a really poor village, who were struggling with poverty and to make enough food to survive. The child mortality rate for under 5 years old was a shocking 50%. This missionary helped the locals start up cooperatives to make and market cheeses, salamis and other meats, chocolate and dried forest mushrooms. He brought in experts from Italy to show them the best methods and hygienic procedures. The village is now prosperous and can add tourism to their repertoire, as they welcome visitors to look around. We spent a few hours wandering and sampling the tasty goods – YUM!
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As we headed back down the mountain from Salinas, the weather started looking ominous, and we had to cross a 4000m high pass. The higher we climbed, the colder it became, until the rain had turned to sleet and there was snow on the ground next to the road. Not a very comfortable experience on the motorbike, but pretty exciting! As soon as we crossed to the eastern side of the pass, the bad weather was behind us and the sun reappeared.
That night we spent in Latacunga, the small city that was the jumping off point to the Quilatoa Loop, a 200km loop of roads, crisscrossed by hiking trails high in the Andes. Rolling green mountains, dotted with small homesteads, fields with small flocks of sheep and black and white dairy cows and locals walking along the road in traditional costume. Snowcapped volcanic peaks looming in the distance and deep rocky canyons in the valleys.
One of the highlights of the Quilatoa Loop is the deep blue Quilatoa lagoon, set in a volcanic crater, surrounded by a jagged rim. It was starkly beautiful, but oh so cold, with the wind howling from all directions. It was possible to hike down to the lagoon, or to hike around the rim (a 6 hour trip on an exposed ridge, but it was far too cold, so we returned to our cozy guesthouse with a roaring fireplace and drank endless cups of tea!
After Quilatoa, the roads disintegrated into, well, something that sort of resembled a road. Sandy in parts, potholes and deep gravel, so it took quite some hours to travel the 58 km to Isinlivi, our home for the next five weeks. To hike from Quilatoa to Isinlivi, it is only about 25km, but the roads have to go right around the canyons.
Arriving in Isinlivi (pop 120), we quickly found our hostal – Llullu Llama (means baby Llama in the local dialect).As soon as we went through the front door we both know we would fall in love with this place. A century old farmhouse, recently renovated and converted into a guesthouse, it was super cozy. Polished wooden floorboards, comfy furniture, big picture windows looking out over the hills and a wood fireplace.
Gladys, who lives next door does all the cooking and cleaning , and her food is amazing. Think quiches, lasagnes, cottage pies, and every night the meal begins with a different home made soup. It makes a wonderful change from the Ecuadorian standard of chicken, rice and plantains! Gladys has five kids and the youngest, Melanie, reminds me of our god daughter Lily – it is wonderful to have a little person cuddle every morning.
Our job is very cruisy – hosting and ensuring the guests have a good time, and giving hiking advice. Its like having a dinner party with different friends every night! We also help out a little with the cleaning, I’ve done some cooking and Mark chops the wood. Check ins, check outs. Piece of cake. If this place was for sale, we would think about buying it!
