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After the hustle and bustle of the city, it was great to arrive at the Hacienda Guachala (allegedly the oldest hacienda in Ecudaor!) It used to be the home of many Presidents, and it is now owned by the grandson of the former President, Neptali Bonifaz. We both fell in love with the place instantly. Our room was set around a grass square next to the Chapel which is secondary to the main cobbled courtyard which had more rooms and the restaurant etc.
We took a walk around the gronds when we arrived, through the Eucalyptus wooded hills where the horses roamed free, before settling down in the courtyard for afternoon Cerveza's! We got chatting to an American couple who highly recommeded the 4hr horse trek which we booked for the following day.
So it was Jona's first time on a horse, and he loved it! We set off first thing - Jona riding Chocco, Emma on Kiefer and our guide who rode a mule! We rode for 2 hours further up into the Andes, words cannot describe the views that we saw. We had a rest near some Inca ruins at the top before heading back down. We passed some ladies circling ponies over wheat, which we found out was how they prepare it to make beer - amazing. It was quite humbling to see how people live in mud houses this high up in the mountains. Surprisingly, we didn't ache too much after our long ride.
The following day we walked to the Middle of the Earth which is marked by a huge sundial which Cristobal and Gabby (the current owners of the Hacienda) built. A huge cylander which casts no shadow on the equinoxes and lines mark where the shadow falls during the solstices. Caught a bus into Cayambe for lunch before heading back.
What was meant to be an overnight stay turned into 4 days. This was due to the excellent food served in the restaurant, the marvellous setting, the open fire in our room, not to mention the amazing star show every night!
All good things come to an end so we had to leave. Managed to hitch a ride into town on the back of a truck (as you do!) to catch a bus back to Quito on our way to the coast.
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