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Vilcabamba is a pretty little town, and I was relieved to be affiliated with such beauty after a horrible time getting there. It is situated under a few mountains, and is filled with lovely river walks branching off into all sorts of directions. It is actually deemed "The Valley of Longevity", a place where people just don't seem to pass away. This proved to be true in parts, however the majority of elderly people I saw were in fact, from the USA, and there were hundreds of them. It seems as though it is the place for Americans to retire, they would be sitting in cafes on the street with their pet dogs, as though they had been there for years. I found it strange that almost ALL the foreigners I came across were yanks, but when I asked numerous people why this was, there was no real straight answer. Maybe it was Ecuador's proximity to the USA, the fact that the US dollar is official currency here, or just that its a really beautiful place to see? Who knows?
My first morning saw me off to the town to check out a natural yoghurt bar. I went for the yoghurt and granola fruit salad with a fruit juice by the name of tomate de arbol. The juice was something different, I felt as though I didn't really like it, yet found myself returning again and again to sip it until it was finished. It tasted half like a tomato, half citrus (orange maybe). Strange, yet interesting. I took a walk around one of Vilcabamba's many trails, along the river to a small wildlife park with cheeky monkeys, macaws, birds of prey and also cool birds like Ostriches and a King Vulture which you, when given the chance, should google because they are stunning creatures and quickly moved up into one of my favourite bird species. I continued walking along the river, unsure of where I was headed, but eventually made my way back into town. I shared some stories with an Italian girl by the name of Ailai, who was traveling with a friend also from Italy. She showed me some great places to get to in Europe (my next adventure) and even offered me a place to stay in Italy! We ate a classic meat, rice and beans dish that night before a stroll in the quiet town.
I was excited for horseriding the next day, especially in a place as chilled as this. Ate an exceptionally large breakfast (more so than usual) and walked into town. I actually ended up going for the full day ride instead of the 4 hour, as it was only $5 more and came with lunch (sold)! Soon enough our small group of 4 were galloping through the streets, with part of me absolutely loving it and the other part trying to stay on my horse (Indio)/wondering how my ass and co. were going to withstand a whole day of pain. It was sure going to be interesting! We scaled a small mountian first up, a muddy and slippery path to the top, and I felt so bad for Indio having to haul me up the mountain that I jumped off and guided her part of the way. The horses were all too keen for rest stops on the way up, and I don't blame them, it was tough work and the humidity was a killer. The view from the top was amazing! Any view of green mountain and lush jungle below that I thought I had seen was exceeded every time. We took some snaps and a quick snack of grass (the horses) before it was en route to the picnic spot. The Guacamole and cheese sandwiches went down a treat! Accompanying this was a special "water" made with the fluid of precisely 101 (as we were informed) medicinal trees. It tasted alot like tea. We checked out a nearby waterfall before saddling up again for the dreaded descent back into town. When arriving at the steep downhill of the mountain I asked the guide if the horses will be ok, to which he replied "don't worry, its like skiing for them", OK mate, whatever you reckon. It was quite funny to be on the horse as it literally slid down the steep hill, on all fours, but also a little scary as there was no control at this stage. I just leant back and let Indio do her thing. Thankfully we all made it to the bottom in one piece, and shortly after a full throttle gallop along the road we cruised into town. Admittedly, I felt like the man from snowy river, but only because I was wearing the hat and boots.
The horsie tour parted ways and I made a quick decision to leave picturesque Vilcabamba and head north to Cuenca, via Loja. Saying goodbye to some friends in the hostel, it was time to hit the road again for a 1 hour (thank god) bus ride.
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