Vivida Vilcabamba

We hear great things about Vilcabamba, known as “The Longevity Valley,” for it’s reputation of sustaining a healthy long life for its residents.  A little research reveals scientific doubts about the claims of 100+ year old citizens, but one can be a believer anyway based on a visit!

To get there we endure a 4 hour ride in a van in what feels to me like break-neck speed on twisting mountain roads.  The experienced other riders in the van assure me our driver is much safer than past ones.  Great.

So it really does feel stress-free to finally pull into the flower lined drive at Hostel Izhcayluma.  The view pictured just above is breath-taking and the hostel is friendly and beautifully maintained.  Martin, an engaging German employee, shows us to our cabana, replete with a balcony and mountain view....

...and a hammock for Ben to study Spanish verbs in.  

Owner Peter is a German who obviously has a passion for hospitality and creating a fun retreat for all ages.  He’s quite unflappable and very willing to chat and fill us in on local culture and goings-on.  We have heard on the van that there have been some hold-ups of hikers on the trail to the highest peak.  This worries us a bit, but Peter assures us the trails they maintain are safe.

The German influence is evident in their own crafted beer and German menu items.  Those ladies put out a wonderful breakfast of fantastic fruit, granola and yogurt.  

Our first morning we set out on one of the approved hikes.  We will skirt around the town of Vilcabamba, then head in eventually to find the acclaimed French bakery - Ben’s real goal for the hike.
This feller is busy trimming the fence line.

Our path follows the water delivery system for a while.

We stop to admire the bricks being made by hand. About 3 miles later we arrive in Vilcabamba and find the central plaza.  The plazas are always an object of local pride - landscaped, shaded and a nice place for kids to play in the fountain or friends to visit.

A church facing the plaza is essential.  On this Friday, folks are scrubbing down the steps and plaza in preparation for a wedding.  There’s a lot of fun being had as buckets of water are aimed at the helpers as well as the pavement.

On a corner across from the plaza is a whole different scene - the organic Friday market outside the juice bar is crowded with sellers of New Age potions and products.  This string of cafes is frequented by tie-dye wearing young ex-pats and older expats sporting flowing vests and feather earrings.  There’s a bunch of young gringo families on this corner buying and selling.

Everything in Vilcabamba is color saturated.

I succumb to the lure of an açaí bowl from the cafe of an enterprising Ecuadoriana, who has sized up the tastes of the gringo population.  Açaí bowls originate in Brazil but have certainly made a splash in California for their deliciousness and health claims.  No evidence of them in Cuenca, but wait a couple of years. Ben returns to the French Bakery for a sandwich.

 Come evening, we head back to town with our friend Sonja from the Cuenca Spanish school for dinner.  We have heard raves about the small Turkish restaurant next door to the church. It is raining cats and dogs when we hop out of the taxi.  We peek into the church and see the flowers being arranged for the wedding.  The restaurant has a covered patio in the garden and we settle into comfy seats safe from the pelting rain.  Our host tells us his story.  He left Turkey to join a friend to travel in Uraguay.  He no sooner arrived and his friend told him he was leaving - heading back to Turkey!  Adrift in Uraguay, he heard some people were headed to Vilcabamba.  He tagged along.  He then fell in love with a beautiful Ecuadoriana, got married and opened this wonderful restaurant.  Fate!

At the hostel a great way to begin the next day is a free yoga class at the Yoga pavilion with yet another incredible view.

Namaste and then some.

We study the hike options again and Martin tells us Hike A is the easiest.  Sounds good.  We head downhill and find the trailhead just before town.  The hike follows the water canal which supplies the community.  Only disturbing sight along the way is a woman washing clothes right in the canal.

Heavy rain makes the trail muddy but we manage and enjoy the vistas.  About mile 4 I start to get a little concerned because we are not anywhere near the little village destination.

We keep following the green arrows and markers that denote “easy” Trail A.

Can you see the trail?  Neither can we at times and it requires careful footing in essentially a rocky creek bed. A mile later we come to the road.

It looks sort of promising - the footbridge over the river and a sign for the village.  But there is no village, only a gravel road climbing up and down another mile.  Ben keeps hopefully asserting we are “almost there.”  At mile 6 I sit down and refuse to budge until a taxi comes along. In a few minutes one appears and we clamor in.  It’s another 3 miles back to Vilcabamba, well worth the $2 taxi.  

I am so grateful to get back to the hostel and just smell the flowers.  When I complain to Martin that the “easy” hike is almost 9 miles long, he says, “Oh, you should have taken the path below the footbridge.” But they haven’t yet gotten signs up for that.  He shrugs and says, “It’s not a hard hike just a long one.”  Hmph.

It is great to be back and get to relax the sore muscles!  The massage yesterday is a nice memory but needed more today.

 One more relaxing evening at Izhcayluma to enjoy the rain washed flowers, the interesting guests and colorful birds and take some Ibuphrophen. Longevity?  Who knows... but definitely Loveliness in abundance.