I must say my stay in Ecuador is the most peaceful of any other country I've visited in all my years of travel. Staying flexible during this journey I opted to go to Vilcabamba “The Valley of Longevity” instead of Galapagos as it's more economical. It is a small village in southern Ecuador, deep in the Andes mountains. I flew from Panama City to the Guayaquil airport 8/26, then took an 8hr bus to Loja (I had to wait 7hrs at the bus station as my flight landed at 2pm, but the bus didn't leave until 9pm - it was only $14), and finally another 2hr bus from Loja to Vilcabamba (only $1.50). I finally arrived in Vilcabamba around 6am, 8/27.
*Side Note* - I am impressed by people who can sleep anywhere as I am not one of them - for me there is no way to sleep well on a bus. So yes I am exhausted!
I have a business contact in Vilcabamba that I've been considering partnering with prior to leaving the states and opting to visit him in person in Vilcabamba. I had never heard of this village until speaking with him and I'm glad I did. Vilcabamba is known for having a high concentration of people who live past 100 years old due to the ease of 'clean living' because of the vast amount of self-sustaining farms, natural mineral waters, and contamination-free environment (which I find highly impressive).
I couldn't find a couchsurfing/workaway host on such short notice but I found a delightful bed/breakfast inn for only $11/night (La Casa de Matilda). It's something off of a postcard with plentiful hammocks, fruit trees, cool breezes, and sunrises over the mountains. I'm at a loss of words to describe the panoramic views of the village and mountians from my balcony - simply stunning. I'm finding myself sitting for hours just thinking and praying - often losing track of time.
I met a ladies from Belgium/UK/France/Australia & gentlemen from Catalonia/Tokyo/Chile - all on similar journies as myself. I'm simply loving the comradery of travelers I'm witnessing. The hosts of the Inn are an Ecuadorian gentleman and Argentinian lady (who makes the most spectacular breakfast for only $3!). I now understand why there is such a high concentration of ex-pats here. The cost of living is low, the air and water is clean, and there's a slower pace that allows you to actually enjoy each moment - drastically different from my experience the states.
Here are a few things that I experienced in this village that are drastically different than my home life in the states...
1. Drinking rainwater instead of bottled water (they are allowed to capture rainwater and recycle it for drinking, washing dishes, etc.) and it's free. They don't get ridiculous monthly water bills like I do in the states (for those who don't know it is illegal to capture rainwater in some states in the US - I love my country but some things are really just flat out embarrassing)
2. Walking to the market daily to get fresh food for meals for the day (instead of buying in bulk for the week like I do in the states)
3. Picking fruit from the fruit trees to make fresh juice for free (instead of paying $7 for a small glass at Jamba Juice in the states that is loaded with processed sugar - lol)
4. Drinking stove made coffee prepared at my inn. They roast the beans on the stove, then grind and brew them (the aroma is nothing short of heavenly)
5. Doing laundry by hand and line drying it (there aren't any dryers in this village). This was the biggest adjustment since I don't like doing laundry (not even in the states with a washer/dryer) - lol
6. Seemingly more roosters than people walking the streets so there is no such thing as 'rush hour' or 'traffic jams' like in the states
7. There is no such thing as a 'mall' nor 'gym'
8. Hot water is rare - it was a huge adjustment taking cold showers
9. They have a local 'shaman' not 'pastor/minister' and he looks like everyone else (not some weird bogyman seen on tv in the states) - had my local contact not pointed him out I never would've known there was a shaman. I'm Christian but always make sure I stay respectful of other beliefs - I like to ask questions about other faiths/beliefs so I'm not ignorant about why others believe the way they believe. The lady from the UK, Sue, is the first Atheist I've ever met in my life and we enjoyed great conversation. I don't know why but we seemingly only hear about the extremists of different faiths/religions. I'd always thought Atheists are anarchy promoting misfits but according to Sue those are just the few 'extremists' - Sue could pass for someone's sweet, older grandmother and couldn't be further from an anarchy promoting misfit. I love how traveling reminds me to keep an open mind and not fall victim to stereotypes :)
I grew up playing soccer (aka football/fútbol to the rest of the world) for several years as a kid all the way through high school, and thoroughly enjoyed watching the Ecuador vs. Brasil match with my hosts. For those who don't know soccer/fútbol is the most popular sport in the world and it was nice watching it with locals who appreciate it - especially when they are all drunk off rum and screaming at the tv - lol :) Oh and Ecuador lost 0-2 (Brasil scored 2 goals in the 67' & 70').
I always enjoy hearing travelers speaking in their native language. While in Ecuador I heard Dutch, French, and Spanish and enjoyed learning as many new words as possible. Locals and fellow travelers are usually excited to teach others their native language - even if I only know a few words most appreciate the effort and want to learn more English as well. I think hearing some semblance of home in your native language, during travels, is universally refreshing.
I think my life would've been A LOT easier if I knew how to speak better Spanish (I was a rebel in high school and took 4 years of French instead of Spanish like everyone else - lol). In Ecuador (and most of Central/South America) Spanish is not 'necessary' but of course extremely helpful if you speak it. I only speak very basic/broken Spanish and the locals understand me just fine and/or are very patient trying to communicate with me via their broken English. Whoever invented 'Google Translate' deserves a Nobel Prize - it's an absolute must for anyone traveling abroad - the app even works offline in remote areas where there isn't wifi :)
Oh yeah, just on a side note - the mosquitoes here are relentless & I lost a lot of sleep scratching all night - lol. I thought mosquitoes during the summers in rural Louisiana were bad - nope Vilcabamba wins that award :)
This is my first time in a bonafide village of fewer than 1,000 people and it is pleasantly impressive. So much so that I extended my stay 2 weeks :)
Thank you Vilcabamba, Ecuador for being part of this journey - you didn't disappoint.
Life is a journey... Next stop is Barcelona, Spain to see the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia (I've opted to bypass Argentina & Chile as the price of the flights has dramatically increased)
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