Wednesday, October 31, 2012

To Vilcabamba We Go

Park Jipiro
Time for another tour of a new area so off to Vilcabamba we went. We decided to take the Sunday afternoon bus from Cuenca to Loja. The bus left at 4:30 and cost $7.50 ea. Kids were half price. We arrived in Loja and grabbed a Hostel for the night. We chose The Metropolitano. What can I say it had 2 beds, a shower and Wifi. Not the best place we've stayed in and not the worst. The Hostel was in the downtown area so we woke in the morning grabbed some breakfast and spent a half a day or so in Loja.

Castle in Park
Loja is basically a small Cuenca. Old buildings, clean streets and nice people. We did however find a park for the kids. The park was Park Jipiro. It was a free park and had buildings in the shape of world monuments. There was a large castle, the Taj Ma Hal, and an Eiffel Tower to name a few. From the park we  made our way to the bus station. Buses from Loja to Vilcabamba run every 15 mins and the cost is $1.25 ea.

The trip took 45 mins and we were in Vilcabamba in time for lunch. Once you arrive in the center of town you have seen the town. It's really quite small and everything is within a few blocks. As much as I don't remember the name of the restaurant we had lunch in I will say the food was good and even though the nachos were made with Doritos they were quite good.

Courtyard of Hostel Escondido
Our first 2 nights were spent in the Hostel Jardin Escondido. It was nice. Private washrooms, TV room if you wanted, Wifi through out, and a nice little pool. Breakfast was included and it was a good breakfast. Dinner on the other hand was not what we had hoped for. The food was over priced and it was a poor attempt at Mexican food. All and all it was a good spot and I would return. Cost was $40 for 4 people a night.

We then moved hotels for our last night. We stayed at Izhcayluma. This hotel was very nice top notch spot. It is a 5 minute taxi ride out of town but for $1 I will not complain well worth it. Breakfast in the morning is included with lots of variety. Through out the day you have access to the restuarant and everything is added to your bill at the end. Also available was a pool, games room with billard, ping pong and darts, as well as a massage therapist. There are several options for rooms from a private room to rooms with shared washrooms and a dorm room.

View from Hotel Izhcayluma
Our trek through town brought us down an interesting path. In Vilcabamba there is a Ecopark. We took the walk which was about 20 mins out of town. We arrived at Rumi Wilco. There, there is several trails you can walk but even more interesting is the have cabins you can rent. For $30 a night you can stay in a beautiful private cabin on stilts with a outdoor shower. We wished we had seen it sooner. Well that will be for next time.

Horseback Riding




River in Ecopark














Things to do Vilcabamba - As mentioned it is a small town but for 4 days we kept busy. We had an opportunity to ride on horses, a first for 3 of us. It was nice 2 hr ride and for a first timer the horses were great. Even the two boys were fine on their horse. And for those who want you can take 2 or 3 day hikes. There are a few different restaurants to try and it is a great place to just see nature at it's greatest. Definately a place to return to.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Things to do in Cuenca

So you're living in Cuenca or visiting and looking for things to do on a rainy day. Head on over to the Mall Del Rio. All the fun you want in one place.

Bowling - On the second level of the mall is a game center bowling alley. There are 5 lanes and the cost is 2.50 per game plus 0.70 for the shoes. The lanes are quite new and up to date with gutter bars for kids and computerized score keeping. The lanes are also kept in good shape.

Super Trampoline - It's fun for all. Anyone can go. Kids especially love it but for the big kid in you give it a try. Basically you are strapped to Bungee cords and the attendant helps you jump from the first level up to the second level and at the top you can do a front or back flip. Don't miss this exciting fun.

Go-Karts - The track is small the carts are slow, but if you want 4$ fun then it's a good way to go. Race around the track for 5 mins and no one says much if you crash into each other or the tires.

Movie Theater - We haven't tried this option yet but there is a Multi Scene in the mall as well. Plays only Spanish movies but if you are trying to learn its not a bad thing to go to.


Mall del Rio is easy to get to. Just hope the 7 or 13 bus and you are there is no time. The nice thing with both those bus lines is that the mall is the end of the line so ride the bus till everyone gets off and you are there. And if hungry there is a large food court with KFC, Pizza Hut (coming soon), Subway and several ice cream shops (big surprise).

Friday, October 12, 2012

A Trip to the Cajas

The back of a pick up at 100km/hr
Have you ever wanted to visit another planet. See different plants, experience weather changes in seconds or climb amazing landscape. Well then visit the Cajas. Cajas National Park in Ecuador is truly special. Some call it amazing, awesome and even majestic.
The View

 













The forest from the Wizard of Oz
Our trip started at 9 am on Wednesday. We took bus #13 from Cuenca till the end of the line. Once there we waited for a bus to Guayguil but none came. It seems it passes every hr not half hr. Not long later we were offered a ride in the back of a pick up. So in all 8 of use hoped. For a charge of 1$ each and signing our life away we got a ride up to the Cajas. Small tip, if accepting a ride do not be afraid of driving 100 KM an hour in the back of a pick up truck going up long windy roads where tires are squealing and you can't see around the corner. If you have no problem with that then you are set to go. If you do WAIT for the bus. Not a lot better but at least you have some protection.

We arrived at Cajas National Park around 10:15 and begun our hike. We chose the second entrance to the park as there is a little more to see. Our hike started at one of the many lakes and the weather was cool. As we made our way up and down the hike we saw many different flowers, plants and cactus. But the most amazing was the paper tree forest. It kinda reminds you of the forest in the Wizard of Oz. I was just waiting for the flying monkeys.

The Climb
We stopped for lunch on a little island/causeway. Then continued our hike. After making our way up the side of a small waterfall we decided we had time to climb to a peak. Off we went. We made it to the peak at about 1:30. At this point it was time to go home so we made our way down and off we went. The entire hike was about 5 hrs. And quite the 5 hrs it was. If in Ecuador the Cajas  is a must do. There are several paths to take and if a little adventurous then you can go off the beaten track.

The peak we climbed




One note on the weather wear layers. In a span of 5 hrs we got weather that was near freezing point, heat of 20-25 degrees and hail. So be ready, pack a lunch and enjoy the scenery.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

A Trip to the Zoo

The path through the zoo
Well this week we decided to field trip it to the zoo. And a very interesting trip it was. First we took bus 13 from our place to what we thought was the hospital Del Rio. It wasn't, so we walked about 2 km up the highway to the zoo, where we found out our bus did go. The trick was we had to change buses to another 13 and finish the ride. Either way we now know what bus to take. Upon arrival at the entrance to the zoo we found out you had to walk up another 600 meters, and by up I mean UP. See the zoo is located on top of the hill.

Loose Monkeys
Baby Tiger
Entrance to the zoo was reasonable $4 for adults and $3 for kids. But as mentioned the zoo is on top of the hill so the whole time you walk up. We had a chance to see many animals including lions, a baby tiger,several types of monkeys, and birds. There was one type of monkey that was wondering around lose, it took a piece of bread from Heidi. And you had to walk through the peacock cage to get to the other side of the zoo which was kinda neat.




The Lion Cage

A View from the Top
Our trip was well worth the $14 spent even if the lunch cost us another $14. If in Cuenca take the 2 hour tour of the zoo but be ready. Have sunscreen, hat and hiking shoes. It's a good chance to get in shape.