Everything ends, my time in Ecuador included. When I first arrived and received that 90-day stamp on my passport it never crossed my mind that I would use just about every one of those 90 days. I had planned to go to Bolivia and even Chile for a little after Peru, but Ecuador reeled me in. Such a small country, roughly the size of Nevada, but it has it all (jungle, mountains, desert, beach). A country where 45% of the population live below the poverty line yet everyone seems to be smiling.
The last few days were spent either on a bus or hiking in the small town of Vilcabamba. Nicknamed The Valley of Longevity because it’s inhabitants often reach the age of 100 with some claiming to be 130 and above, it is a small and quiet tourist hotspot. Whether or not the residents actually live longer in Vilcabamba is a judgment call, but there did seem to be a certain magic about the place.
After getting up at 4.30 am to board a bus for Peru, getting exit and entrance stamps at the border, and spending an additional 9 hours on buses, I arrived tired and thirsty at the hostel in Mancora, Peru, plopped myself down at the bar, and took advantage of happy hour. The hostel is located right on the beach but also has a pool, bar, restaurant, and very fun clientele. Unfortunately, I came down with a stomach bug on St. Patty’s Day and made countless trips from my bed to the bathroom while I could hear the party raging along below. As luck would have it, I found a way to stream the NCAA tournament on my computer to keep my busy while under the weather, but today I am back to normal and was able to stomach a cheeseburger (still eating healthy, mom).
From here, we travel south to Lima (about 18 hours by bus), where we will meet Jackie’s family who is flying down to do Machu Picchu with us. Jackie will fly with her family from Lima to Cusco and Angelica and myself will take the cheaper route, a 20 hour bus ride. I will be sure to have the iPod fully charged for that trip. For now though we sit stationary on the north coast of Peru, soaking up the sun before heading south. While I enjoyed Ecuador, much more than expected, it’s time to move forward and see what Peru has to teach me.
The hostel in Mancora
Church in the plaza at Vilcabamba
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