Vilcabamba and the Jocotoco Reserve

I was up and ready by 6am with one cup of cold coffee in my system... The day was beautiful if not a little chilly. Ernesto, my guide, and I hopped on a bus and headed for Tapichalaca.. I may be off on the spelling on that one... The journey is a 2 hour one in which we had to stop for about 40 minutes while they cleared a landslide... ahhhhhhhhhhhh la vida loca!!!! Once the landslide was cleared away we were on our way.. oopps not yet, one more landslide to clear up... I was told that many had to wait about 4 hours so we were lucky to have only waited 40 minutes.. La valor es la pena.. I am told this means its worth the value, and so it was. The park was located in a cloud forest which inhabits well over several hundred varieties of birds... Everything was moist and fresh, I managed to slide down the mountain a bit and caught it on video so I have to post that one!!!! We stopped and had a backpack lunch of hot coffee and a cheese sandwich.

Once we were finished with our 4 hour hike we waited for the bus and waited and waited... Finally we started walking, up the mountain to catch a bus along the way. My thighs are offically flab free!!! Whoot whoot!

Yesterday way a chill out day to recoop from the hike. I went with Juan Deigo and his crazy uncle Maurico to the waterfalls. Along the way we saw people training roosters for a cock fight, of course this did not sit well with me but there have been many times I simply must close my eyes as they are not accustomed to seeing such things.

The waterfall was amazing and seriously cold. They held my hands so I would not slide down the river and I dunked my body in the water!! It is the water that comes from the snowcapped mountains and must be about 55/60 degrees, not sure how my toes did not fall off. I laid on the hot rocks to warm up and finally went in for a second round of torture, loving every minute of it!!! Afterwards we had a crazy car ride home, macho men.... ay yai yi!!!!!

Today I will go on my final hike with the most wonderful Ernesto and then tomorrow I will head back to Guyaquil and pack for the GALAPAGOS!!!!!!!!!!

xoxoxoxooxoxoxox , me