Some Flora but Mostly Fauna of the Front Yard, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

We're getting along well with the neighbors, except perhaps for the mosquitoes which we're initially a problem but now seem to have simmered down.



Giant spider. The color of the thick web is an incredible yellow-orange.



Wasps' nest. We evicted them with a broom, but they promptly began to recolonize. So far, no stings.



Passion flower (aka, the Tilt-a-Whirl)



The fruit of the flower's (and the bee's) passion, the Passion Fruit. Tart, tangy and seedy. We haven't quite figured out how to properly consume it.



Cool Mr. Stick Bug (aka, Phasmatodea).



Mysterious insect eggs on the kitchen window.



Dos mariposas on the raspberry bush. Not sure what kind... (David S., do you know?)

Language Lessons, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

Kim and I took our first Spanish lessons with our teacher, Luz. She lives three doors (well, gates, really) down from us. I am happy to be learning the language as it has been something of a hindrance not knowing it so far. We've managed to feed and house ourselves and travel around as best we can, but knowing the language will only open up more doors (or gates).

A few days ago, an old man appeared at the gate to our yard with an empty pot. He was very friendly and introduced himself, but beyond that, neither he nor we could get much further in the conversation. What was that mysterious pot for?

We brought a mosquito net along with us. One of those last-minute frantic purchases that has proven useful. We rigged that up over our bed and it has so far eliminated the night-time mosquito bites, but our movement is constricted and it feels like we're sleeping in a small car.

Here is a picture of a small car -



Thanks for the feedback on the blog. It's cool to know that people are reading. This is pretty much the main way I'm keeping in touch with people, so if I haven't been in touch directly, know that I have all of my friends and family in mind when I am writing this.

Cheers!

Home on the Road, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

We found a spot in Vilcabamba to rent for the month of July. It´s got two bedrooms, a kitchen with potable water, and a bathroom with a flushing toilet and a hot shower. There are sunflowers in the front yard and blue morning glories growing in up the front fence. There is basil, oregano, and mint growing alongside the house, an orange tree in the backyard, and a lemon tree in the front yard. There´s passion fruit vines, raspberries, and a papaya tree, too.


It is nice to have a home base for laying down our big packs, and especially for having a place to cook our own meals. Here we have our first purchase from one of the little groceries in town - one pineapple, three carrots, four heads of garlic, one red onion, olive oil, avocado, rice, salt, lentils, beans, peas, pop corn and a bag of cumin.



Michael prepares said loot into a delicious feast. Last night we had spaghetti with pineapple tomato sauce.



Going down the road feeling glad. Look out round the curves for taxi pickup trucks loaded with an entire family heading into town.



Night falling on Vilcabamba at the center of town.

Strange fruit, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

The Ants Go Marching On, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

We hiked up a dry river bed and saw lots of ants, cacti, butterflies, rocks, and flowers. We heard an ominous rustling in the trees, but were undeterred. We got to the top of the hill and there was a gate, but it was locked, so we turned around and hiked back down the hill.

House Calls, Vilcabamba, Ecuador

We are picking up the keys for our new house in Vilcabamba today! After seeing two properties, we decided on the simpler of the two in an effort to be closer to town (and by simpler I mean it´s cheaper and not nearly as luxurious as the other one). Spanish lessons are next on the list, we´re hoping to find a tutor to work with us around 5 or 6 days a week. Yesterday we took our first Vilcabamba hike. We are surrounded by rolling green mini mountains, so we don´t expect a lack of things to do any time in the near future. The young lady who we´re renting from is actively involved in the local community center...we found out there is yoga twice a week for $3 and a lot of volunteering opportunities with the local children (guitar lessons, gardening, mobile library). When all the lights go out in town the animals here start to sing. It sounds like there is a boxing match going on in the distance...and for those of you city folk following, roosters crow all. night. long....all night.

Vilcamamba, Ecuador

Greetings! We left Mindo a few days ago and traveled about 2 hours by bus back to Quito. After spending the morning and early afternoon around the airport and it's environs, we hopped on a quick and cheap plane to the southern city of Loja. Our view of the mountains as we flew in at sunset was worth the price of the ticket. We shared a cab from the airport to the city with a husband, wife, and child who patiently persevered in conversation with us despite both of our very limited Spanish-speaking abilities. We spent the night at the Hotel Chandelier, recommended by Lonely Planet, but definitely not Kim-approved. We ate at a good vegetarian restaurant, but we were tired of the city and were itching to get down to the valley of Vilcabamba, which we´d heard good things about. We arrived in Vilcabamba yesterday and were quite charmed. Within a few hours we were bouncing through the hills in the back of a truck to check out a house that´s for rent here. We´re thinking of staying a little while and taking some Spanish lessons. For the time being, we´re lodged at the Le Rendez-Vous which is by far the nicest place we´ve stayed yet. The rooms surround a beautiful garden and breakfast did not disappoint - it being a French-owned establishment, they seem to use real butter instead of margarine, which sadly appears to be the standard. We can refill our canteens with pure water for 10 cents. We´ll check out another house for rent tonight! More to follow.