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1994
Ecuador(Cuenca) - South America
Bec2004-09-20 16:23:43
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Zamora
The 1150 meter drop in altitude made all the difference in the world and Zamora was hot and humid compared to Loja's pleasant climate. It is no wonder they use open sided busses around Zamora! I had a stroll around town and went back to Loja the same day.
Vilcabamba
My next stop after Loja was Vilcabamba which is known as the Valley of Longevity where most of the local people are said to live to more than a century. I don't know if that is true but I remember it as a fun place.
I had fun with this baby monkey at the Hostal Madre Tierra but I had a lot more fun guzzling beer in my favourite watering place right on the town plaza.
Late that afternoon, after much singing, much boozing of cańa con coke and much discussion, we had almost, but not quite, touched the essence of existence. It didn't really matter; none of us were feeling any pain!
The chap picking his nose, Ivan Cordoba had just been married to the lovely girl next to me. Waving enthusiastically is his brother Pepe who was such a great singer that he must be famous by now. Sitting down with a hat on is Gavin Moore, an secretive fellow living alone a few kms up in the hills who comes to town on his donkey once in a while. The girl sitting down is Penlope Philips, a lawyer from L.A. I forget her boyfriend's name but he was OK. What a ball we had!
Although hung over, we could not miss the annual "Fiesta de los Ancianos" on the next day. Everyone in town was having a good time!
I think that having a good time must be the secret of longevity. The people around here seem to know it.
Macara
Macara was the last town in Ecuador. Blanche Maccanti and Roland Bellier from Marseilles, who I had met in Vilcabamba, travelled with me for a few days until we went different ways after Chiclayo in Peru.
Copyright Bernard Cloutier
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