Birthday in Ecuador - and More - Aug. 12 to 23, 2015

View of Imbabura from the old Otavalo Road

I thought some of you might be interested in a project I volunteer for on Thursday mornings here in Cotacachi. Every weekday a group run by expats serves a filling breakfast for 25 to 45 very poor indigenous elders from the area. They are so appreciative - their smiles, hugs and thanks are such a great reward. Here's a YouTube video about the project:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e73HGgiOflA .  Donations are very much appreciated!

View from the rugged road from Otavalo up to the Mojanda Lakes

On August 12th, my landlord Alfredo drove 4 of us to the Mojanda Lakes, high up  above  Otavalo.  It's a beautiful area for hiking! The clouds were low, so we saved climbing Fuya Fuya, the mountain that towers over the lakes, for another day.

Karikucha , the largest of the 3 Mojanda lakes

The happy hikers:  Dennis, Elin, Kristin & Alfredo

Purple flower in the paramo (high-altitude grasslands)

Lupines (Chochos del Monte) and rugged mountains

Road we walked on past the lakes and through the mountains

Alfredo pondering the beauty

One of the peaks of Mount Fuya Fuya, which we got to see when the clouds lifted a bit

On the 13th I took a nice walk from my casita up the old Cuicocha road to the village of Chilcapamba, about 2  miles away.  And happily I found another nice country lane to loop back to town on.

Corn stalk stack along the road - and Mount Fuya Fuya

Goat aiming high for lunch

Corn stalk stack in a country yard

August 14th was my birthday and it was great to receive lots of warm wishes from family and friends via Facebook and email.  I started the day off with a pleasant walk:   I'm right at the edge of town & country, so  I just walk out the back path and there are burros, cows, goats, sheep and horses (not to mention the pigs, chickens and guinea pigs right outside my door).

I was treated to lunch by my friend and hiking buddy Kristin.  We ate a tasty traditional Ecuadorian meal at El Convento, in the courtyard of a colonial building.  She joked that it was a cheap date - $5 for the two of us!   In the afternoon it rained a lot, so I took it easy and read.  Then in the evening I walked under sunset skies to Hosteria Oro Azul for a delicious birthday dinner with friends.

View from my walk:  fields on the side of Mount Imbabura in the late afternoon light.

Golden Sunset

Fun guys at Oro Azul:  me, Peter (a guest from Germany), Marcelo (friend and hotel manager, a native of Cotacachi) and Lars (friend and hotel volunteer from Germany)

The next morning, my friend Kristin and I took a bus to Ibarra, then another thru Urcuqui to San Blas and beyond, to the bus's last stop.   From there we walked about an hour on the paved but quiet road to the Timbuyacu aguas termales (warm springs) and continued on up the valley to the Cascada Conrrayaro.

A rainbow start to the day

View from the paved road.  Lantanas (in the foreground) grow like weeds here - but they're beautiful.

The warm springs.  We didn't bathe - I forgot my swimsuit, plus we really didn't have enough time.

Satyr butterfly on the trail

Kristin enjoying the view as we hiked up the valley toward the waterfall

  Me at the spectacular Conrrayaro waterfall, which shot out into the air and fell for about 82 feet.

Here's a short video of the waterfall:

On the way back out, we decided to check out the swing we had seen some kids playing on at the side of the trail.  It was fun!

(Photo by Kristin)

The hiking group I started had gone on several great group hikes, but there had been requests for an easier hike.  So on the 16th I led a group of 10 Cotacachi Hikers on a very pleasant 5-mile loop walk to the village of Chilcapamba and back, on relatively quiet country roads - the same hike I had taken by myself on the 13th.  Here's our group of happy hikers:

 

We had been having lots of cloudy days, so it was great to see the peak of Cotacachi again on the 18th:

Cotacachi - from my front yard

Also a good morning for viewing Cayambe - or, as I like to say, "my sliding hill"

It was such a beautiful morning that I had to take a walk in the country before going to the market.  I went with my friend Kristin and we tstopped at Hosteria Oro Azul so Kristin could see this lovely place and meet my friend Marcelo
 

Hosteria Oro Azul - with Mount Cotacachi in the background

We continued on to the village of La Calera and then took this country lane and some cow paths to return to Cotacachi .

From the lane wee saw a Vermilion Flycatcher - one of my favorite birds, and one that I often saw in Mexico last winter.

 

It had been a great day for viewing the mountains - and it lasted right up through sunset, when I enjoyed this view of Imbabura from my back window:

I've really been enjoying the local Anna apples here, which I buy at the market. They're very small, but crisp, a little tart - and delicious!  I think they're the best apples I've ever eaten.  And a bag of 10 only sets me back a dollar.

On the 20th, a local organic farm - close enough for me to walk to - hosted a Chili Cook-Off.  A large crowd of mostly ex-pats showed up to sample 16 different tasty chilies.  I enjoyed talking with lots of folks,  tasting a few of the chilies and trying some locally brewed craft beer.  It was a fun afternoon - even if I didn't win any of the raffles whose proceeds went to support several local non-profit groups.

Yesterday, the 22nd, I took a walk to the outskirts of Otavalo on cow paths and the old Otavalo road.

Cow path leading to the village of La Calera - with Mount Fuya Fuya in the distance.

Chochos growing in a field along the road.  They look like lupines, but they produce a delicious bean that is very popular around here.

Butterfly in a bush

Laundry day in the country

I walked all the way out the old Otavalo road to the new road - which was very busy, so after walking a ways on it I stopped on the outskirts of Otavalo and took a bus back to Cotacachi.

This morning I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast:  banana walnut blackberry pancakes with panela syrup, a big mug of Ecuadorian coffee, a view of Mount Cotacachi, and listening to early music on Vermont Public Radio. Life in retirement is good!