Our time in the Ecuadorian rain forest was stunning and we hope our last post displayed the great time we had there. Anyway, we are not used to jungle climate and love mountains, that’s why we were very happy to get back into the Andes. So our last area to visit in Ecuador was the Southern Sierra (highlands), from Baños to Cuenca and later on to Vilcabamba.
Baños is an amazing small town, but no secret spot for tourists. Nevertheless, after our time in Amazonia we enjoyed having infrastructure again, going rafting, eating and hiking. During this hike we discovered huge swings placed at the edge of a mountain abyss. And honestly, considering our ages we had a little too much fun swinging there, we turned into real swingers (not what you think!).
From Baños we drove to Cuenca. For any reason this city has never been on our radar before this journey but turned out to be Ecuador’s most beautiful city in our opinion. Awesome colonial buildings, very clean and a lot to discover, nice coffee shops and very good restaurants. When heading further South and leaving Cuenca, Anna-Maria got a little sick. For this reason and the fact, that her birthday was close, we decided to stay some days at Izhcayluma Lodge next to Vilcabamba. The road there was already a beauty by itself, driving through breathtaking Andean sceneries. Izhcayluma Lodge is an incredible place, nice huts spread round a wooded hill with a beautiful view, very good food (and cocktails) and an amazing staff. Anna-Maria recovered quickly and we were able to hike again, enjoy the small restaurants in Vilcabamba and the very calm atmosphere of this area, and of course celebrating her 33rd birthday! We had a great time to relax and prepare for the next chapter. Due to the time loss working on Mozart in Colombia, we decided to skip some places we intended to visit in Northern Peru, pull down kilometers on the Peruvian Panamericana and head straight to Cusco in Southern Peru, to enjoy the last two months of our journey without any rush. And we knew already that this drive will take us multiple days.
Patrick, there is this one photo, obviously taken in a restaurant, you are holding a vine glass and you have a huge tray (I don't dare to say a dish) in front of you. The size is incredible, particularly the quantity of the meat.... - I can't really imagine that you ate this all alone - or was it the the whole provisions for the follwing week? And did you still smile the same way you did on the photo after having eaten this this up? Unbelievable.... but still hope remains that you enjoyed it😂