The view of Vilcabamba from the town San Pedro de Vilcabamba
We begin our hike up to the Mandango
We reach the first cross before Mandango and the view is all...
That's the second cross on top the Mandango and where we will...
We are going up there!
We are almost there! The vultures got there first
Got there!
A pretty butterfly against the clouds
Another butterfly on Tara's hat
The same butterfly on her elbow now
Continuing away from the Mandango on another trail back to the town
There's is Tara on the trail
There she is pretending to be an aeroplane on the top of...
Da pretenting there aren't any steep vertical drops on either side of...
A pretty flower
Da decided to take this cow path home instead of the nice...
Tara decides to set out at 5am to find horses behind the...
Beno the puppy and his dad (with a cutlass!)
Trying to find the horses!!!
There is one over on the next hill
Moving a tree from the path
The kittens waiting for their lunch
Having lunch with the family
Cows in the way!
On our way to the pretty National Park
A small part of the National Park Podocarpus
That middle peak is mandango where we climbed a few days ago...
...and there it is in the distance
Twiglet legs (he he)
Funny looking natural structures
There is Mandango a bit clearer!
Yum yum! (crepes and yogurts at our favourite cafe)
She jumps off bridges, but is afraid to go down a slide!!!
The pool in our hostal: Ruinas de Quinara
Reception in our hostal (pretty ain't it?)
The hostal jacuzzi
Franck & Sandra (on the right), and Jamie & Caroline (on the...
Our goodbye lunch with Franck and Sandra
So greedy!
After our flight back to mainland Ecuador, a day in Guayaquil's bus station, an overnight bus to Loja, and another bus, we arrived in beautiful, laid back Vilcabamba. We're staying here for a few days' relaxation before we head south into Peru - and it's the perfect place to relax! Our hostel has a pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzi, pool and ping-pong tables, and massages!!! (and it's cheap!) We're on our way back now for dinner, and then a massage, and then we'll probably watch a DVD in the jacuzzi (hard life!!)...
Mar 23rd: 'A few days' turned into 12(!) days of much needed rest, relaxation and good company. We just about found time between eating crepes & drinking yogurts, being masaged, and watching films in the jacuzzi to go for some beautiful hikes to the top of the Mandango (a peak that looks like a face) and into the Podocarpus national park. Tara also spent a day riding: not for her the usual 9:30 am pick-up tho - she got up before 5am to go and catch the horses on her guide's father's farm behind the Mandango, an hour and a half's walk away - and loved it!