Somehow, after visiting the Amazon, I thought that nothing would ever be quite as exciting again. I had no idea that the adventure—the REAL adventure—had only just begun.
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| Facing fears can be very scary and Mary was terrified! |
After the Amazon, we spent four days relaxing and recuperating in beautiful Mindo. It felt like coming home: the same people were still there, offering the same things, and there’s a peacefulness to the cloud forest that I haven’t found anywhere else. We reaffirmed that someday (you know, when I become the next J.K. Rowling), we’ll buy a house out there where I can go to write. We didn’t want to leave, because we knew it was the last safe haven, the last place we would go before sallying forth to find adventure in the rest of the country. It’s the Last Homely House, as Tolkien put it, and I wished we could just stay forever.
But you can’t stay comfortable when there’s treasure and dragons and all kinds of adventures to be found, and we’ve found all three:
I faced my own personal dragons while canyoning in Baños. Having a petrifying fear of heights, falling, swimming, water, and losing control made rappelling down a waterfall the perfect opportunity to face every single one of those fears. Tyler made me do it. I’m glad he did, sort of, but I think I’ll pass from now on. We still haven't finished counting all my bruises!
Adventure was at Quilotoa, a lake formed in a volcano crater. Riding the mule on the way back up was DEFINITELY an adventure. And my poor mule had some digestive adventures in the meantime. I think she relieved herself in Tyler’s horse’s face about five times over the course of the 20-minute ride. I wonder if Bilbo’s pony pooped that much.
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| Our amazing suite in Cuenca at only cost $40 per night. |
The treasure was in Cuenca. After a single night in a hostel straight out of a horror movie, (sorry, no pictures, we were in too much of a rush to get out of there!) we decided to splurge and find a nicer place to stay for Tyler’s birthday. We booked a double room online in a hotel on the corner of the main park. We were hoping for a full size bed and hot water. Here’s what we got…
We seriously considered staying here for the next month. Too bad we have more places to visit! The architecture here in the city is amazing. I mean, our room has a skeleton key, the kind you buy at old-fashioned antique stores just because it looks cool. A skeleton key!!! And the Basilica, or cathedral, right next door, is beautiful, and somehow so much more inviting and friendly than the one in Quito. The famous Basilica in Quito was built for show. It’s huge, and impressive, and has the impression of rarely being used. This cathedral, equally big, is much warmer, and gives the impression of not just being used, but loved. When we passed by on Sunday night there was a Mass, and it was FULL.
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| Tyler's birthday gift was a genuine Homero Ortega Panama Hat. |
Treasure was also Tyler’s birthday present:
And the food is so good! We found some delicious Chinese food, amazing Kinder ice cream, and pizza that’s ALMOST as good as Don Matteo’s, which is saying something. At night they have concerts in the park, and we can admire from our balcony (our balcony!!!!) while the lights from the square reflect on the Basilica’s domes.
It’s beautiful. But every time we consider staying longer, we remember that there’s more up ahead. So next up will be the beach, and Guayaquil, and eventually, far too soon for my tastes, we’ll be off to Peru for the last leg. Yikes!!!
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