Vilcabamba

Since arriving in Loja, everyone would ask us "have you been to Vilcabamba yet?".  Vilcabamba is a small town about 45 minutes from Loja, nestled in the mountains.  For those familiar with Calgary, it is sort of the Bragg Creek of Loja.  It is known as a place of longevity, with people claiming that residents easily make it past 100 years old.  Because of this (and because of the beautiful climate and geography), it is a popular destination for Americans, retired or otherwise.

The lush green of Vilcabamba

On our last weekend in Loja, we figured that we should make our way out to Vilcabamba while we still had time.  Upon our arrival, we spent some time looking around one of the local markets, and found it quite surprising to hear so much English being spoken.  Up to this point, we have avoided most of the expat hangouts, and have gotten used to hearing only Spanish.

We found a local guide with horses, and took a 2 hour tour on paths around the city.  The kids had not been on horses much before, and were initially a bit nervous, but quickly got the hang of things.

It's not every day that you see banana trees and coffee plants while on a horse ride

After the horse ride, we wandered around some more.  There are lots of street art / murals in the town.

In the main square we found an awesome looking old RV with a small family who had some tables set out, and were selling various musical instruments.  We talked to them for a bit, and found that they were driving from Argentina to Alaska.  They had been out for about a year and a half already, and were hoping to get to Alaska within the next three years or so.

A Mercedes Benz RV from the 1980s.  Apparently this model was only sold in various South American countries.

We finished the day off with some ice cream cones, and took the bus back to Loja.  All in all, it was a nice little Saturday expedition.