How to get there: Walk behind the bus station and take a left (south). Follow the dirt road until you come to a paved road. Follow the paved road up the hill for about 1km. You will come to a small bridge with a sign that says, “hosteria Izhcayluma.” Look on the other side of sign and follow trail “C” up the dry river bed beneath you (it was dry in July.) About a 4 hour hike to the top and back. Not sure of the loop route.
Walking through the town of Vilcabamba, Ecuador I came across two bicyclists (brothers) taking a rest in front of a small store. I asked them if they were going to be spending the night in Vilcabamba or heading down the road. They informed me that they were looking for a place to camp and I suggested that they take a look at the hostel that I was staying at, since the hostel offers a place to pitch a tent.
I remember in Guatemala, Central America I once had a bad case of the shits and was walking down the street about ready to have an accident in my pants. I ran into a local hostel and pleaded very quickly to use their toilet. Given the green light I ran into the toilet and dropped my pants and let one blast. It was like being born again and I sat there in the smelly room counting my blessings. When it came time to wipe my butt I discovered that there was no toilet paper to finish the job properly. My only option was to tear out some pages of my Spanish lesson book and complete business.
How to get there: Walk behind the bus station and take a left (south) on the dirt road. Follow the dirt road until you come to a paved road. Walk up the paved road (right) for about 2 or 3 blocks until you come to a stone entranceway on the right that says, “Mandango.” Now they used to charge money to hike “Cerro Mandango,” but it was closed when I went. Take a right at the stone entranceway and walk up the dirt road toward Cerro Mandango until you come to a fence. Go under the fence and walk through the bushes to your left. There you will find the trail and you can proceed up the mountain.
It is very easy to live on 15 dollars per day in Ecuador. Now when you are moving around the transportation expenses will increase your daily expenditures. But when you are stationary you can easily find a place to stay for 6 dollars per night and that is usually in a private room. You might find yourself sharing the bathroom, but if you would like a private bath in your room then you would have to pay about 8 dollars per night.
The “Valley Of Longevity” is what Vilcabamba, Ecuador is known as. Supposedly there is something in the water that leads to an increased life span. I’ve walked around the town and talked to one gentleman that told me he was 98 years old. It looked like he had many years of living before him, so maybe it is true.
Location: Near the bus station in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. Walk down the main street that you came in on the bus toward Loja one block. Entrance is on the first side street when you come to the hotel.
Price: 6 USD for Single (no haggle price), 10 USD for double. Extended stay you can work a deal.
Cuenca, Ecuador is a really nice town to unwind and kick back in. Cuenca is Ecuador’s third largest city, but does not feel overwhelmingly large. You can find some good places to eat and plenty of sightseeing places to keep you busy.
Alausi, Ecuador is a charming town and worth a visit if you are passing by. Slowly the town is becoming accustomed to the tourist dollars and you will find that the prices can vary in restaurants and hotels. So ask before you order that instant coffee and discover that they are charging gourmet prices. Actually I ran into this often with the street vendors. Seemed “one dollar” was the phrase of the day.
