Tag Archives: Mountains
Ghana Part V: Going it Solo from Ho to Hohoe in a Tro Tro
Posted by Anita in Africa, Ghana
Hikes, Mountains, Villages, Waterfalls
These places do exist
The first section of our independent journey took us to the mountainous region of Lake Volta, close to the border with Togo. Since the area has a bit of altitude, we were promised some cooler breezes, which would be oh so welcome after Accra.
First, we had to use the services of the Dragoman "fixer" (essentially a local guy who can arrange things that are difficult/get shit done) to go straight to the Burkina Fasso embassy to arrange for my visa, and have them understand that it would be ok for Isaac to pick the passport back up for us that Friday and bring it to the airport in time for us to fly to Mole.
I was amazed at just how quickly the process went. I paid my $100, filled in a form, and we were out of there in under 15 minutes. Mike was perturbed and assured me that other things would definitely prove to be more difficult, moving forward. Haha!
For this section of the journey we would be utilizing many different forms of public transport. To date we have used Tro-Tros (basically a minivan that leaves a starting point once it is full, and that means full in the African sense of the word; literally not a cubic square inch of air that doesn't contain a person, animal or cargo; and is quite inexpensive and probably the most popular form of public transportation) Buses, Motorcycles (that put our large pieces of luggage on the handlebars between their arms as they drive) Motorcycle drawn "motorcart", car taxis, bicycles, and our two feet. It has actually been a lot easier in certain sections than I was expecting and it was more difficult in others.
Taking Moto to Biakpa
On this journey to the tiny village of Biapka, near Amedzofe, we took a Tro Tro, or minibus and it was quite cramped and stiflingly hot inside the vehicle. I was also cursing myself for bringing a small day pack and my travel purse which sat heavy on my lap. We were heading to Akosombo in the hopes of making it there by 3pm to take a tour of the dam there that creates Lake Volta. Unfortunately, it became clear that we weren't gonna make it by then, and so we got off the Tro Tro at the next intersection and boarded a different one headed to Hohoe and the accommodation we were planning on staying at for 3 nights – Mountain Paradise lodge.
One of the main difficulties with public transport in this region of the world is needing to plan around bladder issues/maintenance. There are very few public toilets and most guys just get off the tro tro at a transfer stop and just pee against a wall. With hundreds of people around, such a location does not make it easy to pee as a woman. As such, we would typically limit our liquid intake during the day and try to rehydrate at night. It is all part of the experience that locals suffer through every day, so I'm not gonna complain about it.
By the times we reached the crossroads where we would try to get a taxi to Biakpa, it was getting close to sunset. Luckily there were two moto drivers there waiting (possibly notified of our arrival by our hotel manager, Tony) to pick us up.
It will be one of the highlights of my trip in West Africa, remembering that cool breeze flowing over my sweat-drenched body as I held on to the back of my motorcycle driver, as we winded up the mountain road through beautiful lush green scenery as the sun was setting.
Cool breeze as we wind through the mountain roads
The view on arrival was jaw-droppingly beautiful. Our hotel was situated on a cliff overlooking the valley below with a curtain vista of mountains surrounding the location. The hotel bar/restaurant was perched on the edge, and our room enjoyed a pretty verandah with potted plants and a few fearful kitties roaming around. It was peaceful, and more importantly, the temperature was refreshingly cool.
The staff at this accommodation were some of the most client-service focused we'd come across. The coffee was local and NOT Nescafe (win!) the food freshly prepared and delicious and there was plenty of information about the surrounding attractions and transportation options.
Our first day started off lazily with breakfast and obligatory post-breakfast nap. We then headed out on a long hike through the village of Biapka where we were told we could find a local to show us the "route" through the forest to the village of Amedzofe from where we could climb the second highest peak in Ghana, Mt. Gemi. Unfortunately, we came across a young lad who said he knew exactly where said path was, but after taking us to it for about 15 minutes and pointing in a direction saying we only needed to go straight, we found ourselves in need of a machete as the trail became impassable for vegetation.
Heading out on a hike to Mt. Gemi and Amedzofe
The young lad had clearly led us astray and we weren't exactly sure of his motivation. Was it to earn the few Cd's we gave him? Was he embarrassed that he didn't really know the way? Or was it the classic African "I don't know the answer to this white person's question so I'll just tell them something because I want to be helpful and that is clearly better than telling them that I don't know, even if it means they will get completely lost."
This happens all the time.
It ended up being quite funny and definitely adds to the story overall, I think. We came across what looked like a deadly Green Mamba snake that had a beautiful blue head and green body sitting bolt upright on the trail. We gave it a wide berth and escaped what would inevitably be a much bigger diversion to our day had one of us been bitten.
Getting back into town we thought it safer to stick to the road, and soon we were picked up by a motorbike who had been told to look for "two white people walking to Amedzofe". TIA.
The driver was very sweet, but his bike was less than powerful and struggled to carry the three of us up the steep road to Amedzofe without stalling every few hundred meters. Eventually, we made it to the village which was very charming.
After registering for the hike to Mt. Gemi, and purchasing some popcorn on the side of the road, we made the climb to the summit where sat a large metal cross, clearly signifying something that wasn't explained.
While beautiful, the surrounding scenery was obscured by thick harmattan air quality, but we were enjoying finally getting some cardio after weeks and weeks of mostly sitting on a truck.
At the summit of Mt. Gemi
Heading back to town, we stopped at a family's home to purchase some home produced honey and then to the local village bar where we bought two large ice-cold beers to celebrate the afternoon's exertions.
We became a point of focus and people greeted us as they walked by, and we sat happily watching the village afternoon pass by complete with wandering chickens, goats, shoeless children and curious local folk.
Cold beer after a hot hike = happiness
A man called Frank, wearing a Givenchy Paris t-shirt with the American flag on it, stopped to make conversation and we were soon engaged in an interesting discussion about homosexuality. Apparently, he was curious about how gay people integrate into society in America, and how we felt about them in general.
Being a strong Christian, he shared the belief system of many Ghanaians in that he felt homosexuality a "sin" and a "choice" that men made that shouldn't be permitted by society. He seemed somewhat open, however, after I pointed out to him that being gay was as much a choice as his being black or our being white.
That seemed to get him thinking, which made me happy.
Since we were connecting, Frank offered to take us to a waterfall once we had finished our beer. We were delighted and accepted his generous offer.
The hike was steep going down to the falls, and one had to hold onto a bunch of ropes that had been constructed alongside the trail. We were having a lot of fun, playing Michael Jackson songs upon learning that he was Frank's favorite US artist.
The waterfall was pretty, but it was mostly the magic of connecting with a local, combined with the chance to explore the outdoors again that was putting a big smile on my face, making me know for sure that I had made the right decision to travel with Mike.
Upon our return to Mountain Paradise, we learned that one of the staff members had successfully been able to procure some much-yearned for weed for Mike and I to enjoy. Neither Mike nor I had much in the way of experience of rolling a joint, and unfortunately, the pot had arrived packaged in lovely little brown paper parcels, but no rolling paper.
Ofe Falls in Amedzofe with Frank
What ensued was hilarious as King, the member of staff wickedly helping us commit this crime, took pages from his math homework book and rolled us a home-created joint. We took photos as the written fractions burnt away as we happily smoked and laughed at the scenario. Who knew you could roll a joint with exercise notebook paper?
It felt so good to be stoned again. And dinner was extra delicious;-)
Smoking King's Math Homework
The next day we left on motorcycle early to visit the Monkey sanctuary in Tafi Atome, a 20 minute ride away. Though totally wild, these Mona monkeys are habituated to the villagers and will come and eat bananas directly from your hands, climbing all over you in the process.
I was glad I had chosen to wear long sleeves!
It was a unique, up and close wildlife experience, even if a little disconcerting when multiple individuals jumped up on you at the same time to grab banana.
Our driver took us to the local market afterwards where we happily drank some fresh coconut water and bought a pineapple for "dessert" later. After taking lots of pictures, we were ready to head back to the lodge for a siesta.
Mike and I with the Mona monkeys in Tafi Atome
Later on we took another hike to a local waterfall. Since we had to walk on the road to the trailhead, we laughed as Felix, our motorcycle driver with the weaker bike from the day before, spotted us and pulled over to drive us to said trailhead for free. We were becoming known by the locals.
The waterfall was well worth the steep hike and as was becoming normal in this region, we were the only people there as we jumped in for a refreshing swim. With some wise planning, I had brought a large beer with me which we sank into the runoff to cool while we swam.
Cold beer. Waterfall. Beautiful hike. Solitude. Amazing.
I absolutely loved my time in this region. I would highly recommend it to anyone else coming to Ghana. It has such a slower pace of life than Accra or other cities. That evening, we enjoyed another well-deserved joint and giggled through dinner. As exhaustion and a pot-induced haze sank in, we settled in the lodge garden for some of the pineapple that we'd set out to enjoy as dessert.
Inexplicably, we lost the pineapple and couldn't stop laughing as we shone our headlamps on the ground by our feet wondering where it could possibly have rolled off to?
Lost pineapple. Newly-found joy.
The Drakensburg Mountains: Visiting The Amphitheater and The Kingdom of Lesotho
Posted by Anita in Africa, Lesotho, South Africa
Archaeological Sites, Culture, Hikes, Mountains, Villages, Waterfalls
At the Amphitheater Escarpment
I was well and truly ready for a day of rest on the bus as my body was spent from two days of hill climbing and I was well and truly hacking up a storm. We headed back up in the shuttle to Mthata where we managed to scramble a quick lunch before piling on the Baz Bus for my penultimate stop in South Africa – The Amphitheater Lodge in the Northern Drakensburg mountains.
Drakensburg literally means "Mountains of Dragons" and they are one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world. As we arrived at The Amphitheater Lodge, we couldn't help but be impressed by the stunning "Amphitheater" of mountains that formed the backdrop to one of the nicest looking lodges I've stayed at on this trip.
The Grain Silo Dorms of Amphitheater Lodge
That's not to say that the hotel stay itself was great – the staff were some of the rudest, strange people I've ever come across while traveling. For example – we bought a bottle of white wine on our arrival (the four Baz Bus peeps – Lea, Yarrick, and Amy were together again and I was glad of it because the place was kinda empty) and asked if we could keep it in the fridge behind the bar to keep it cold. Returning a half hour later to get a refill, one of the owners behind the bar bluntly told us "Yar, I don't know where your wine is – you'll have to go find the bartender" – despite the fact that she was behind the bar, we didn't know where the bartender was, and she didn't even make a single effort to look in any of the fridges! The food in the restaurant is a three course "set menu" and when we asked if we could please just buy some dessert we were told "No, you can't." ?!!! This is just a few examples of many I could share that would explain some of the Trip Advisor comments we'd read. So, if you go here, know this: the place is stunningly beautiful, but the service is horrendous.
The four of us enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and elected to make our own dinners that night before retiring in our converted-grain-silo dorm room. The following day, we had elected to go on the famed Amphitheater hike to the 2nd highest waterfall in the world – Tugela Falls.
Starting out on our hike to Amphitheater Escarpment
As it turned out, the waterfall was most definitely not the main attraction of the trip. In fact the waterfall was running almost dry at this time of year, and even at full flow, the hike gets you to a vantage point at the top of the falls, so you can't really appreciate seeing it cascading down the mountain as I'd been expecting to. In fact, I wasn't paying attention at the moment when our guide, Adrian, was pointing out the top of the falls, so I didn't even get a picture of it – the others pointed it out to me later during our descent when I asked "when are we gonna get to see this damn waterfall?"
Silly me.
Trying to be Superman
The hike was really quite stunning and I can see how it is regarded as one of the best day hikes in the world. Despite it being an almost two hour drive from the lodge to the trailhead, you ascend quite a lot in terms of altitude, meaning that you start the hike in an alpine environment to start out at 2500 meters or 8,200 feet, ascending to 3100 meters or 10,000 feet at the top of the Drakensburg escarpment. The last section of the trail is a bit of a scramble up a steep grassy/rocky scree slope, but the view as you emerge is well worth the effort.
Overall it was extremely enjoyable all except for the wind which beat on us with such ferocity that it gave my lungs an additional beating alongside my cough that was already wreaking damage on me. On our return to the lodge, I was so happy that we'd elected to pay the somewhat extravagant price to get the 3 course meal – and since it included rump steak and malva pudding with ….wait for it!…HOT CUSTARD for dessert, I was well and truly in bliss.
At the top of the falls with my Baz Bus "Family"
Sadly my three friends all left me the following day, but I was luckily joined by two Germans on my day trip to the mountainous kingdom of Lesotho (pronounded Le-Su-Tu). Lesotho is its own independent country and always has been since it was granted independece from the British Crown in 1966. We wouldn't, unfortunately, be venturing too far into the country – on a day trip from the lodge, the roads in Lesotho alone would prohibit any such journey since they are almost all unpaved in this mountainous small country that is hailed as having the highest "low point" of any country in the world.
On the "ladders" for the descent
Even so, I got a wonderful day-long glimpse into the rural culture of this magnificent place and its people. Adrian, our guide from the hike was in even rarer form on this tour and you could tell how much he loved sharing his passion for the community that we visited. In fact, what will probably stay with me the longest is the memory of his enthusiastic and loud greeting of every villager we met and his admirable attempts at the Sesotho which is the language spoken by the people of Lesotho, the Basotho. He even greeted the children with a ton of energy to which they responded, sometimes even dancing and shaking their little hips together with him and slapping his hands mid-air.
Overlook into Lesotho
The people in the village we visited just over the border from South Africa live a rural subsistence life and are very poor, in fact, most don't even have cash and use foodstuffs, hay, livestock, and locally brewed beer in trade for most goods. They live in traditional round homes that were reminiscent of the ones I'd seen on the Wild Coast build by the Xhosa people.
Basotho wearing traditional dress
The style of dress that the locals wear is extremely unique – characterized by hats worn barely atop of the head and a large blanket that is wrapped around the shoulders like a coat. Everyone we met was extremely friendly and seemed very happy that we were there to see their village. We were shown around the school (that Amphitheater Lodge helps support) and were given the chance to buy some jewellry with proceeds going towards school supplies. I bought a lovely wooden bracelet.
Adrian dancing with the local kids
Adrian took us on a hike to view some ancient San rock art and we sat and ate lunch looking out over the stunning Lesotho mountains. A really nice custom they have in the village is that of erecting a white flag at one's home if one has brewed beer available to sell. Not wanting to pass up on such a rich cultural experience, we visited with a family and tried the (rather putrid tasting) beer from a giant plastic bucket and took a bunch of photos. We also visited with a local shaman and learned a little about how this tiny and beautifully frail little woman was "chosen" to be a healer through a dream sent to her by her ancestors.
Drinking beer with the locals
The whole experience will stay with me for some time to come and I was very moved, emotionally, by the warmth and hospitality we encountered from everyone we met. I also am very grateful to Adrian for his passion and enthusiasm for Basotho culture in this visit to the 3rd poorest country in the world.
And the cultural experiences didn't end there. On our return to The Amphitheater, I was thrilled to learn that we were going to be getting some live music performed by a local Zulu musician that evening. I cannot even begin to describe the incredible rhythm this man displayed. Only a YouTube of his performance will do it justice, and I promise I will most definitely upload it to my site's facebook page as soon as I have internet powerful enough to allow me. He literally played a guitar while simultaneously singing, using his feet as drums, and doing a traditional zulu dance which sometimes requried acrobatic feats of high leg kicks and backward rolls while continuing to play with the guitar wrapped upside down around his head.
I am not joking.
I had so enjoyed my time in South Africa and was sad to be leaving for the airport in Johanessburg the next day. This country is so complex with a lot of confounding racial issues – and that will be the topic of my next post, which I hope you will find enlightening and challenging, but not offensive.
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Matopo National Park – Rhinos, Bushmen, and Cave Art
Posted by Anita in Africa, Zimbabwe
Animals, Indigenous People, Mountains, Safari
Checking out Dung Beetles on our Rhino Safari
Matopo National Park is home to 56 black and 43 white rhino, both species highly endangered due to the value of their horns reaching a value of $100,000 per kilo. The difference in the species is primarily that the black rhino has a double horn, making it even more vulnerable to ugly poaching. We spent an entire day in the Matopo bush with our Zimbabwe tour guide, Norman, who himself had a very interesting story to share with us of his life as a white Zimbabwean who had elected to stay in the country despite the civil war and subsequent land grab that made life here so dangerous and difficult these past thirty years.
Taking in the view in Matopo National Park
We set off from our hostel in the early morning hours, the many layers that I had put on still not offering much in the way of warmth in the freezing open safari vehicle we were in that blew the wind and rain on us on and off all day. It was not a warm day, and I was beginning to miss the unbearable heat…if that was possible!
Norman gave us some history of the English explorer, entrepreneur, diamond miner, and politician Cecil Rhodes who first came to Zim and found his home and a wealth of natural resources that he could exploit and profit from. Of course, the land was eventually named after him – Rhodesia – before the Mugabe government changed the name after the medieval ruins we'd visited several days prior. We saw his first homestead and ended the day visiting his grave. His story is rather impressive, and he accomplished much for someone who died right before achieving his 50th birthday.
Matopo National Park
The park itself has really cool rock formations that are basically layers of sedimentary deposits that have been weathered and subsequently formed really unique shapes, caverns and round, ball-like structures that were inhabited by the original indigenous of Africa – the San Bush men…who sadly, have dwindled in numbers as has their traditional way of life and culture subsequent to the migration of the Bantu and the white people into their homeland.
Norman was quite the expert, and knew a lot about rhino, the Matopos, and the anthropology and ways of the bushmen, making for a very entertaining and educational day.
One of the White Rhino we observed at very close range
Of course, the highlight was trekking into the sparse trees and bushes and discovering a family of about 7 white rhino and getting to observe them from a very close distance. Norman informed us of how to behave to avoid any provocation of these sensitive massive animals. We gave them our scent by approaching with the wind, and then stood quietly at a distance while they checked us out and indicated their comfort with having humans so close by deciding to lay back down in the undergrowth and mud.
What was most surprising and humbling about getting so close to the rhinos, was the sounds that they made! Especially the little one that was very vocal in communicating with its mother. The only way I can describe the noise they make is that it sounds rather like recordings I've heard of whales in the ocean. A rather sweet, high pitched little squeal.
The rest of the day Norman took us on bush walks and taught us how we could survive out here with no water, food, or shelter – something of a specialty knowledge he possessed . He also took us to some cave paintings that are estimated as being over 20,000 years old, but not containing any trace of carbon (the San people used bile from an animal's gall bladder, mixed with it's uric acid to create the paint they used) it is impossible to accurately estimate the age of the artwork.
Our Safari Vehicle
Norman also gave us a fascinating history of the San people's way of life, together with a demonstration of their remarkable language which is basically a series of clicks. Less than five feet in height, with a light brown skin, and slightly angled eyes…they do not resemble any other people in this part of the world, which I found very interesting indeed. Anthropologically, Norman said that they could easily have co-existed with today's Australian Aborignies when the two continents were connected. There are certainly lots of elements of both people's culture that is similar – the concept of ownership of things is very foreign to the San, only take from the earth what is needed at this very moment, live in harmony with nature, live in large family-based groups that share all resources…to name but a few.
I managed to capture on video Norman giving his best impression of their incredible language and I will, hopefully, be able to share it with you on YouTube once I'm back in the land of functioning wifi.
Ancient San Art
Norman himself also gave us an account of life during the war of 1975-81 which we asked about with trepidation, after having been giving some very severe warnings about refraining from any political conversations while in Zim. Together with an account given to us by another white national whom we met in Victoria Falls, I have now formed at least a semblance of an idea of what happened during this period in history, and more importantly, what it was like to live through it for someone who elected to stay in the country (Norman) vs. flee to South Africa as David had.
Roughly half of the 30,000 white army that formed to fight for land rights and for homes during the war perished. Both men recounted the names of friends and family members that they had lost. They talked about how their country used to be an economic stronghold, and major exporter of foodstuffs such as maize and beef, feeding much of Southern Africa, only to now be reliant on incoming aid and import to feed their citizens. They talked about the land grab of 1998, where thousands of white farmers had their land and homes taken from them by force, many of them losing their lives in the process. David, whom we'd met in Vic Falls, talked about how a friend of his watched in horror as her husband was beaten to death, only to escape into the rocky hills behind her farm and walk 40 miles through the night to the Mozambique border, and then re-settling into South Africa with nothing but the clothes on her back. The situation is far from simple, and there are improvements being made…but hearing their firsthand accounts was very compelling and makes me want to do more of my own research and reading on the subject.
The one thread or element in both men's stories that united them was this – a palpable love for their home country. Nowhere else on earth would ever enter their hearts the way Rhodesia, and now Zimbabwe has.
Take Me to Church – Chimanimani National Park
Hikes, Mountains
Chimanimani Park
Our overland journey next took us to the easternmost part of Zimbabwe, in the mountainous region of Chimanimani National Park, bordering Mozambique. I was looking forward to the cooler climate and to being able to get in some exercise and time in my personal church – the mountains.
We stayed in a lovely guest house called Heavenly Lodge, though it didn't appear that it got many more guests than our overland truck every few months. Most overland trucks don't make a stop here in this less visited corner of the country. The lodge itself was very cozy, and it really was cold that first evening, to the extent that we were very glad for the open fireplace and logs that our hosts kept stoking it with. I decided to upgrade, and for an extra 5 dollars per night, I got a dorm bed – but it was in a dorm that no one else was staying in, so I essentially had my own room.
The following day the majority of the group crammed into a single Land Rover to drive out to the trailhead to hike to Skeleton Pass. This area reminded me very much of the Scottish Highlands, or even Snowdonia in Wales. Lots of lush green trees and tall granite peaks, with some very strange rock formations. Once we had climbed a good two thousand feet or so, the walking flattened out and we came into a vast expanse that was covered with really unusual grey rocks that did, in fact, look skeletal in appearance. It very much reminded me of scenes from Mordor in Lord of the Rings.
Skeleton Pass
After a packed lunch enjoyed at the midway point, we made our way to the first waterfall of the day. Unfortunately, one of our group managed to cut away a large chunk of his knee leaping from rock to rock, and for the first time since my recent Wilderness First Aid course, I was able to apply some of what I'd learned by bandaging up his gaping wound. He made it back to the lodge just fine.
We ended our hike at Tessa's Pool – a beautiful swimming hole with a gorgeous cascading waterfall. It was the perfect end to a strenuous day, though the water was extremely cold. We took it in turns to make big jumps into the water from rocks above the pool, and then swim over and sit directly underneath the falls.
I was in heaven. This is my church.
Tessa's Pool
That evening we enjoyed delicious local food which consisted of mutton (from sheep reared at the farm itself), the local maize based starch, and kale. It was delicious, and we were gleeful when our Zim host announced that she'd baked chocolate chip brownies for our dessert which we munched in front of the log fire, while it decided to pour rain down outside.
The following day, most everyone was already hiked out – but I decided to hike out to Bridal Veil Falls by myself as I welcomed two days in a row of strenuous activity.
I had such an amazing day, and actually really enjoyed having some solitude. The sun was shining, the scenery was stunning – rolling green hills busting with glistening foliage – and then after about a five mile hike – I found myself staring up at a stunning 300 foot cascading waterfall, totally by myself. There was an additional steep climb up to the "source" of the waterfall, and of course, despite being tired, I decided to take the challenge and climb up to the top.
Half way up, there was another viewpoint to the upper section of the falls, which really wasn't visible from the very bottom. I stopped here and had my lunch which I'd bought at the supermarket earlier — crackers, cheese, potato chips and tomatoes. Simple, but delicious after a long walk in the afternoon sun.
We had a fantastic roast dinner that evening that was extremely reminiscent of the Sunday roast dinners one can enjoy in the UK. After two very demanding physical days, I slept like a baby after filling my belly, enjoying thoroughly, sleeping in a comfy bed with clean sheets.
I really enjoyed our time in Chimanimani.
Welcome to Colombia – Getting Caffeinated in Coffee Country
Posted by Anita in Colombia, South America
Hikes, Mountains, Travel Days
Hammock time at Hacienda Venezia
I opted to fly across the border, this time from Quito to Cali. I had stayed the night in a motel close to the airport after flying back from The Galapagos and managed to get laundry done, bags re-packed, and, for the first time since June 4, I watched TV in English including my beloved BBC World News. Incidentally, at the airport, I ran into the group of four whom I'd met at The Secret Garden in Cotopaxi and was planning to climb Cotopaxi with. They told me that the weather that night had been an all-out sub zero blizzard and they'd been forced to turn around after only two hours. While I felt badly for them, it was somewhat of a relief to me and helped soften the blow of getting injured at the worst moment.
Charming Salento
My flight went smoothly, stopping briefly in Esmeraldas to go through immigration. I met two Canadian girls from Vancouver and Victoria, Gisele and Heather, who also happened to have the same travel plans as I did – to skip Cali and catch a bus to Salento: a pretty little village in the heart of the coffee region that also offered great hiking in the Valle de Cocoro.
Jeeping it to the Valle De Cocora
Valle De Cocora
We got on the same bus, being assured that it was an express (I was informed the journey should be no more than 2 to 2 1/2 hours) bus and that it had air conditioning. Once again, the consistency with which unsuspecting (well, in my case I now just expect it) tourists are blatantly lied to in order to make a sale was achieved. Not only was the journey much longer, not 2, not 3, but 4 and a 1/2 hours…but there was no a/c, AND NO WINDOWS. The only source of ventilation was the bus door, which they only opened intermittently as police checkpoints had to be assured that the bus was practicing passenger safety by having the door shut.
Crossing one of the suspension bridges
It was like sitting in a slow cooker. A new kind of torture. Not a good start to my first day in a new country.
Luckily, the 3 of us left the bus together and were able to find a dorm all together at The Plantation House Hostel. We wearily collapsed after having a wonderful meal together at a small restaurant owned by an American who moved here after working for Microsoft in Redmond for over ten years!
The following day we embarked on a 12 km hike up the Valle De Cocora in the Parque National de los Nevados to see the famous Wax Palms. Wax Palms are the tallest palm trees in the world and seem so tall as if to be unstable. In true South American style (no regard to safety) we rode a jeep to the trailhead, standing on the bumper and hanging on for dear life as it careened along winding mountain roads.
Super fun.
I was happy to discover that my hip only gave me a little bit of trouble – though I am paying for it now several days later as it is still aching daily 😦 The valley itself was a lush green, with a rushing stream, thick jungle vegetation and these numerous rickety Indiana Jones-like suspension bridges that we had to cross as we slogged uphill through the mud.
Death by Peanut Butter Brownie
At the half-way point, we had a welcome break at a Hummingbird center where they offered us hot chocolate and a giant wedge of cheese (strange combo, but delicious) for the cost of admission. The three of us sat there happily, watching the eight different species of hummingbird, munching away on our goodies which included the best peanut butter brownies I've tasted that had been acquired that morning at the breakfast joint Brunch.
After another uphill slog, we found ourselves at the Mirador and looked down over the valley full of these towering trees. It was beautiful and many photos were snapped.
I was happy to be back in the mountains and I couldn't believe how overjoyed I was in this environment, as compared to being in The Galapagos.
Our day ended perfectly with a nice wander around the picturesque old village, a refreshing cold shower, and then goodies and a movie, in ENGLISH, at the same place we'd had breakfast. A coffee shop with its own private in-house mini cinema! I was in heaven, drinking my smoothies and noshing on quesadillas.
I managed to convince the girls the following day to join me in a stay at one of the Haciendas that dot this landscape and indulge in a few more days of blissful relaxation in the countryside. We ended up taking a bus to Manizales and stayed at the Hacienda Venezia which was exactly as I'd imagined it to be: white colonial main building set in lush tropical gardens, coffee bushes surrounding the property on hillsides as far as the eye could see, peacocks roaming the property (ok, I hadn't envisioned that detail,) hammocks on a wrap-around veranda, and a lovely swimming pool for dipping in and getting cooled off from the afternoon sun.
Espresso time at Hacienda Venezia
The idyllic Hacienda Venezia
It was the perfect location for a few days of nothing. And getting jacked up on espresso, which was available free of charge anytime you wanted.
Cotopaxi and What's Just Around the Riverbend
Posted by Anita in Ecuador, South America
Climbing, Hikes, Mountains
Beautiful Cotopaxi
While in Banos, I met a traveler who raved about a hostel that was situated within the Cotopaxi National Park. He said that it was in such a stunning setting, all meals included, and that I would be able to arrange my climb of the volcano from there. It sounded like a great recommendation, so after Saquisili, Lilian and I headed back to Latacunga to pick up our luggage and then immediately turned around and got the bus headed north to Machachi where I had arranged for a truck from the hostel to pick us up.
The hostel itself has a pretty magical setting and we were lucky enough to arrive just as Cotopaxi herself emerged from nearly permanent cloud cover to show us her staggering beauty. There is an organic farm, guinea pigs on site, a hot tub, super comfortable main house with inviting fireplace and coffee and cake available anytime you want it (dangerous for me!)
The view from the hostel
Lilian and I were pretty content to be here and immediately jumped into the hot tub for some hearty singing before dinner which is served at the giant communal table. Sitting around the fire and talking with other travelers, playing cards, and writing my blog was how we relaxed away our evenings, together with a good glass of red wine.
The next day I was eager to see if I still had enough red blood cells from my Peruvian acclimatization to attempt Cotopaxi the following day. A Finnish traveler, by the name of Oto, was eager to join me on a summit attempt on the 5th. So we awoke on the 4th of July (a little sad being away from home and friends on this holiday after having hosted a party at my place for the last four years) and headed out to climb Volcan Ruminahui, which at 4722m would be a perfect re-acclimitization hike for me.
Volcan Ruminahui
It was a blustery, colder day, and we all climbed wearing our hats, gloves and fleeces. This land surrounding the volcano is pretty stark and bare of trees, and it reminded me a little bit of the English moors. The ground was covered in wildflowers and the hillsides dotted with wild horses.
Lilian and I climbing
I was super pleased with how I felt during the 3 hour ascent. My legs were in great shape, and I didn't really feel the altitude much at all. I was about as prepared for the climb as I could possibly have been on this trip thus far. Feeling great and egged on by my female co-hikers, we all stripped to the waist for a celebratory semi-naked summit shot. I'm super pleased with how the photos turned out – hope you agree.
Heading down, the weather turned and it snowed and sleeted on us as we descended a super tight, steep and muddy canyon. Having lost so much weight, my pants kept falling down and were developing a true ring of mud and sogginess at the bottom. But it was a great climb and I was ready for my next challenge.
Steep Section, but feeling good
Unfortunately, the universe had other plans. My first hurdle was that Oto changed his mind about climbing. So I was left with the option of climbing alone, for another $110, or delaying my climb till Sunday when a group of four from the hostel were planning on climbing. I really didn't wish to delay because my cycle had decided to time itself ever so inopportunely for me once again, and dealing with feminine issues in a harness, on a rope team in the middle of the night at 5500m is not an ideal experience for anyone. Then, to add additional complication, I got an email that night from one of the agencies in Riobamba saying that a place had opened up in a group climbing Chimborazu the very next day – which had been my initial goal since it was the highest volcano in Ecuador, and it would have allowed me to beat my own personal record of climbing to 6022m (which you can read about here) It would have involved a 4 hour bus ride though to get to the starting point.
Heading down in the snow
I had a pretty sleep-less night. The stress and emotional pain of events from the week before with regards to my life back in the States were really beginning to hit me and take a toll. I cried for several hours.
In the morning, Lilian was planning to leave by 11am so she could be in Quito in time to watch The Netherlands play Costa Rica in the World Cup. She wanted to go on a quick walk to the waterfall together so I agreed to join her – and hopefully make my final decision with her help. The walk was beautiful and much of it involved wading in rubber boots through a river. We giggled as we sang our favorite song again "Just around the Riverbend" because it seemed so appropriate to our location at that moment.
And then it happened.
"Just around the riverbend" can also refer to fate, or having your circumstances change and shift when you least expect them to. I think given my father and brother's death last year, losing my job this Spring, and so recently having my heart broken again has re-slapped this truth in my face. It is all too much to bear. Just being in South America is proving to be very difficult for me emotionally as I am in the middle of a very profound cycle of grief. Somehow, shifting my pain from the emotional kind to the physical, by climbing a high altitude volcano, was what I'd convinced myself would help me cope with my grief.
Coming back down from the waterfall, Lilian and I somehow lost the trail. Lilian was becoming stressed out as she had a taxi leaving the hostel in 20 minutes. I saw what I thought was a trail heading up and to the left from the river. I walked over to it and saw that it involved quite a large and steep step up to join it. Cranking my left foot into a foot hold half way up, I grabbed at a branch with my right arm and began to pull myself up and onto the trail. What happened in the next two seconds felt like an eternity and it was as if I was observing myself from outside my own body.
At the top of Ruminahui – feeling my physical best…until the next morning
The branch gave way and I found myself slipping backwards, my whole body ground up against the side of the hill, dirt and rocks scraping against my front. I was falling and there was nothing I could do about it. I landed in the river, and fell at an awkward angle feeling a seering pain through my right leg. Lilian looked horrified and I assured her that I didn't think anything was broken. She came over and helped me out of the water and I sat on a rock, assessing. My hip and thigh were throbbing and just moving the leg sent shockwaves of pain through to my brain. I'd somehow hyper extended my hip flexor. Badly.
And so ended my quest to climb any of the volcanoes in Ecuador.
I spent the rest of the day icing my hip and hobbling around the hostel trying to rest. I napped, read my book, blogged, cried, and chatted to some really nice and sympathetic travelers.
I leave for Quito in an hour, my grief now spread between my hip and my heart.
Time for Adventure – Baños Part I
Biking, Hikes, Mountains, Villages
Beautiful Baños
I last left you a bit depressed for me because I hadn't had much luck connecting with other travelers until I met 3 lovely young Americans in Casa Hood Restaurant in the adrenaline capital of Ecuador, Baños. Lucky for me, the 3 Americans were planning to do the same thing as I the following day and so we formed a happy team ready to take on the famous Baños to Puyo "Waterfall Route" on bicycles. I even added a solo traveling Kiwi guy called Nick the next morning because he wanted to tag along. They also had the clever idea to make a stop in the morning at the famed "Tree House" that has a swing that lets you jetty out over the edge of the cloud forest, and when photographed correctly, creates the illusion of thousands of feet of potential freefall beneath you.
The Tree House Swing
The swing was quite fun, but it didn't even compare with the wonderful downhill mountain bike ride we had for over an hour before re-joining the main road that connects to the waterfall route. It was sheer steep downhill the whole way, and even in the rain, the wafts of tropical warm air made it completely pleasurable.
Waterfall Route
The bike ride was fantastic and also a great workout. You can tell that Baños is the gateway to the Amazon "Oriente" region of the country. The dry sierra has turned into a lush green canopy of trees and rushing water. The road was sometimes tricky to navigate with all the traffic driving so close and fast beside you, but luckily, every time there was a tunnel bored through the mountain rock, there was a nice and safe "bike route" that ran alongside the mountain to the right of the main road. Often, the track would be rained down upon by cascading little waterfalls and we gleefully ran our bikes under the cascading water.
Group shot at Paillon Del Diablo
The highlight of the day, by far, was the Paillon Del Diablo Waterfall. No special mention of these falls is made in my guidebook, other than it's a 45 minutes walk through the jungle to the falls themselves, with an additional $1.50 charge to get up close and personal.
Pailllon Del Diablo
When we arrived at the falls, my jaw dropped. This was a magical setting, worthy of a movie location for some fantastical tropical world. The waterfall itself cascaded with tremendous power down a rather narrow canyon, but what made the view so interesting was that they had built these undulating cobbled platforms that allowed you to view the waterfalls from several vantage points as well as a tunnel about 3 feet in height that you could crawl through to get to a viewing platform behind the falls themselves.
Crawling up to behind the falls
I was blown away. And rather wet, but happy to have "discovered" this magnificent place.
We all left with giant grins on our faces and biked as far as our legs could stand before we crossed the main road and flagged down a bus heading back to Baños.
To complete our day, we visited the thermal baths that evening. They are what give this volcanic town it's name. The baths were packed with people and contained 3 pools of varying temperatures from "ooooh this is like a nice bath" to "I'll have to enter toe first this is so scalding hot". The key to the "salud" aspect of the baths, was to cool off in the "cold" pool every 10 minutes or so. It was hard to get up the nerve to dunk, but it did feel good after if one braved it.
Simon's face, behind the falls
All in all, a fantastic day was had by all. The following day, I took the morning to hang out at the hostel and then forced myself to get in a work out (for the sake of my upcoming climb of Cotopaxi)by climbing up to the "Mirador" in town.
At the Cross or Mirador in Baños
Unfortunately, despite this town being in the shadow of the mighty Volcan Tungurahua, you almost never get the chance to see him, since he seems to live semi-permanently in a veil of cloud.