In our travels across S America every village always has “the most beautiful/exciting/dangerous/biggest/longest something in the world” whether it’s a viewpoint, a river, zipline, or 360°degrees swing. However after a very windy drive up through the mountains we have definitely found the most beautiful valley in the world.
The drive up from Porto Viejo was almost a solid 5 hours of hairpin bends as we climbed up through the clouds. The occasional km or 2 of straight road through small towns provided a welcome break. Finally we rose up above the clouds and with sheer drops on one side we climbed up to the mountain town of Zumbahua . A brief stop here for some lunch and a quick inspection of a possible hostel (no windows, shared bathrooms, not keen). We drove for another 30 mins down the hill hoping that the next stop in Chugchilan would be a bit more enticing. By this stage Geoff was worn out from driving and I was feeling horribly car sick so to be honest a tent in a field would have done never mind shared bathrooms. We struck lucky, Chugchilan is a traditional Andean village and Hostal El Vaquero is beautiful, rustic (in a good way) lots of warm blankets and a wood burning stove in the lounge. It’s 3200m high so the altitude definitely gets you, I found myself puffing like someone with a 40 Marlborough a day habit on the walk back up from the village. It is quite simply the most beautiful place I have ever been. The valley is wide with sweeping plains, then as you climb it’s green and lush. As you get higher it becomes dryer and dusty just as you see it on nature programs.
Views across the valley with Cotopaxi rising from the clouds in the distance.
Views across the Canon Del Rio Toachi. Geoff is balanced precariously just for the photo and he looked a little worried at one point.
Cactus in Flower
There are indigenous Andean families living pretty much the same way they have for centuries. Small children herd flocks of sheep and donkeys carry crops and water. But it is changing, the old gravel road has been replaced by a shiny new black top giving easier access for tourists to come in and locals to move out. New hostels are popping up, motorbikes and trucks are slowly taking over from donkeys and I think this way of life will disappear in the next one or two generations. If you love mountains, you should come whilst it is still here. I promise it’s worth it.
Traditional house with views across the valley
Pirate Travels 