Vilcabamba

Cuenca - Vilcabamba : 165 miles

I left Cuenca in rain, heading south, unsure of exactly where I was going. Not having seen the sun in a long time, I guess that is what I was hoping to find more than anything. If the weather looked up in Loja, hanging east towards the tropical banks of Rio Zamora could just be the ticket. Based on what I read in my Lost Planet book, continuing south to Vilcabamba could be a good option as well.

One or two hours in to the ride up in the highlands, I spotted two loaded KLRs ahead. After riding together for a while, I finally met Sigrid and Andi when we stopped at the indigenous village of Saraguro. It was too late to see the famous market, and the idea to chat over a coffee was not quite an option, so we were back on the bikes in just a few minutes.


A set of KLR 650s, all equally young. Sigrid & Andi chose the older model after hearing about the oil burning issues common in 2008s.

Below: On the way to Vilcabamba.




Ultimately we rode to the tiny town of Vilcabamba together. Nestled between mountains, it did look like a nice place to chill with friends and go horse back riding. Clearly there were many others who also thought so, and it was almost impossible to find a room.


There's nothing in Vilcabamba really.


It's what's around it.

According to the book, there are nice and laid back accommodation options around the town. I finally found the sun, but with a foot in the door. Otherwise, I might have considered more than just crashing and leaving in the morning. With an intention to have a beer with the guys, I checked in to a very basic guest house in town. The room at Hostal Mandango was $8, but became $10 after I unloaded and parked Katirga. I faced more BS in Ecuador than the entire trip, and its frequency had really started getting on my nerves. So I started loading back up, and the price returned to $8. I guess they thought the problem was the $2.

Street food hit the spot, and we had a nice evening chatting over beers at the dead town square. With a border crossing ahead, the next day would have to start early. I didn't know what was awaiting.


Next : Loja