I made it to Hacienda Guachala!
...And what a ride it was! I took a taxi (too much luggage to try to manage a bus ride), which had to take ¨the back roads¨ due to the Panamerican Highway being closed between Otavalo and Cayambe, for some unknown reason that didn't seem to concern anyone (my taxi driver just shrugged, said it happened sometimes). Whew! Words just can not describe that ride! Let me just say that cobblestone roads leave much to be desired at 70 km/hr! And these aren't the dainty little cobblestones you see in America, but ROCKS!!! I don't know how any of the cars stay in one piece -- you would think all the parts would vibrate off in no time!
Around one turn, when we got back onto the highway, a bus was coming at breakneck speed -- normal around here. I swear it was almost on two wheels -- tipping precariously with the centrifugal force! And double yellow lines mean nothing here, either -- anywhere in Ecuador, it seems. Whether it is a broken line (for passing) or a double yellow, it is treated only as a guide for an imaginary lane in the middle of the road! Seriously! Around corners, with oncoming traffic, going up and down grades like you've never seen in the States (we're talking Andes Mountains, folks!), cars and busses and trucks just give a warning toot on the horn when they are preparing to pass, and away they go! More often than not, there are three lanes of traffic on the supposedly 2-lane roads. It's just the way everyone drives here! Now I understand why there are all the warnings about not driving or taking the bus at night. That's when most of the accidents happen on the highways, because, as if the passing situation isn't enough, a lot of vehicles reportedly don't have working lights, either!!!
Internet use was just $1/hour in the internet cafe I frequented in Otavalo. But it´s a whopping $1 per half-hour here.
It is SO quiet here, after being in the city for over 4 days. It's wonderful to hear the birds singing again. Oops! Include the sound of thunder in that report, too! The folks here say that it has been rumbling all day, but they've seen no rain yet. I 'm scheduled for a horseback ride at about 3:00 or so, unless it starts raining. It has been years since I've really ridden, so I hope I don't fall off or anything embarassing like that!
The photo on the right shows the hallway outside my room. At the far end is where you enter (and check in), and my room is the door on the right-hand side of the hallway. On display are lots of old, old saddles and horse bits and stirrups and such (which I took pictures of, too).
The next two photos (to the left) show my room at the hacienda. It is a "double" room, but I had checked out pictures of the rooms online ahead of time and like this one best. I asked them if I could book this room at the single rate if I promised not to disturb the second bed, and they graciously confirmed my reservation for this
room! The doors in my room, shown here, look out onto the hallway shown in the first picture. At the other end of the room, there is a door that looks out onto a greenhouse and solar-heated pool.
This next photo shows the adobe fireplace that is in my room, supplied with eucalyptus leaves and branches (instead of cedar kindling), and eucalyptus wood for maintaining a nice, warm fire. They offered to start it for me, but of course I told them that wouldn't be necessary (I've started fires in wood stoves and furnaces a time or two in my life!!!). It was so wonderful, at day's end, to have a crackling fire in my room, and doze off while watching the flames from under the wool blankets. I slept like a baby that night -- no city noises to break my peaceful slumber!
Note the pots on top of the fireplace. They are REAL treasures -- Mayan pots excavated from here at the Hacienda Guachala, which was built on the site of an ancient Inca temple! It's amazing the artifacts that are on display in various places -- just to touch them gives you a sense of reverence for the history behind them! Of course, they are all marked with identifying numbers on the bottoms, to prevent being stolen and smuggled 
out of the country. But I was just in awe of the pieces that were in my room alone!
This photo (to the right) shows just a small part ot the number of pieces also excavated here, on display in the old church built on the property in 1938 (to replace the older church that was desecrated by some irreverent party animals of the day). This church now serves as a museum, and the pieces are simply displayed on these open shelves. The doors are always open -- literally "open," and not closed to the elements! Of course, in Ecuador, the weather is basically the same all year long (no seasons as we know them, and most always about 65-70 during the day and just a bit cool at night). So it's rare to find any abodes with anything
resembling weather-tight doors or windows. No wonder I loved it here so much!!!
My description of the Hacienda Guachala just wouldn't be complete without mentioning the animals kept there, including the llamas! There were also horses, geese, ducks and chickens. All in all, it was quite a peaceful, relaxing place to visit, and I hope to return one day. This was the most expensive place I stayed at -- a whopping $36.60 per night (including taxes)! Meals aren't included, but are reasonably priced, too.
For supper, I ate alone in the dining room, being the only guest at the hacienda that night. But I was certainly not neglected. The host personally provided me menus, and the waitress took and
prepared my order, while another hired helper (maintenance man?) busily took to task making my dinner experience perfectly warm and cozy by building a roaring 
fire in the adobe fireplace at the end of my table. I ordered and enjoyed a lovely cheesy potato soup, a delightfully fresh salad (with cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados), and a bottle of Ecuadorian beer. With me meal I received a basket of fresh-baked bread. Once I was served, everyone disappeared as if they'd never been there, and I ate the most peaceful dinner I'd had in ages, writing in my journal by the light of a candle and the glow of the fireplace.
Around one turn, when we got back onto the highway, a bus was coming at breakneck speed -- normal around here. I swear it was almost on two wheels -- tipping precariously with the centrifugal force! And double yellow lines mean nothing here, either -- anywhere in Ecuador, it seems. Whether it is a broken line (for passing) or a double yellow, it is treated only as a guide for an imaginary lane in the middle of the road! Seriously! Around corners, with oncoming traffic, going up and down grades like you've never seen in the States (we're talking Andes Mountains, folks!), cars and busses and trucks just give a warning toot on the horn when they are preparing to pass, and away they go! More often than not, there are three lanes of traffic on the supposedly 2-lane roads. It's just the way everyone drives here! Now I understand why there are all the warnings about not driving or taking the bus at night. That's when most of the accidents happen on the highways, because, as if the passing situation isn't enough, a lot of vehicles reportedly don't have working lights, either!!!
Internet use was just $1/hour in the internet cafe I frequented in Otavalo. But it´s a whopping $1 per half-hour here.
It is SO quiet here, after being in the city for over 4 days. It's wonderful to hear the birds singing again. Oops! Include the sound of thunder in that report, too! The folks here say that it has been rumbling all day, but they've seen no rain yet. I 'm scheduled for a horseback ride at about 3:00 or so, unless it starts raining. It has been years since I've really ridden, so I hope I don't fall off or anything embarassing like that!
[Later edit... I did go for that horseback ride, and it was great to be back in the saddle again! Here's the horse I rode, though... Poor skinny thing, but seemed eager to trot out when I let him, and a nice smooth gait! It all came back to me, as I relaxed in the saddle and enjoyed the scenery, videotaping my surroundings from his back.]
The photo on the right shows the hallway outside my room. At the far end is where you enter (and check in), and my room is the door on the right-hand side of the hallway. On display are lots of old, old saddles and horse bits and stirrups and such (which I took pictures of, too).
The next two photos (to the left) show my room at the hacienda. It is a "double" room, but I had checked out pictures of the rooms online ahead of time and like this one best. I asked them if I could book this room at the single rate if I promised not to disturb the second bed, and they graciously confirmed my reservation for this
room! The doors in my room, shown here, look out onto the hallway shown in the first picture. At the other end of the room, there is a door that looks out onto a greenhouse and solar-heated pool.This next photo shows the adobe fireplace that is in my room, supplied with eucalyptus leaves and branches (instead of cedar kindling), and eucalyptus wood for maintaining a nice, warm fire. They offered to start it for me, but of course I told them that wouldn't be necessary (I've started fires in wood stoves and furnaces a time or two in my life!!!). It was so wonderful, at day's end, to have a crackling fire in my room, and doze off while watching the flames from under the wool blankets. I slept like a baby that night -- no city noises to break my peaceful slumber!
Note the pots on top of the fireplace. They are REAL treasures -- Mayan pots excavated from here at the Hacienda Guachala, which was built on the site of an ancient Inca temple! It's amazing the artifacts that are on display in various places -- just to touch them gives you a sense of reverence for the history behind them! Of course, they are all marked with identifying numbers on the bottoms, to prevent being stolen and smuggled 
out of the country. But I was just in awe of the pieces that were in my room alone!This photo (to the right) shows just a small part ot the number of pieces also excavated here, on display in the old church built on the property in 1938 (to replace the older church that was desecrated by some irreverent party animals of the day). This church now serves as a museum, and the pieces are simply displayed on these open shelves. The doors are always open -- literally "open," and not closed to the elements! Of course, in Ecuador, the weather is basically the same all year long (no seasons as we know them, and most always about 65-70 during the day and just a bit cool at night). So it's rare to find any abodes with anything
resembling weather-tight doors or windows. No wonder I loved it here so much!!!My description of the Hacienda Guachala just wouldn't be complete without mentioning the animals kept there, including the llamas! There were also horses, geese, ducks and chickens. All in all, it was quite a peaceful, relaxing place to visit, and I hope to return one day. This was the most expensive place I stayed at -- a whopping $36.60 per night (including taxes)! Meals aren't included, but are reasonably priced, too.
For supper, I ate alone in the dining room, being the only guest at the hacienda that night. But I was certainly not neglected. The host personally provided me menus, and the waitress took and
prepared my order, while another hired helper (maintenance man?) busily took to task making my dinner experience perfectly warm and cozy by building a roaring 
fire in the adobe fireplace at the end of my table. I ordered and enjoyed a lovely cheesy potato soup, a delightfully fresh salad (with cucumbers, tomatoes and avocados), and a bottle of Ecuadorian beer. With me meal I received a basket of fresh-baked bread. Once I was served, everyone disappeared as if they'd never been there, and I ate the most peaceful dinner I'd had in ages, writing in my journal by the light of a candle and the glow of the fireplace. posted by darylann | 2:34 PM
|
0 comments
