On the first part of the journey I was looking at all the life There were plants and birds and rocks and things There was sand and hills and rings The first thing I met was a fly with a buzz And the sky with no clouds The heat was hot and the ground was dry But the air was full of sound. I've been through the desert on a horse with no name It felt good to be out of the rain
ICaramba I'm in Vilcabamba Ecuador.
The adventure Has Begun. Well, let's start with the fact That It Took me 4 days to get here, but that's my fault not being a world traveler and not familiar With how airlines work in foreign countries.
Heck, I only missed 2 Flights, but That added up to 2 days and an extra night at the Hostel in Quito.
But I am here in this amazing country and amazing it is.
I'm staying at an amazing place high in the Andes mountains about 6800 ft high, the thin air Takes a bit getting used to. The house is owned by a couple That Moved here About 5 years ago and What They Have Accomplished in 5 years is simply amazing. He built the house himself and he did an incredible job, and the property taxes for the year $ 24, $ 24 bucks yup.
I'd estimate there are over 3000 different types of plants, flowers, vegetables, spices and fruit trees on the property. Luckily for me They have 2 caretakers That take care of the place During the week, this place is a full time job, but if you were here you would say it's more then worth it. This is real what living is all about.
I'll be house sitting here for the next two months. That Should give me enough time to choose if this is the place for me to retire to, so far everyone I have spoken to have nothing but great things to say about living here.
This is T-Man who I am responsible for Have is one incredible dog, Took him for a walk in the mountains and Because he's a dog I just Takes off down the trail, but all I have to do is call His name and I eat right back to you, very friendly dog. I Also have to care for a cat Luigi, who I've seen once since I've Been here so that's easy and did I mention 14 Chickens and a Rooster, but guess what that's easy to , feed them the scraps and clean the koop no big deal.
This morning I picked 3 Avocados, 4 Marancullas, (a native fruit), and six fresh eggs from the chickens. Gotta love living off the land. Everyday there is more fruit to pick.
Yesterday I Took a cab $ 5 from the house to the town of Vilcabamba (they call it the Valley of Longevity, as MOST natives live to be over 100, I'd call it the Valley of Fruit Loops as it has a very bohemian population , I think I'd fit right in) about 5 miles down the mountain. http://www.abecuador.com/#!vilcabamba/cx2 I was there for just minutes and met nice couple from NJ this Who Have retired here 6 years ago, They love this place. They invited me to lunch and we Went to the only Sushi place in town, the chef worked for 15 years in Japan and fly's the fish in fresh from the Pacific ocean every day, must say it was very good and this couple were so nice.
They rent a 3 bedroom house on the outskirts of town for $ 600 a month Including utilities, the only utilities You have here are Water, Electricity, and Internet, no Heat or Air Conditioning required as the mean temperature year round is 70 degrees, it's like spring time everyday. They Have Already invited me over for dinner.
Reasons for living Here--
1. The Climate, Spring time all year round never too hot and never to cold just perfect and Because you are on the Equator the sun rises and sets at 6:00 a.m. and 6pm everyday.
2. They use the US currency $$ here so no trying to figure out what's what.
3. Cost of living, a couple can live here comfortably for around $ 1500 a month, less then $ 1000 single all in.
4. No mail delivery, yup no mailbox full of crap that you just throw away, to pay your utilities you go into town / town hall and pay your $ 20 for Electricity, $ 25 for Internet and $ 10 for water, Simple easy and cheap.
5. Absolutely beautiful, never get tired of These views.
More to come going to the Farmers Market tomorrow.
A few photos from town today.
Yup there's a sports bar everywhere you go.
A beautiful catholic church in just about every town in Ecuador
A few of the bohemians
Barbecuing some strange rodent at the Farmers Market I did not ask, my sister Julie Told me it's Guinea Pig, probably tastes like chicken.
Oh, if you click on the photos you'll see a larger version.
Sushi for lunch tomorrow.
Sushi was great and Monday is 2 for 1 day, haha, had 2 delicious rolls, soup, and a beer, $ 9. Back at the house chillin out.
Stayed at the house today except for a walk with the dog.
A few more photos ...
So here's the kicker all of These photos are taken from the property I'm staying at, it's a never ending That view Constantly changes.
They just do not slap down some concrete and call it a sidewalk, They spend a bit more time and make your walk more enjoyable.
Rosemary, Yikes
One minute later same shot
Same mountain range during the day, all in one day
Yes Those are raindrops at sunrise
Sunset 6:38 pm
Grounds
View from my chair
In my chair, not a care in the world ....
When You have a dozen lemons you make lemonade duh ...
When the veggies are ripe you eat them ..
This is Don Ramone (I think he played bass) he's 71 and works the hills everyday planting more seedlings.
I've got more bananas and eggs Then I know what to do with ...
Checked out a rental property today
http: // www.
Very nice, we'll see if the house sells Cape.
View just above the Cabana
Sleepy Village on a Friday afternoon
Cool sunset tonight
Sky's on fire
I think that's a UFO in the center of the photo?? There were numerous UFO sightings last week in Vilca. I think I may have captured one.
Outside looking in to main house
There are a lot of buildings like this here, started years ago but never finished.
Big festival in town today, I think I found my new bike .
Playing Bingo With corn kernels as the money haha
This Citroen Traveled from Argentina and is making it's way to Mexico
It does not get any fresher Then this slaughtered yesterday, today roasting.
Lots of fruit
And yes They even Have a Chinese place here, a huge portion of fried rice vegey $ 3
Rainbow's over the mountain ....
Never get lost just look for the funky painted church steeple.
They build some strange places here
View from the other side of the mountain
Even a Corona tastes better here haha
There is something or someone in this photo who can find it.
This is a tomato tree, yeah kinda weird but we'll see how they taste
I have no idea what this guy is doing, but it's a cool photo
Lunch in the mountains, Chicken breast on a french baguette, with tomato's, cucumber, lettuce and avocado, yum, Pilsner to wash it down. Happy birthday DK May 31st, 2016
Luigi, the cat
June 1st, 2016
Needed a fog filter.
And yes I can do my own laundry..
Checking out another property tomorrow.
http://quito.craigslist.org/reo/5519426796.html
June 2nd, 2016
Checked out the property linked above, exactly what I would want, I could live here, now let's hope the Cape house sells.
Lunch, chicken breast, cucumbers, tomatoes, and avocado spread on a Baguette
Foggy, rainy day
Fresh organic Blue Oyster Mushrooms, had to try them
June 3rd, 2016
Coffee Beans Photos
From seedlings
To plants
Hand picked beans
Shell removed and here is the actual bean
These bags are full of just ripe beans, they are all over the property
Does anyone else see the face in the clouds
From this to this in just minutes
June 4th 2016
The stonework here is amazing, well done
June 5th, 2016
Managed to sync up the laptop with the Samsung TV, nice
Thought I'd add a little Bull to the photo, dead center, have no idea why he doesn't just roll down the hill.
Another beautiful day, 71 degrees and sunny.
No joke if I could have walked up this mountain I would have been walking in a rainbow, it was that close to the ground.
June 6th, 2016
Not sure what kinda trees these are but they are cool looking
Small Casitas are scattered throughout the mountains
This is the road to the house it has 2 gates, doesn't look that steep in the photo but believe me it is I walk it everyday with the dog.
First dead chicken on my watch, asked the caretaker Don Ramone and he said probably died of old age. Strange but all other chickens are doing great, feed and water every day.
June 10th, 2016
You haven't tasted eggs like this, less then an hour old, look at the color of the yolk.
No real construction codes here they just throw it together, these steps are for very tall people, lol
There are lots of deals here for expats to rent.
Chickens just roam free
Local cactus, they call it the San Pedro Cactus
Going to look at this house again, I could rent this place for a year to see if I would want to stay here.
But it all hinges on the Cape house selling.
June 10th, 2016
Typical sidewalk here
OOPS looks like brother Tim won't be opening a restaurant here lol
Fruit everywhere
Vilca from a different view with Mandago Mountain and town below
Taxis lined up on every street
Ongoing construction at the house never stops, swimming pool going in next
Chicken Koop
Control center
House photos
Interesting design, it's a bookcase that moves
And slides to open up to another room
Another rainbow
Farmers Market, fresh chickens
Everyone is happy here, even the grandma's dance in the streets
Larger version on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRQNNL9XyPI
June 14th, 2016
Street Scenes
June 14th, 2016
Street Scenes
Every Day is a picture
Thinking my next trip here I have to check out some Pacific Ocean towns.
June 15th, 2016
Moon over clouds
Every day is a post card
Banana Bread fresh from the oven.
Helpers working the corn
June 16th, 2016
Up on the hill you can see the house in the photo
June 16th 2016
Drop a lime in a Ecuador beer and watch out
iPhone Pano, love the colors
June 17th 2016
On the way down the mountain, Vilca from a different perspective
A single expat lives in the big house in the center of the photo, probably cost him peanuts to build
Another crazy sunset, mind you that the colors are gone in less then a minute
These photos are for my Mom, she wanted to make sure I'm eating well, WELL?
Back to the sunset
All in less then a minute, crazy shit
June 18th, 2016
If you're getting tired of these photos, too bad cause I'm not.
June 19th, one month in 2016
Hosteria Vilcabamba, Nice, enjoy I did, Father's day brunch
June 20th, 2016
Another day, another rainbow
SO SO proud of my daughter, check out these articles.
June 21st, 2016
A repeat of last night, the rainbow seems to appear in the same spot almost every night.
June 22nd, 2016
Here we go again, have you ever seen a rainbow move across the sky, well I just did, enjoy.
Can you see the condor in the photo
As the rainbow falls apart
June 26th, 2016
This place is the home of rainbows, in the last month I've seen more rainbows then in my entire life, hope you like rainbows
June 29th, 2016
This place is an oxymoron, on one corner you see this, and then a block down the street you stumble upon this place, called Del Toro, crazy shit but fun
Local artist painted these pretty cool
And then a block away you find an abandoned basketball court
July 1, 2016
Leaving on July 16th, redeye back on July 17th
Damn cow wouldn't get out of the way
Had Filet of Trout here very good will go back
Bagging strawberry's on the street for a $1
They have a beer brewer here and a wine vineyard, pretty cool, I'm good for 2 more weeks.
July 5th, 2016
10 days till I'm back in the states.
July 7th, 2016
Time is winding down, be back in a week
Cape house has sold, need to get back and clean it out.
Typical street scene
Animals roam freely here, dogs , horses, cows, goats, you name it you'll see them just walking the streets
My friend Greg and a 2 week old doggie
Taxi going up the road, it's a scary ride and too expensive.
Shit more bananas
My buddy T-Man, a really nice dog gonna miss him.
Chickens are very strange birds
This tomato plant was put in the ground a week before I got here, in just over a month it's already producing some nice fruit
July 8th 2016
One week to go
You can see the 2500 liter water tanks on the top of the hill water comes down the mountain from the spring.
Friday July 8th 2016, one week before I fly back.
There are structures like this everywhere, someone started and ran out of money and just left it, the Gringos with the money don't want leftovers so they build a new hacienda on the mountain, and these eyesores just sit.
Typical sidewalk restaurant here, good guacamole.
Never know what you'll run into.
July 9th, 2016
Yup they have a BBQ place and this place makes the local artisan beer, very good, so good I got another order to go. $10 for 2 orders of Chicken Wings with slaw and a beer, not bad.
So, they have Chinese, Pizza, Mexican, BBQ, German, Ecuadorian, Sushi, Fried Chicken, I could go on, but you get the picture since the gringos started coming in droves they just open up a new place and serve food. Most expensive meal I've had since I've been here was $12
Photographers dream
Last full day here July 14th, 2016
Here's the whole town/village
I think I found my new bike
Yes that's a snake and the owner will pour you a glass if you have the guts, yes I did.
Got in a little chess
Adios Vilcabamba
At some point during your visit, you *WILL* need to try the guinea pig.
ResponderBorrarMaybe, I think I'd have to close my eyes...
ResponderBorrarHey Dan looks pretty cool! That pig is probably delicious.
ResponderBorrarHey Dan looks pretty cool! That pig is probably delicious.
ResponderBorrarCool rainbow.
ResponderBorrarREQUEST: Chris wants to see pix of the stuff that grows there.
WHen you get back, you can make a series of the same shot/crop at different times of day with different clouds, etc ... that would be a cool "souvenir" ... a single print of FOUR shots of the same thing.
ResponderBorrarWe hate you. Keep posting!
ResponderBorrarThe Fool on the hill sees the sun going down and the eyes
ResponderBorrarin his head see the world spinning roundddddd
god bless you Dan!!
ResponderBorrarI think anyone can leave a comment
ResponderBorrar145 Photos so far on the blog
ResponderBorrarMake that 152 Photos sunset tonight was quite nice.
ResponderBorrarOK 171 photos and counting
ResponderBorrarChicken Dan.
ResponderBorrarHi Dan... maybe this worked
ResponderBorrarHalaluia... It works. Now a comment. Muy bueno pix... hey. when you do settle on a place to test, get a 2 ... wait a minute. Dos bedroom , dos bano... so we can visit.
ResponderBorrarAdios amigo.
2 beds and 2 baths are on the radar, but I think I have to check out a few towns on the Pacific coast, before settling.
BorrarBeen here a month, 310 photos posted, we go one...
ResponderBorrar382 photos on the blog, July 9th
ResponderBorrarIn Quito on my way home, taking the red eye, hope you enjoyed the blog, have a few more entry's that I will add tomorrow or maybe on the plane
ResponderBorrar