Going South.

Luckily, Ecuador was spared any major aftershocks, and I was able to get my ride at the bus terminal without incident. The terminal was completely back to normal, as if the madness of yesterday had never happened.

Looking back at downtown Guayaquil from across the wide mouth of the Rio Guayaquil.

The bus from Guayaquil to Cuenca takes about four-and-a-half hours. The first hour or so is across the lush flatlands of the Rio Guayaquil delta. The the mountains suddenly rise before you and you begin to climb.

And climb, through verdant hillsides planted with bananas and other tropical fruits.

And climb, into the clouds, past cascades and small farms.

And climb, past little mountain villages clinging to the steep slopes.

Past cows tethered precariously to the vertiginous hillsides.

Past 10,000, 11,000, then 12,000 feet. And still the abundant crops thrive.

The vibrant green of these high-altitude pastures are amazing to those of us expecting a more alpine landscape.

The cows were plentiful, but I saw no pigs. And yet I kept catching the distinctive whiff of pig shit. I couldn't figure out where that smell was coming from.

Until the bus passed the truck ahead of us.

There were actually two trucks packed with pigs on their way to market. Fortunately, we were able to pass them both and enjoy the rest of the journey with fresher air.

Once in Cuenca, I checked in to the lovely old Hotel Victoria, where I would finally reconnect with Ophelia for the rest of the trip.

The room had a spacious terrace.

With a fabulous view of the city.

O was supposed to arrive at 3:00. She finally showed up just before 5:00. Apparently, her women's group was coming back from visiting a park and their driver got pulled over by the cops. They harassed him over some minor paperwork he had left behind and wouldn't let him go until he gave them all the money he had, about $30. 

Naturally, the group pitched in and paid him back. It seems this kind of thing is not unusual here.

This trip has really been an adventure.

And the adventure is better when shared.

Cuenca is a beautiful old colonial town. Since it sits at just over 8,000 feet, the weather is pretty delightful year round. Today it was sunny and in the low 70s. We saw no evidence of yesterday's earthquake.

We visited the central market and marveled at the incredible array of colorful fruits and vegetables.

This is what happened to the little piggy who went to market. Sad, but delicious.

But we settled for fruit juice instead. O had carrot and ginger and I had pineapple and ginger. The fruit here is simply stellar.

Rambo tonic looks guaranteed to wake you up in the morning.

In the afternoon, we caught a shuttle to the little town of Vilcabamba, about 4.5 hours south of Cuenca. The road is long and windy, reaching about 11,000 feet before descending to Vilcabamba at 5,500 feet.

The ecolodge Izhcayluma is a gorgeous little jewel of a place. Our cabin is set well apart from the others in the midst of well-planted gardens.

The lodge sits on a hillside overlooking valley and the town of Vilcabamba. The area is known as the Valley of Longevity because it is supposed to be especially salubrious. It certainly looks the part.

There's a small restaurant with views of the valley.

It's a remarkably beautiful and tranquil spot.

But we're only here for one night. Tomorrow we start an 11-day retreat at a nearby retreat center. We'll be out of contact with social media during that time.

See you on the other side.

P.