When the middle of July arrived, Mark and I found ourselves with only two weeks left in Ecuador, before our allotted three-month entry stamp expired (August 2nd). By then, we had long decided to skip the jungle region and, more recently, the coast as well. For months, we had looked forward to visiting the beaches of Montanita, watching the sunset, having happy hour with our toes in the sand, and letting Maya frolic in the sea. But it would be a major detour and – as we were about to head that way – police officers, knocking on our door at 6am near Cotopaxi Volcano, talked us out of it. Drug-related crime and petty theft seem to fester along the Ecuadorian coast.
View towards the Temple of the Sun at Ingapirca
Ingapirca – Our First Inca Ruins
The three of us kept heading south after spotting the snowy peak of Volcano Chimborazo (I added a cool photo to my last Ecuador post of my friend Marie on top of the world – and closest to the sun – after scaling Chimborazo) and aimed for the Inca Ruins of Ingapirca.
Marie on the top of Chimborazo at sunrise
Photo credit Marie Fraisse
It was a long drive, involving a massive detour over bumpy roads around and through the town of Alousi, due to a massive landslide and subsequent road works. The scenery was stunning!
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
We arrived at our destination late afternoon, so the parking lot was pretty full and we took a temporary, unlevel spot, while checking out the neighborhood with Maya. Once a level space became available, we moved and settled in for the night. We’d visit the ruins in the morning, thinking we would stay for two nights. But, since the parking lot was actually straddling a busy road and residents love to ride their loud motorcycles with 2-stroke engines, we decided to not face a second sleepless night.
Parking lot of the Ingapirca ruins, early morning
This relatively small site packed a punch for us, because it was our introduction to the Inca empire and culture. Tickets only cost US$2 per person and include a guide. Maya stayed home for this one. We booked the first tour of the day at 9:15am and enjoyed the different areas and English explanations of our excellent and passionate guide, Segundo.
We learned a lot about the Incas and their predecessors, the Cañaris, whose building practices the Incas only integrated here at Ingapirca, Southern Ecuador. Both groups used different kinds of stones, visible at this site. The Cañaris utilized round river rocks and the Incas cut, rectangular blocks. This is the only Inca site in the world with a temple (Temple of the Sun – Templo del Sol) that has round walls, because of the influence of the Cañaris.
After the hour-long tour, Mark and I finished exploring the region with a self-guided walk past smaller sites and through nature. It was super quiet and we had to work around sprinklers in the fields to avoid getting soaked.
That night, our trio pulled into a spot by a river, which luckily worked out despite the low-ish tree branches (always good to have an alternative if our camper can’t make it to our intended campsite), and we had a drink to celebrate my 20 years of being a nomad. I left Belgium – inadvertently forever – on July 14th, 2003.
Peaceful spot by a river
Cuenca – Everybody’s Favorite
Every tourist in Ecuador loves historic Cuenca and all the western flair it offers. I am always a bit hesitant when it comes to popular destinations. Traveling in your own camper throughout South America is very different from flying in and getting around by public transportation, staying in comfortable hotels. Cities are tough on us, overlanders. We sleep “on the street” with all the noise this entails, if we can even get there via the narrow and congested roads.
Our Cuenca campsite near El Paraiso Park for five nights
Mark and I found what looked like a decent spot alongside a park – awesome to take Maya out – but it was a 30-minute walk to the center and traffic ran loud, starting super early and running late, inches from our vehicle. We didn’t sleep well during our five nights here. The place we had hoped to camp at, a parking lot closer to town, didn’t allow RVs anymore.
That first afternoon in Cuenca, we happily discovered what the park had to offer and stopped by an expensive micro-brewery (The Pub), where we met interesting characters, including Sheila, a young pet tarantula.
The following days, we worked, had a video interview with CNN, walked in the park, ate good food, cringed at noisy fireworks on Sunday morning, met up with old and new friends, managed to schedule calls with distant friends and relatives, shopped for groceries, did laundry, and took in the sights.
One late afternoon, Mark and I took turns in the excellent Pumapungo Museum, with exhibits indoors (the dioramas were my favorite) and Inca ruins and a bird sanctuary outdoors. At our arrival time of 3pm, we were each allocated only half an hour as the museum closed at 4pm and one of us needed to stay with Maya.
On another rainy day (we don’t think Ecuador ever has a dry season, based on the climate we experienced in their summer, verano), the three of us wandered around the historic downtown, which was attractive but busy.
We also met Tyrone, the owner of the well-stocked yet small and pricey Cuenca Store. He’s a super energetic guy with incredible ideas and intentions. We listened patiently to his stories and were impressed by his generosity, when he sent us home with chocolate treats (including chocolate wine), which we saved for special occasions.
Loja – A Quick Stop
Before taking Maya to a vet in Loja to obtain her international health certificate for Peru, we spent a couple of nights at a nice, free park north of the city. It offered hiking trails, a cute pond, and the company of our new friends Keith and Gertrud. Friday night and Saturday morning brought more fireworks, launched right behind our camper.
The humans had more work to do and the unexpected, fast publication of our story in CNN over the weekend caused a frenzy of online activity for me, including an invitation to talk at the library of Vilcabamba, our next destination. Such a coincidence! Our busy days were long not over.
Vilcabamba – Expat Haven
Aaaaah Vilcabamba, or Vilca in short. While Mark preferred Cuenca and enjoyed it more than me, I lost my heart in this small, dry, and warm village. We stayed a week! The climate was perfect, the restaurants of good quality, our main camping spot attractive, friends joined us, and life was easy. So easy… Everything was in walking distance, safe, comfortable. No wonder expats love it here.
Yet, our situation wasn’t perfect, due to the annual week-long celebrations of the local church and the daily fireworks that came with that. Bad timing! Every morning and evening, Maya was a mess. Plus, we camped in four different locations, moving as needed, because of partying locals, smoke from a neighboring yard, or the sounds of homemade fireworks, firecrackers, bottle rockets, canon balls, whatever created those loud bangs.
My short travel and book talk at the library was informal and lead to meeting new people and a wonderful Korean lunch at Maya’s Kitchen. We returned to the same restaurant once more, because the menu options were all attractive and hard to choose from. We found other favorite establishments during our time in Vilca as well.
Another highlight was the river trail, which we enjoyed and were camped along most of the time. Living this close to nature and to the town center was pretty sweet.
Mark and I wrapped up more work assignments and all good Vilca things came to an end. This place could be pretty perfect, if it wasn’t for the fireworks, which sounded every hour on every evening and once every morning. Poor Maya. It was time to leave. Plus, we wanted to keep a couple of days on our “visa,” just in case we needed to return to Ecuador and apply for an extension at some point. One needs time left in the country for that.
So, on July 29th, we headed towards the Peruvian border via narrow and dirt mountain roads, hoping for little oncoming traffic (successfully) and no rain (unsuccessfully – it did sprinkle, but luckily not enough to turn the track into slippery mud).
We spent our last Ecuadorian night near a dam, where it was pretty quiet, finally, apart from the turbulent river.
The following day, a Sunday, we reached the usually easy and quiet border of La Balsa, on the last day of Peru’s Independence Day Weekend celebrations…
Ready for a new country!
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
August 18, 2023 at 17:36
What fun. I’m always so happy to see Maya doing well, enjoying life. The tarantula–pet or not, I can do without!
August 18, 2023 at 20:13
Haha, Jacqui. No hairy spiders for you? 🙂 Maya has a great life, but some things are quite difficult – for her and for us. Like the fireworks, and pets not being allowed in National Parks. We will figure it out. It’s all about her! 🙂
August 18, 2023 at 17:47
I know we’ve commiserated about this before, but our dog does terrible with loud noises too. It was a pretty mild leading up to and on Independence Day, but since then, it’s been a fiasco. We still have people setting off fireworks (It’s July 18th, folks) and each time it’s hard on our dog and, in turn, us. Then as if the weather gods were messing us with us, we had thunder/lightning two nights in a row. Same reaction from poor Lulu.
Onward to Peru. I’m along for the ride.
August 18, 2023 at 20:20
Hi Pete,
Sorry to read that people are still shooting off fireworks and crap over there. It’s insane. I hope it’s not a new trend in the western world. Lulu would not be happy in these countries either! 🙁
With Maya, the monthlong fireworks in Colombia over New Years set off a whole bunch of other anxieties and issues, like slamming car doors, rain on the roof, falling twigs or fruits on the roof, … it all sends her hiding and shivering.
For a while, we thought maybe all the booms would desensitize her. We then think it’s getting better, but too many days in a row or too close of a proximity to the startling sounds (our hearts even jump) and we are back to square zero. Darn…
So far, Peru is not doing it for us. I’m afraid my first blog of this country wouldn’t be very positive.
August 18, 2023 at 18:07
So sorry you had to skip the coast. I love being on the ocean. But have also heard that the coast is where the worst of the cartel action in Ecuador is. Y
Ruins! So cool! Segundo – is that like the name Junior in English?
Those towns look lovely. Two for $5 cocktails! I imagine I couldn’t get a cocktail for less than $10 or maybe $15 here in Atlanta.
I can’t believe Tayrone gave you all that chocolate. I know that will last you a long time!
Poor Maya. Maybe she will get used to the fireworks one day?
OK- so now one of my goals is to have a rig that border guards want to take selfies with.
August 18, 2023 at 20:24
Your comment made me smile, Duwan. I love your enthusiasm.
I think maybe Segundo means “second” as in the second child or son? I never asked, but I’ve heard this name a few times in Ecuador.
Peru is almost as expensive as the US for drinking out, so no more cocktails for us. Unless we make our own. We will have to be super careful here. We’re only halfway through August and our expenses are already up to $800, mostly because of the fuel.
The chocolates from Tayrone are all gone, but we still have the chocolate wine. And, no idea why he got a liking towards us and spoiled us rotten! 🙂 We returned to give him a Plunge book and buy a big bottle of soy sauce.
I think any rig will stand out with the local military, so you will have plenty of opportunity to be in photos! 🙂
August 18, 2023 at 20:29
Some cool stops. Sorry, no tarantula for me.
August 20, 2023 at 12:17
Oh, come on, Alex! 🙂
August 19, 2023 at 08:11
That last sentence sounds ominous! More fireworks? Congratulations on your nomadic anniversary.
August 20, 2023 at 12:21
Hi Annabel,
Yes, there have been more explosives and fireworks, but not at the border. The crossing was mellow, but it took much longer than expected, as it was busier than normal.
August 19, 2023 at 13:25
Wonderful post and photos, which threw me right back to 2011 and the almost 10 months spent in South America.
Not sure if I told you this story before but…
We visited Cuenca and somehow got invited to an odd party full of expats. An American plastic surgeon was chatting to us but looking me over all the time. Looking directly at my breasts, he said “I can give you a 2 for 1 deal right now”, before intently staring at my face! (Probably wanted to erase my wrinkles also.)
I swear, I nearly punched him! Instead, I kept my cool and said no thanks, then walked away.
August 20, 2023 at 12:25
Hi Nilla,
OMG about that story of the rude expat. No, you never told me that and I do wonder if he is still around Cuenca. And, if he’s ever been punched in the face. I have to assume so!
Mark and I have realized that the expat community in these countries contains a lot of “weirdos,” “eccentrics,” or “outcasts”. Many end up in these countries for a reason other than curiosity, it seems like. I never realized that until recently. Of course, there are a lot of awesome, open-minded, and liberal folks who move abroad as well. 🙂
August 21, 2023 at 03:27
Hope so! 😉
I have to agree with you and Cuena had quite a few. Why are they called expats? Many expats never return so they should immigrants. I found this when I lived in Italy. It was almost an arrogance as people (even on social media) liked to be known as expats and never migrants or immigrants.
August 21, 2023 at 11:36
Good question, Nilla! I guess expats are “affluent” people who move locations internationally to live, while immigrants move abroad out of necessity, maybe? And migrants move for work reasons, nationally or internationally. Either way, expats are immigrants no matter how you look at it. I’d be totally fine with that term whenever I move somewhere. 🙂
August 19, 2023 at 17:18
Finally some (semi)good experiences for you! The fireworks must be really annoying, though. Poor Maya – after all that racket, I’d be flinching, too. Good luck with your new destinations, and safe travels! 🙂
August 20, 2023 at 12:28
Thanks, Diane. We can all live with the random and colorful firework display to celebrate an event, but when homemade explosives sound constantly throughout the day and night, it gets old quickly. In Ecuador, there always seemed an end to the noise, usually before 10pm, but here in Peru, we’ve experienced worse. We feel like we are often on the run, in pursuit of a quiet place to sleep and a spot where Maya doesn’t cringe.
August 20, 2023 at 16:59
That sucks. Fingers crossed for better days ahead!
August 21, 2023 at 11:26
Thanks!!
August 19, 2023 at 17:40
Glad you visited Cuenca which we were fans of like Mark. Especially happy you escaped Ecuador unscathed unlike me years ago. What a tragedy the presidential candidate was assinated in Quito before the upcoming election. Sounds like very tough times are ahead for the people of Ecuador. Sorry you’re not enjoying your first few weeks in Peru and that it’s awfully expensive to boot.
August 20, 2023 at 12:31
Hi Annie,
Cuenca has its charm and attractions, but it is too busy and loud of a city for me to ever consider living. Unlike Vilcabamba, it is a place where you can sink into anonymity, though, because of its size. Some expats like that. 🙂
Yeah, Ecuador is going through tough times right now. We have friends (Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Apeman) who planned to study Spanish for a couple of months in Cuenca this fall, but they might divert to Cusco, Peru, instead. That would be just fine by us as then we can hang out together again. 🙂
August 19, 2023 at 18:29
I was enjoying the read until I got to the image of the spider. You brave woman 😉 As always I admire you two for your off the beaten track adventurers. I remember nights of traffic when motorhoming. Hard to get the perfect spot as most places want you to stay in grounded accommodation. Having said that there are places in NZ that are classed as RV supporters. South America from your adventurers is certainly a place to venture.
August 19, 2023 at 18:34
Even with the negativity are you still enjoying exploring South America or are you and Mark thinking of leaving? Take care, Liesbet.
August 20, 2023 at 12:39
Good question, Suzanne. We don’t give up easily and we have experience with challenges on the road and the water. As long as the positives outweigh the negatives (which is still the case), we keep on going. We can always move on in pursuit of more attractive places and countries. But, it’s exhausting. We just don’t want our dog to be miserable. Luckily, most of the time, she is happy, active, and healthy. 🙂
August 20, 2023 at 12:36
Haha, Suzanne,
What is it with people – and especially women – having a fear of spiders? 🙂
You know, the boat life was challenging for different reason, but we often managed to find peace and quiet at anchor and at night. In a camper, as you know, you live too close to “the real world,” which is full of blasting car stereos, screaming engines, honking taxi cabs, and partying people, especially during the weekends. It’s been tough to have a good night sleep!
I just love how NZ has designated camping areas for “self-contained” vehicles. More countries should have these spots and restrictions, as RVs with a bathroom, especially with a toilet, leave no impact on the environment and the surroundings.
August 20, 2023 at 01:53
A huge YES to all that free (and generous) chocolate! A hard NO to holding a tarantua. Big HUGS of sympathy to Maya — that’s alot of loud, unsettling noise.
CHEERS to the small, heart-grabbing village of Vilca.
And now you have me very curious about Peru. I am sorry that it did not start out well for you. Hopefully, it has gotten much better since!
August 20, 2023 at 12:41
Hi Donna,
We finally opened that bottle of chocolate wine last night, during sunset over the Pacific Ocean. It was delicious and a pleasant surprise. Who would have thought that chocolaty wine was a thing and actually is tasty and addictive? Not me. You might have guess that, or know, though. 🙂
As always, I appreciate your support and enthusiasm for our blog posts and lifestyle. We still have to find our groove in Peru, but it will happen. It’s just taking a while. Three weeks already…
August 20, 2023 at 02:38
Congratulations on your CNN appearance! Am I being a bit thick,but I can’t find the actual article.
I’m sorry you couldn’t make the beaches, but it sounds like a good ommission from the safety point of view.
I love the tarantula! I once had a tarantula on my hand in Venezuela. It too was a pet – it lived in the brim of a man’s hat! When we saw it there, we didn’t believe it was real, but he grabbed it and put it on my hand! Sadly, I don’t have a photo of it, but the memory of its little furry feet on my arm is lovely.
August 20, 2023 at 12:16
Hi Jackie,
I’m so glad you liked the tarantula as well. And what a great experience in Venezuela.
Few people seem to be enamored with (hairy) spiders. Not sure where that phobia came from. The only time I really screamed regarding a spider is when I was hunting a massive, hand-sized one down in a backpacker’s room in China one day and the spider ended up falling on me when I shook a curtain. I rarely scream, but that was a good occasion to do so.
My blog post about the CNN article contains a link to the original article on CNN. Maybe it was hard to find/detect it: https://edition.cnn.com/travel/broke-up-with-boyfriend-three-week-romance/index.html
August 20, 2023 at 14:27
If this were the olden days and you had to “develop” photos, you’d have bulging scrapbooks by now. Fortunately, you are a digital daughter.
Just a random thought, Liesbet . . . !
August 20, 2023 at 16:50
Hi Marian,
That’s a good thought, one that I’ve had often as well I wouldn’t be able to afford developing all those photos anymore if we were in the older days. I’d have to be waaaaay more selective taking shots. And where would I store them all?
I’m very happy there’s such a thing as digital photography, because I take hundreds of photos every week and my archives contain in the tens of thousands of photos. I know. It’s a bit crazy. I stay very busy taking photos, deleting photos, organizing photos, captioning photos (for blogs), posting photos on Facebook, … And all the writing as well. I need a break! 🙂
August 20, 2023 at 18:01
Wow, you packed a lot in this post! I’m so sorry that Maya is stressing with all the fireworks. I get stressed too and I know what they are. I don’t understand the attraction… oh well, not my country, not my rules 🙂 That rock face is wonderful… it even has eyelashes!
August 21, 2023 at 11:29
Hi Janis,
To finally catch up with all my blog posts, I have to start covering two or more weeks at a time. 🙂
The most stupid thing about these “fireworks” is that they are just explosions. They just make noise. No idea what the attraction of that is either, especially since they make us jump as well. Plus, it’s totally inconsiderate to do this at night in neighborhoods where people sleep – and not just us. But we have noticed that sound and noise does not affect people in Latin America the same way than us. They grew up with loud noises – music, traffic, backfiring exhausts, constantly barking dogs – and they don’t even notice these distractions.
August 20, 2023 at 22:23
Looks like a nice couple days, but OMG, the tarantula is going to give me nightmares for daaaaayyyyyssss.
One of my favorite things about being in Lisbon is the lack of fireworks. It’s only been once or twice that they’ve set them off – and it’s the government, not random locals being annoying. Such a game changer when you have a dog. I feel for you guys and Maya. I know how tough it is to deal with.
August 21, 2023 at 11:31
Hi Laura,
I’m so happy to hear that Lisbon outlaws private fireworks, like most western civilizations! The dogs – and other animals – in Portugal must live a happy life. And, I assume Thor is enjoying your move as much as you two? Looking forward to more blog posts about your experiences!
August 20, 2023 at 23:31
When I was in Puerto Vallarta there was constant fireworks and bands playing until late in the night next store. It’s a part of their culture. Hard to sleep at night.
August 21, 2023 at 11:33
I agree, Ann. Mexico – like most Latin American countries – is a loud one to live and sleep in. I still remember exploring mainland Mexico for six months in 2006 and once the bottle rockets and fireworks of a Saint procession was so close that ashes fell on the roof of our camper and we had to move camp spots! The culture is not very tourist-friendly!
August 21, 2023 at 20:18
Vilca looked like a great relaxing spot. I hope you guys have found some good spots in Peru, and maybe some cheaper gas? 🙂 x
August 29, 2023 at 09:32
Hi Debby,
No cheaper gas in Peru yet. It’s killing us… This month’s expense report won’t be pretty. I liked Vilca a lot, because it had the perfect temperature, natural surroundings, good restaurants, and was super easy to camp and be. Despite the fireworks.
August 21, 2023 at 23:19
Neither our dog nor we are bothered by fireworks, but I can imagine that weeks on end of hearing them would wear thin! Like another reader, I read the news about the assassination in Ecuador and thought about how sad it is that this fairly stable country is heading in the wrong direction (and that you were there during this unrest.). Sorry to hear Peru is not a good next stop so far; I loved Peru and hope things turn around for you.
August 29, 2023 at 09:35
Good for you and your dog, regarding the fireworks, Lexie. Thing is that if they would happen once in a while, we could all bear with it. But, especially in Peru, it’s been almost every day. Just “booms”, usually early in the mornings (before 7am) and at night. We think a lot of it is church related. And indigenous traditions.
We’ve discovered some really beautiful scenery in Peru by now, but still struggle with its lack of decent cell service and grocery shopping options. The cost of living is so much higher here than in Ecuador and Colombia, yet, life appears to be more third world.
August 25, 2023 at 07:05
Oh, poor Maya, with all those fireworks going off. The South Americans seem to like their fireworks. They seem to be going off every day.
No, thank you for the tarantula, but well done on holding it. But a big yes, please, to chocolate wine. Does it taste sweet? What would it be like dribbled over ice cream?
Your trip to Ecadour seems to have flown past. Those three months have gone so fast. What a shame the coastal region is unsafe, but you did right by avoiding it. But it is good to hear that the Police advised you not to venture there.
August 29, 2023 at 09:38
Hi Hugh,
Yes, those daily “booms” are getting old. It will make us leave Peru sooner than we wanted. We will see what happens. We only got three months at the border, so need to rush through anyway. But we still hope to get more time here, somehow, because there is so much to see and the country is big.
You know, that chocolate wine was a super pleasant surprise! It actually tasted like chocolate, so, yes, sweet, but not too much. Just right. I was more a fan of it than Mark (who is not into sweet things). Not sure if it would go on vanilla ice cream. I think it’s better used drinking. 🙂
March 24, 2024 at 21:33
Were Inca ruins seen in Vilcabamba, Ecuador. The title mentions two cities but named three.
March 25, 2024 at 07:17
Hi Yaqob,
No Inca ruins seen in Vilcabamba. The “two enjoyable cities” from the title are Cuenca and Vilcamba (the first two towns mentioned after the hyphen) and the Inca ruins are called Ingapirca, the third town mentioned. Sorry for the confusion.