Went down to Loja and Vilcababma for a few days. For those of you that don't know, Loja/Vilcabamba is still in the Andes, but about a 4 - 5 hour drive south of Cuenca.
Loja is another interesting city in Ecuador.
Someone told me that downtown looks like it was built in the 50's and I must agree.
Vilcabamba is Another Story:
It is a small town in what is known as the 'valley of longevity'. Brennie calls it the 'valley of stoneheads'. I will explain both.
The Valley of Longevity:
From what I have been able to glean (not necessarily accurate) the whole longevity fiction was kicked off years ago by an article in .... some sources say Readers' Digest ........ others say National Geographic. (Who knows?) This was followed by a bunch of pseudo-scientific studies that supported the longevity claim. From what I can tell, the main factor had to do with either the 'special ions' in the air or the mineral content of the water or something. I suspect that this is still touted as fact by some folk. These might be the same folk that subscribe to pyramid power, the healing power of crystals and magnets, bermuda triangle, phrenology, and various other 'sciences' for the desperate. (Oopsie ...... might have lost a few readers there.)
The Valley of Stoneheads:
We have been to Vilcabamba twice and will most likely go again. It is peaceful and very beautiful. And we just kinda like it. But back to the 'valley of stoneheads' concept. I am pretty sure that the Brennie is not referring to some type of Easter Island archeological thing here. Think of another meaning for the term. I don't know about most of you, but I kind of think that I outgrew recreational use of drugs and alcohol long long ago. (Probably loosing a few more readers here too.) Anyway, it is an interesting place to visit and we will surely return. For Cuenca High Life articles on Vilcabamba ........ CLICK HERE.
LOJA:
Unfortunately, we only spent a day in Loja. We plan to return and do a better job of seeing what it is all about. Next time, we will make it our number one priority to get some of that fabulous pottery they do there.
But we did go to the botanical gardens and I took some wonderful pictures which I will share below.
Loja is another interesting city in Ecuador.
Someone told me that downtown looks like it was built in the 50's and I must agree.
Vilcabamba is Another Story:
It is a small town in what is known as the 'valley of longevity'. Brennie calls it the 'valley of stoneheads'. I will explain both.
The Valley of Longevity:
From what I have been able to glean (not necessarily accurate) the whole longevity fiction was kicked off years ago by an article in .... some sources say Readers' Digest ........ others say National Geographic. (Who knows?) This was followed by a bunch of pseudo-scientific studies that supported the longevity claim. From what I can tell, the main factor had to do with either the 'special ions' in the air or the mineral content of the water or something. I suspect that this is still touted as fact by some folk. These might be the same folk that subscribe to pyramid power, the healing power of crystals and magnets, bermuda triangle, phrenology, and various other 'sciences' for the desperate. (Oopsie ...... might have lost a few readers there.)
The Valley of Stoneheads:
We have been to Vilcabamba twice and will most likely go again. It is peaceful and very beautiful. And we just kinda like it. But back to the 'valley of stoneheads' concept. I am pretty sure that the Brennie is not referring to some type of Easter Island archeological thing here. Think of another meaning for the term. I don't know about most of you, but I kind of think that I outgrew recreational use of drugs and alcohol long long ago. (Probably loosing a few more readers here too.) Anyway, it is an interesting place to visit and we will surely return. For Cuenca High Life articles on Vilcabamba ........ CLICK HERE.
LOJA:
Unfortunately, we only spent a day in Loja. We plan to return and do a better job of seeing what it is all about. Next time, we will make it our number one priority to get some of that fabulous pottery they do there.
But we did go to the botanical gardens and I took some wonderful pictures which I will share below.
There were LOTS of beautiful flowers there.
And, I did take pics of them.
I am a horrible photographer.
These are the pics that came out the best!
Life is sweet,
Clarke
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