Vilcabamba, Ecuador

The Valley of Longevity

January 29, 2008

- Guns N' Roses

Vilcabamba is a small town of 5,000 people in the far south of Ecuador. It has a much warmer and wetter climate due to its lower altitude and is very popular among foreigners, enticing many to take up permanent residence. The fountain of youth is said to be located somewhere nearby and perhaps contributes to the health of the local population, as many people have enjoyed long lifespans. There are a few restaurants and shops in town but other than that there isn´t much else. Nearby is Podacarpus National Park, but nearby is relative term meaning a full day of hiking and then whacking your way through the brush with a machete for hours on end, but it is supposed to be very beautiful. Closer and much more accessible is the trail up to Mandango, a mountain ridge that provides outstanding views over the town and is about a 3 hour round trip hike.

Other than that, Vilcabamba is a good place to relax and do nothing for a few days, especially during the rainy season, as it seems to rain all afternoon and most of the evening, definitely limiting any outdoor activities that you might want to undertake. The current events in this small town include the arrival of a man from Spain who is planning to open a brothel. Despite the fact that there are already two on the outskirts of town, this has all the townspeople up in arms and they were saying things to him in various languages, generally indicating that they weren´t welcoming him into the town, to put it kindly. Dressed in his velvet sport coat, as might be expected from an owner of a brothel, he seemed unperturbed by these insults and glided around town with an erudite air, chatting with the few people he had not yet alienated. I found it hard to believe that a town of 5,000 people could support three brothels but I suppose with all the travelers and increasing influx of people that maybe the owner was eyeing this as a long-term investment.