On th Move- Loja and Vilcabamba

After returning from the Amazonas, I secured an apartment near the airport in Cuenca. I moved in on Friday and moved out on Wednesday. There were parties until 5 am. Richard agreed to refund my money so I decided to head south. I packed 2 light backpacks and left the majority of my clothes with a friend, Mark Quinn. The van ride cost $12 to Loja and in 3.5 hours I arrived. I checked in to a hotel which was on the edge of town so the next day, after exploring the city, I moved downtown. I had a room facing the park in a newly renovated hotel for $25 a night. Very nice. I was told to go to Zarza Brewing to meet locals (Mericans). The owner and staff are very kind and gave me a lot of information. Loja is at 7,200 ft. and a bit warmer than Cuenca. And the sun shines more often. It is a small Andean city with a wonderful Ecuadorian vibe and culture. I met two expats named Scott and Gary and we exchanged information. I had made reservations for Izhcayluma in Vilcabamba a few days after arriving here. Loja is very enjoyable and sits at the base of Podocarpus National Park, which I had visited last year on my trip to Zamora, 1.5 hours east of Loja.  I strolled up the mountain side one morning to bird the area and came across strange castles built up high. Coming down I passed 4 teenagers, one girl in a wheelchair and her 3 boy friends. They were pulling and pushing her up the steep slope and she had a look of such marvel on her face. The boys were grunting and laughing. What a sweet memory.
I received an email from Gary the next day stating that I could stay in his townhouse while he is away in Cuenca for 3 weeks. We met up and he showed me the house and how everything works. I arrived in Vilcabamba on Monday and Gary came down to visit a few days and bring me the keys to his house. The drive to Vilcabamba is so beautiful, with high rain forests and low rivers. Rugged and stunning. It is only 40 minutes from Loja. Arriving at Izhcayluma early, I decided to bird the property for a few hours. I immediately found collared antshrikes and Ecuadorian piculets. An elegant crescentchest made its debut into my life. The dry Tumbesian forest and mountains lie on the west and the rain/cloud forest on the east side. Fantastic habitats just a few miles apart. Everything grows in Vilcabamba as it is at 5,100 ft. Perfect temperatures year-round. Fruits and veggies abound. Birds are abundant. I inquired about a bird guide but none were to be found so I was on my own. I can now identify nearly any bird I encounter. It doesn't take as long for me to look them up in the book and I always study the area before arriving. I met locals, some very strange ones too, and was told to go to Rumi Wilco nature reserve and speak with Alicia. We met and we chatted about birds for an hour. I helped her with the list she keeps of birds seen at her lodge. She and her husband are plant and animal specialists. She told me an Andean tinamou could be found a few meters up the slope. I will go look for it when I return. I had already walked a few miles to meet with her. There are several species of birds which can only be found in extreme southern Ecuador. I will find them!
I spent time at the local bars, of course, and made new friends. I overheard one conversation as a man told his friends that the FBI was behind the Barney Miller show as a method of brain washing Americans. Another conversation concerned the terrible energy that our galaxy is going to pass through in September. Remember to duck in September folks. Vilca is a hippie version of Apalachicola. Many Germans are expats there. Weird ones too.  I mean really fucking weird! But overall they don't matter much. They keep to their own and normal people keep to their own. Normal people, you know.
I asked a realtor to help me locate a place to live in Loja. He told me of a house in Vilca that I could look at as well. Vilca started to feel very comfortable. Very small but interesting. Birding is an easy walk or taxi ride. I very much liked the 3 bedroom house on and acre with dozens of fruit trees and furnished very nicely. Beautiful yard and gardens, as well. The ower wants $500, which is very high for Vilca. Most nice apartmets are 250-350 range. We are going to make an offer in a few days. I would like to live in Vilca for a few months and take some trips to Peru from there. Peru is only 40 miles away, as the crow flies. Well, black chested buzzard-eagle, there are no crows in Ecuador.
I need to settle soon, I suppose. Cuenca is off the list for now. Too cold and damp. I think spending a few months here and there is an exciting way to live. I find new birds and meet interesting people. For now I will stay in Loja until Gary gets back the first week in terrible September. I am going to a take a few overnight trips to the jungle and toward Peru in the next few weeks. Traveling is a little shaky right now as the indigenous folks are angry at Correa and there is a national strike which leads to road blockages. It will be interesting to see what happens. Most people are more concerned about the volcano up north. Cotapaxi is belching gas and if it melts the glaciers and snow pack a terrible catastrophe could occur. Lahars move at devastating speeds. Still waiting on my Visa and I can't go to Peru until I have it. It will come. I love Ecuador.