Tales of a Wanderer Living Life As Prescribed

Day had broke with a hint of eucalyptus wafting through the crisp Andean air and a friendly senorita filling my mug with soothing canellazo sugar can tea. Cayambe loomed in the distance. Climbing her snowy steps would be my last big adventure before a forced good-bye with Ecuador, a tiny country that I had fallen in love with. As I walked past colorful bouganvillea cascading down blistering wood panels, I took a deep breath, and jumped in the bed of a rickety 1970's Ford pick-up truck. As we meandered through the rolling hills of Cayambe, feeling every sharp bump of cobblestone on my tailbone, I took in every last lush leaf, every llama, every gift Ecuador gave. After reaching Cayambe's refuge house, we began the ascent. Facing aching asthmatic lungs as altitude increased and chilled skin as temperature decreased, I was suddenly brought to reality as one of our passengers slipped on a steep, snowy pass, causing him to tumble down five feet. Many were shaken and terrified, opting to descend back to the refuge. I remained determined. Pressing on over icy rocks and shifty snow, we finally reached the precipice. Cayambe wowed us with an other-worldly backdrop of her magnificent peak and spiky glacier edges, causing my heartstrings to thrum in complete harmony with Pacha Mama. I could not help but carve ever more space in my heart for this incredible country. Back on the ground, the skies immediately tore open and released a fury of rain. Suddenly feeling blue, dark as the skies, I took a moment of quiet contemplation to reflect on my experiences in Ecuador. I ached to understand how I could possible leave this entirely serene new world. The blustery winds and raging rain soon subsided, both outdoors and in my heart, and I joined my guide on a walk through a nearby eucalyptus forest. Slogging through fresh mud and over fallen tree limbs, we ended on top of a hill, where we looked down upon the countryside and breathed in moist, cool air. We shared a bottle of vino tinto, and talked about life, nature, and how Ecuador had changed me. Suddenly, twilight was upon us and my nerves kicked in as the sun slowly crept behind the mountains. How would we get back? My guide assured me, "If you trust me little Niffer, we'll be just fine." I did. And despite hiking across slippery moss-covered rocks and muddy terrain in the pitch black of night, my eyes quickly adjusted, and we navigated solely by the light of the moon and stars. Ecuador had officially transformed me.