June 20th. Spending Charley’s birthday sitting in a mechanic’s yard wasn’t exactly what we had planned. To make matters worse, she’s unwell. We’ve both come down with head colds, and on top of that, the poor kid has a stomach bug and is feeling pretty miserable
The original plan was to head up into Cajas National Park, take a short hike, then sit by one of the many lakes and fish for trout. The weather forecast up there is less than ideal—cold winds, rain, and overnight temperatures expected to drop below freezing. Apparently, that’s the norm at 4,000 meters. Sorry, Charley! We’re thinking we may need to postpone the celebrations until we reach the beach.
Climbing out of Cuenca, the road narrows quickly. The landscape becomes rural, and we pass through steep, almost vertical crop fields. As we gain altitude Bruce climbs slow & steady, the terrain changes again—sturdy shrubs and hardy bushes take over, clinging to the harsh, exposed hillsides. Tight switchbacks bring us ever higher.
Cajas National Park
Located in the highlands just west of Cuenca, Cajas National Park is a dramatic landscape of rugged mountains, glacial valleys, and more than 200 pristine lakes spread across 285 km². Elevations range from 3,000 to 4,450 meters.
We’re allowed to camp overnight in the parking lot beside the park office. Entry is just $6 for the four of us, but the bathrooms are locked after 6 p.m.
The visitor centre describes the park as a ‘páramo’ ecosystem—high-altitude grasslands dotted with rocky outcrops and remnants of cloud forest. There are warnings of sudden weather changes, cold nights, and constant rain, all expected at this elevation. The area is also culturally significant, once crossed by pre-Columbian trade routes and sections of the Inca Royal Road.
Today, the park protects a wide array of flora and fauna, including endemic plant species, Andean condors, spectacled bears, and the elusive mountain tapir. Which we didn’t see any of, it’s a wild, misty window into Andean biodiversity and history.
Bundled up against the cold, we wander down to a lake for an hour of trout fishing before our fingers and toes are numb from the biting wind. Climbing back to the truck, we stop couple of times to catch our breath—feeling the altitude. Moments after we get inside, the wind picks up and the rain lashes down taking the temperature with it.
It blew all night. We woke to a fine dusting of snow on the ground. Not the most festive birthday for Charley, who’s still under the weather. We decide to move on—we need to get lower, and warmer.
Descent to the Coast
The morning is spent descending toward the Pacific. The road drops out of the clouds more quickly than we climbed into them. The landscape softens, covered in native bush, with small homes seemingly balanced on the mountainside. We looked down onto a thick carpet of clouds, knowing we still had a long way to go. As we descend, the air got warmer, richer, we can breathe again.
Eventually, we catch our first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean since leaving Panama three months ago. After a quick stop at a mall for supplies, and a quick (and safe-for-Charley’s-stomach) McDonald’s lunch.
arenas nature reserve
Our final stop in Ecuador is the Arenas Nature Reserve, past endless acres of banana plantations as we head South a few hours further down the coast. It takes us 4 km down a rough dirt road to reach a large clearing where a family of small & curious foxes are playing. There’s another overland truck here too, it belongs to a young Swiss family travelling north. It’s warm and peaceful. Charley is feeling much better after some probiotics and a day of rest in the back seat.
We all sleep well and leave for the border around 10 a.m.
Next country…Peru!
1 Comment
Happy Birthday Charley ! We hope you are feeling better by now. Like my Mom used to say “ You don’t look a day over 14” . She used to say that for whatever year I was old. Have fun !