The Cajas!

I came home from walking Scout this morning (gorgeous by the way) and Mark said, Let's go to the Cajas!  So we did.  We decided for our first trip to take it easy and to go somewhere we had heard of.  We headed to Dos Chorreras, which is a really nice hosteria in the Cajas.  It is much colder in the Cajas so we all brought hats and our warm winter coats.  Next time we will wear long underwear underneath our jeans.  It was pretty cold.

On the walk up to the hosteria we met this very friendly little deer.  She came up to the fence and we were able to touch her on the nose and let her sniff us.  Unfortunately, as I was helping Tali to step over the quickly rushing stream below us I put my whole foot in it.  We hadn't even started hiking yet and my foot was soaked. :(

This is a little chapel on the way up.

View back down the mountains towards Cuenca.  Truly beautiful.

Dos Chorreras:

The inside of the hosteria:

Mark liked this little bar.

Some of the rooms are on this floor as well as below and above.  They all have great views down the valley.

View from one of the bedrooms:

Gift shop:

Dining room:  We ate lunch here.

This huge tree was growing right into the restaurant.  I love how they built the glass wall around the rock and tree.

Banquet room upstairs.
 

Cabana outside.  I don't know how much lounging gets done out here.  It was freezing! 

Looking towards the back end.  There is a horse trail leading up into the mountains.  That's where we headed for our hike.

Those two horses came running down the hill.  It costs only $6 for a 30 minute ride.  Mark and I are thinking about getting a babysitter and heading up there this week.

I have my horse moments and Mark has his:

Still checking out the motorcycles:

Rainbow trout:

Looking back from our hike towards Dos Chorreras:

Uncle Chris, this is for you.

After a cold hike there is nothing better than a small glass of Canelazo.
It is a fruit drink with rum and cinnamon and some other stuff.  Served hot.
I also had a glass of hot mulled wine with a sugar rim.  Delicious!

After lunch we headed down the road to fish for rainbow trout.  For $1 each you can fish all you want.  They will then fry up the fish for you for dinner if you choose.

The indigenous woman next to Tali caught 6 fish while we were there. Tali, zero.  :(  She must have the touch.

Success!!!  He was so happy and proud of himself.

We had a great time today.  After fishing we stood on the side of the road waiting for a bus we hoped would come.  We had been waiting for 20 minutes and it was 4:35.  A young man told Mark the bus would come at 5:30.  We still had an hour to go and we were starting to get chilled.  A young couple with a little girl asked us if we were going to Cuenca, and when we said yes invited us to hop in and they would take us home.  (Dad, I know you will freak out about this, but it is just different here.)  They drove us all the way home (about 30 min.) and wouldn't take a cent.  Most people here are just like this.  It is kind of hard to get used to, this giving, open nature of the people here. 

I am still chilled as I sit here typing this even after a shower and a cup of tea, so I think I will say good night and go climb into my bed with the heated mattress pad.  Night!