Las Cajas

Santa Monica Hotel had a lovely breakfast and the view of the city was amazing from the restaurant.

The noon bus to Cajas from Libre station got us to Cajas much later than I wanted to get there but it seams like most places do have shuttles for a fee that can get you there early in the morning. Thinking back this would have been a better option. The park entrance was free which is impossible to believe because the paramo scenery is so breathtaking. Alpine vegetation, seeping ponds and shallow lakes throughout the mountains... This is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in the world!

So excuse the EXCESS of scenery shots...

There are a lot of trails to walk and most are quite long hikes for people who camp overnight there. The trails are not that well marked and it is possible to get a bit mixed up if you don't pay attention so I'd advise giving yourself extra time. We chose trail 1 because it goes down the mountain and is much easier than going uphill.

This is the highest elevation I have ever been and it was definitely cold and windy compared to Mindo. The high elevation means that Las Cajas is home to a lot of endemic plants and animals. I could spend years researching the wildlife here. The plants alone would take a lifetime for sure and there were many interesting flowers in bloom this season.

Despite our late arrival we still saw some nice birds including:

Southern Yellow Grosbeak
Yellow-billed Pintail
Andean Rudy Duck
Variable Hawk

Tawny Antpita

Tawny Antpita

Glossy-black Thrush
Paramo Ground Tyrant

Black-billed Shrike-Tyrant
Black Flower Piercer
White-throated Tyranulet
Andean Coot
Bar-winged Cinclodes

Bar-winged Cinclodes

Bar-winged Cinclodes

Although not as colourful or common as birds in Mindo the scenery and open space was pristine and wonderful to walk through.

We BARELY caught the last bus (5pm) back along the road and might have gotten a bit lost and walked through some private property to get to the road where we waved at it frantically. Thankfully it pulled over for us because it was a 40minute bus ride back to Cuenca. It was sad to go. I could spend a week just exploring Las Cajas and would love to go back and camp or volunteer there.

For our last night in Cuenca we went to Tiestos. It was the best meal we have had in Ecuador. For only $30 we had bread, chicken curry and chicken in mushroom and bacon sauce. The meal came with rice and many different sauces to try everything with. It was fantastic and the service was impeccable. The chef was friendly and greeted all of the guests personally. The art and atmosphere was very nice and all of the plates were Edward Vega! If only we had known about it our first day there we would have eaten there every day.