Woohoo!I went hiking and rock climbing in the parámo on Rucu Pichincha hoy…an Ecuadorian adventure not to be missed by my fellow outdoor junkies! Please, check out the pictures because they will do what I cannot as far as describing how incredible the views were. The city in the background is Quito. We got to and from our starting point by riding in the gondola's of the TeleferiQo. The ride takes you from 2,950m to 4,100m and takes about 10 mins. Rucu Pichincha is 4,675m and we ended our hike about 1/2 mile from the summit as the altiude started to get to me. The whole experience was very exciting and I was blessed with a spiritually enlightening guide for the journey.

Fernando was born in a small village near Cotopaxi and is a "true Ecuadorian" as he would say.It was such a treat being able to talk with him about the history of Ecuador, and the indigenous peoples here. He was also very knowledgeable about the plant life in the parámo (which is the name for the unique ecosystem in the high Andes starting at approx. 3,200m). A big attraction for me in coming to Ecuador are the remaining populations of indigenous peoples still thriving in the mountains and jungles of this beautiful country. Their way of life is very enchanting to me…(the way these indians live presently is as it used to be, before civilization and technology, when humans lived as one with nature and their Gods, and were self-supporting through each individual's contribution to the well-being of their community). Preserving Ecuador's indigenous peoples and the old way of life just happened to be a passion of my guide's!Fernando was a wealth of information offering me the names of a few remote Indian villages to visit and telling me of his friends there. He also told me which regions to explore where I would have the best chance of encountering the most powerful shamans in Ecuador (which has been a fantasy of mine for some years now)!I truly believe that the Universe puts people in your path for a reason and this was an astonishing example of this phenomenon.Needless to say, the day left me feeling very grateful, and very alive!