January, 2022. We departed Hostel Cafe Tiana in Latacunga in time to catch the 8AM bus to Sighos. About 2 hours later, in Sighos, we started the walk 11K walk, 600 meter ascent to Isinlivi.
Sighos seemed like a nice small town nestled in the mountains surrounded by lush green hills and valleys. The main plaza had a small market going on and I walked by a woman cooking chicken legs on the grill and offering up small paper containers of potatoes, with a bit of onion and a cut up grilled chicken leg on top. Delicious and only a $1.
We followed the road out of town using Maps.me as a guide along with a paper description we were given at the Hostel the night before.
The people in Ecuador are friendly and laid back in general but particularly so out here in the mountains. Farmers working in the fields would usually wave and say, “Buenos Dias or Tardes”. But the primary language here is Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire.
At one point we came across a very cute llama all by itself.
We made our way up a few hundred meters before descending down to the river and the views were beautiful. The Rio Toachi flowing fastly through a beautiful valley amidst deep green mountainsides.
There was a tough 35 minute uphill before we came to a winding dirt road taking us into Isinlivi.
We arrived at Llullu Lama Hostal about 2:00 and were welcomed by the friendly and efficient manager, Christian. We opted for a private cabana with balcony overlooking the valley.
Later we took advantage of the Spa which had a fairly large hot tub, a dry sauna, and a steam. A private one hour experience was $7.50 and included a cocktail.
Absolutely gorgeous!