Day 2 in Ecuador

I am at MonteSuenos - I awoke at 5:55 a.m. - all my windows open - five of them facing the mountains - all different ones too.  This is the quiet peaceful time of the morning when it starts to get light without the sun rising just yet.    The clouds are dancing with the mountain peaks.  I lay here in bed in awe of Mother Nature.  Birds are beginning to chirp and a rooster or two adds his cock-a-doodle-doo.

I feel so blessed to be here.  So at peace with myself and life. Yesterday, I was grateful to be here yet I was acclimating from the plane ride and the drive from the Loja airport through the mountains and the valley to here.

I get out of bed and I stretch on my patio - smelling the fresh mountain air, inhaling the delicate aromas of flowers not yet touched by the sun.  I am so haHAhappy - life is so good.  I go run myself a bath - my third in two days - hahaha.  Truly taking advantage of this ability to keep my body in pleasure.

I start the day with a delicious fruit salad prepared by SisterGoddess Mabella.  Papaya, banana, mango, tomatillo - all from the property here at MonteSuenos.  So very delicious.  And then I am invited for a juice at the main house with SisterGoddess Erin and SisterGoddess Meredith.  We sit on the front patio overlooking the Valley of Vilcabamba as we sip our pina smoothie.  I then get a little taste of raw chocolate cappuccino mousse and some raw chocolate covered strawberries SG Erin made.  Yummy fuel for my walk down the mountain and into town.

I put on my sneakers and I walk down and up and down and steeply up and around and down and up and across and down the mountain until I reach the ciudad of Vilcabamba. It's about a 25-30 minute walk down. A few more streets and then I reach the town square and my most favorite spot - The Juice Factory.  I order a green juice.  I scope out their wellness center and check out their products.  I buy some kale chips and raw onion bread and a pumpkin sunflower seed spread.  I drink a glass of water and walk around the corner to my favorite market.  Here, I am slowly learning to speak spanish by asking her the names of all the fruits and vegetables she has.  I love to learn and taste and try new things.

I head back up the mountain.  This is a lot harder than I thought.  Perhaps I am not yet acclimated.
I am definitely dehydrated.  And not used to mountain climbing.  I take it nice and slow and pace myself as the sun beats down on my shoulders and head.  And then a child pops up next to me.  Angel.  We speak in my broken Spanish and her little bit of English.  Watching her climb up this mountain - after her school day - and knowing this is her daily routine - gives me the oomph to just do it.

I get back to MonteSuenos and run myself another bath - SisterGoddess Sarah has provided me with bath salts which we sprinkled with all these yummy essential oils.   I sit in the hot water and knead my tight hamstrings and massage my legs.

What a great workout - cardio and all.  Looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.

This afternoon I have signed up for a breath workshop.  Three hours of deep transformational breathwork and some dancing too.  I am so excited.  I 'll let you know more manana.

Ciao for now as my SoulMama says.

I need a sign

I woke up this morning in a hotel room in the middle of downtown Quito.  It is slightly chillier than I care for. And I am up way early to head back to the airport for a flight to Loja.

For me, this trip is about surrender and trusting my INtuition.  Knowing I am here for a purrpose that is still yet to be revealed to me.  So I asked the Universe for a sign.  Show me irrefutable proof that I am supposed to be here today.   Hahaha.  Careful what you ask for.  

At Quito national airport (domestic flights), I check in, go through security and wait in the departure lounge when my name is called.  Please report to the ticket counter for baggage inspection with police.  Which means I have to go through the screening and back to the ticket counter.  Except as I try to go against the current through a side door for exits, I am pushed back by a security guard.  El Presidente!! El Presidente!!! And there he is, Rafael Correo, President of Ecuador - surrounded by security, shaking hands of people waiting on the side, and then he comes right by me - stops and kisses my cheek.   Did this just haHAhappen?  

I go to the ticket counter, meet police, we go through my luggage until they are satisfied and then through security again.  As I walk into the departure lounge, there he is again, El Presidente.  This time I get swept up with the wave and I am once again in front of him.  He asks me where I am from.  He asks me what I think of his country.  He takes a picture with me.

I get it GPS - thank you for the clear and OMazing sign.  I am here to figure it out by surrendering and allowing it to haHAhappen.  So be it.

And this is just the beginning of my day - woohoo!!!

Day 1 in MonteSuenos

I have a pleasant short flight to Loja where I meet and engage with Paul and Faith Johnson (I will read the Age of Reason, thank you BFAM Paul) who invite me to visit them at their house (once I find it).

I am met at the airport by Raffael a/k/a Raffie.  He is my chauffer and guide for the 1 1/2 hour trip through Loja and Vilcabamba.  And what a ride it is.  We go twisting and turning through mountains with clouds that feel close enough to touch.


SisterGoddess Sarah has a green curry made for dinner and SisterGoddess Erin an avocado-strawberry salad.  SisterGoddess Meredith lights a fire and we sit and eat making pleasureful sounds as we foodies truly savor the flavors and enjoy this experience.

Ecuador mi Amor

WOW - Wise OMazing Woman that I am - it has been a long time since I posted.

I am sad to report that Emma Mamie died shortly after that post and it felt like my heart shut down.  I felt like I could not write anymore - at least not anything personal.

And now, well - time heals all wounds.

My passion for travel and mi amor, Ecuador seems greater than my writer's block - woohoo.  So here I am.

I left Miami on Monday afternoon - destination bound Quito.  
Quito is the capital of Ecuador.  Unfortunately, I had no opportunity to visit.  I arrive and it is already dark.  I get whisked from the airport to my hotel.

I am not sure what it is about Ecuador and why I am here again.  I mean I am supposed to be running a retreat which isn't haHAhappening.   

The Universe is helping me understand that in order to lead peeps to this magical country I need to explore a little bit more on my own.  So here I am.

What I did see tonight - just a glimpse - was OMazing.  On my taxi ride to the hotel, I saw these huge frog sculptures in what looked to be a huge park in the middle of downtown Quito.