Vilcabamba

Vilcabamba was the next step on my trek south to Peru. It is a small town nestled between lush green mountains and is known ecologically as a buffer zone to the nearby Podocarpus National Park. The climate is temperate with slightly greater humidity than other places along the Andean chain. The valley here is termed ¨the valley of longevity¨ for the astronomically old age the average inhabitant reaches. This may be a result of the almost perfect climate, the relaxed pace of life, the beauty and tranquility that prolong health, or an assortment of various explanations. Whatever the case, I stepped off the bus and could immediately sense the laid back atmosphere.

My plan was to stay at Rumi Wilco, an ecolodge and nature reserve on the outskirts of Vilcabamba, and volunteer on various projects. The name Rumi Wilco comes from two Quichua words, ¨Rumi¨, which means rock and represents the rocky soul that exists here, and ¨Wilco¨, which is the sacred tree that grows in the region and has been used by natives for thousands of years for a multitude of reasons. I turned out to be the only volunteer at the time and enjoyed the pefect mixture of hard work and peaceful relaxation. I spent half the day working on projects around the reserve, which included weeding, building planter boxes, trail restoration work, and planting Wilcos as part of a greater reforestation project. The rest of the day I spent enjoying all the reserve has to offer.

I had a small adobe hut all to myself with a porch, bathroom, kitchen, and of course, a hammock. The reserve has a series of hiking trails, which explore the adjacent mountain, innumerable species of flora and fauna, clean, unfiltered drinking water, and many bathing spots along the river. It is apparant the owners put enormous effort into the success and sustainability of this project and I am happy I was a part of it. I only hope during my hard work and even harder relaxation that I absorbed some of the youthfulness that saturates the air of Vilcabamba.