Maggie wanted to ride horses. I wanted to hike to waterfalls and fish for trout. We both wanted tranquility. As Maggie prepares to leave the “nest” so to speak we wanted some Mother Daughter time. We saw many lovely Haciendas but Primavera’s remoteness and setting seemed to beckon us. The owner Pepe was most accommodating online. He was sympathetic to my concerns when the volcano in Iceland interrupted flight travel on the KLM (thus impacting air to Quito) and did not ask for a deposit. He understood my diet (no meat) and our other requests and planned the perfect trip. Pepe recommended I speak to an American tourist who frequents Primavera. When she learned I lived in Bonaire she asked if I knew a French man who owned a restaurant there. Of course it could only be Patrice Rannou. I knew Patrice frequented Ecuador and loved an area near Columbia where he rode horses. Amazing that out of ALL the places to come in this huge country I find Patrice’s hideaway. Two weeks back Patrice and I met for drinks and he told me my other friends, Jane and Alan ALSO go to Primavera. It was then I finalized our trip plan.
Primavera is about 4+ hours north of Quito. The drive was filled with up and down hill hair pin turns. Honestly I was nervous as our drive rode quite fast but I put my trust in him (and St. Christopher) and tried to enjoy the scenery. As we drew closer to Primavera the landscape changed dramatically. The vistas were splendid.
The last 12 k was along a terribly bumpy dirt road. Finally after 12 hours of travel we arrived at our home for 3 nights. Young Jose, kind Byron and Pedro greeted us warmly. We were allowed to choose a room as we had the place to ourselves. I chose a riverview room to hear the sounds of the rushing water. It was pure tranquility.
Photos can depict our experience so far, much better than my words.
Travel Bliss 