On day 2 we visited the Cheese Factory, the Gardens, the Condor Rescue Center and took advantage of the many walking and riding trails on the property. Ross and I chose to ride the same horses from the day before through the town and up the hill for a view of the entire valley. The four of us then chose 3 different trails to walk. By the end of the day, we had hiked nearly 13 miles!
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| The family produces 4 different kinds of cheeses that are made in small batches and waxed by hand. You can only enjoy these delicious cheeses in Ecuador as they are not in the business of exporting...yet. Here the artisan cheesemakers are separating the curds from the whey... |
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| The majority of the meals we ate while at the Hacienda came fresh from the gardens- Because Ecuador is on the equator they can grow vegetables all year long |
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| Rows and rows of deliciousness |
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| Heading to the Condor Rescue Center |
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| The Andean Condor had an impressive 10 foot wingspan and are majestic in flight- We were fortunate to spot the 2 resident couples at Zuleta. This species mates for life and has only one chick every other year. |
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| Another animal we were on the lookout for was the Spectacled Bear... but we were only able to see their photos at the Condor Huasi |
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| We had to don rubber boots for Trail #2 to another waterfall on the property- We crossed the river four different times and had to use ropes to cross the water... |
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| ...and the steep parts... |
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| Easier for the dogs than humans! |
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| Guided by Mambo, Fito and Gray (3 of the hacienda's friendly canines) we finally made it to the waterfall! |
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| Nash donned Daddy's heavy backpack on the way back- a rite of passage of sorts.... |
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| After lunch we began Trail #3- this time the cows led us to the trail head |
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| The Rabbit Trail- 45 minutes of continuous climbing for an elevation change of about 1,000 feet |
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| View of one of the many Incan pyramids on the property from about halfway up- |
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| Still climbing!! |
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| Made it to the top |
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| View of Zuleta community |
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| The Condors seemed to follow us! |
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| The boys leading the easy way down |
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| The Zuleta Hacienda |
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| Ready for dinner after a long day's walk |
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| A surprise "dessert" for mom! |
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| Good-bye horses |
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| Good-bye Fito, Gray and Mambo- |
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| Good-bye Zuleta |
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