A Reviving Return to Cuenca, Ecuador by Tim Ghazzawi:
When we’re young we’re told not to get into cars with strangers. Traveling through South America, though, makes heeding that advice difficult, given the number of cars and vans and buses one must hail to get from place to place. They’re necessary but often unreliable. Cheap but usually uncomfortable and slow. I prefer to walk when I can but there’s been one time on my trip so far when I hitchhiked instead… and I remain so glad that I did:
Cajas National Park is located just west of Cuenca. Unfortunately the day I went to hike there it was rainy and windy and cold. Clouds smothered the landscape so that even faint outlines of the park’s famed valleys and lagoons were impossible to see. Most people there that day chose to hike Route #1. I overheard them in the ranger station talking about it – the shortest nearby trek the park offered and which featured only moderate rises and falls in geography
Fréd and François were two backpackers traveling as friends staying at my same hostel in Cuenca. Together we decided on #4, a still short but far less-traveled route. We wanted to get away from the crowds, we agreed, and therefore chose a different trail just for us. The trouble was we never found the entrance to the trail. Walked for an hour and reached dead end after dead end. Trudged through brush alone, amidst the light storm, until we gave up in frustration, and walked back along the highway toward the city, which at that point was miles and miles away.
François was the most committed hitchhiker of our group. He raised his arm and thumb firmly to every passing car. I tried, too, but wavered between being embarrassed and nervous and resigned. Fréd mostly filmed the sad scene and I couldn’t help but laugh. At one point a passing bus opened its door to us. When we told the driver we were headed all the way back to Cuenca he closed the door and sped away.
Eventually a lady who pitied our weary frames picked us up and drove us to the city. A friend was with her and together the five of us jammed to Spanish dance club music for most of the hour-long ride into downtown. Fréd, François, and I, we were crammed into the small backseat, soaking wet from the rain, and without a single picture of Cajas’ landscape to prove to others the trip was worth it.
Still, the trip was worth it to me. The rest of my time in Cuenca I happily spent with Fréd and François. We avoided doing touristy things and opted for playing cards, visiting an indoor climbing gym, and watching hours of the US Open and UFC at a bad local bar instead. We also laughed a lot, too, talked philosophy, and exchanged Tinder advice. That’s not to say I recommend getting into cars with strangers any more than my mom would. But I do posit that the line between stranger and friend is much thinner than you might think. In fact, I’m not sure that line even exists. Being strangers is not the same as being different or at odds with someone else. My friendship with Fréd and François is the result of risk-taking, a sense of shared camaraderie and humor, and a bit of good luck, but not years and years of getting to know each other. In many ways Fréd and François are still strangers to me, though that doesn’t change the fact I remain very grateful for them as friends. So cheers to all the future strangers I meet on my journey and may you be as good/bad at hitchhiking as the backpackers from Bordeaux.
THE FACTS
I’ve now visited and worked in Cuenca on several different occasions. It’s a place I find myself returning to over and over again, despite (or perhaps because of) its quaint and non-assuming colonial vibe. To get there, you can fly into its small airport from either Quito or Guayaquil. I opted for a 7-hour bus ride from Baños instead, having traveled south from Quito before that.
- Don’t be surprised if on the same day the weather in Cuenca is nice and the weather in Cajas is not, despite being less than an hour away from each other. Your best bet for a clear day is to leave early in the morning. The park opens at 8AM.
- To get to Cajas via public transportation, head to Terminal Terrestre in Cuenca, where you’ll hop on a bus for Guayaquil that passes right by the park’s entrance. Simply ask to be dropped off when the time is right.
- Laguna Llaviucu is a (somewhat) alternative exploration option to Cajas’ main hiking trails. It’s still part of the park, only its entrance is separate and much closer to Cuenca. It’s also the park’s lowest altitude lake, which often makes for a more enjoyable if not simpler nature experience.
If you enjoyed reading about my hiking and hitchhiking experience in Cajas National Park, you might also check out the following stories related to other nature adventures:
- “Across the Calderas: A Reunion on Reunion Island” by Grecia Alvarado
- “Luck and Fortune: A Hike Through Zhangjiajie National Forest Park” by Stephen Thai
- “RedRocks|BlueBergs: Color Hiking in Sedona, Arizona and Patagonia, Chile” by Tim Ghazzawi:
My favorite story so far!!! Made me laugh, I mean sad, imagining you on the side of the road defeated…. and wet. Glad you are safe and love keeping up with you through these stories!!!
You rock. Thanks, Putri. I appreciate you keeping up with me! Sending you a big hug from afar. You’re welcome on any part of these journeys.