El campo Andino

Out to the field sites the next two days with Stu. Driving Big Blue on the carretera North of Cuenca from two lane pavement, to potholed hard packed dirt, to horribly pockmarked mountain tracks, and into near vertical muddy ruts following the high ridge line of the cordilleras into the paramo, high elevation grassland.

It is muy campo here. Big time country and far off the beaten track. Passing tiny little villages centered around crumpling colonial churches, little adobe shacks with pecking chickens, small plots of maize and potatoes and Indians dressed in the bright colors of the Sierra. Stopping at Stu?s place up here where he raises alapacas and taking an inventory of the low camp at La Libertad, the edge of the cloud forest. El bosque nuboso. Later picking up a local farmer Stu knows (he knows everyone here) and getting stopped in the car by some more acquaintances in one village. Smiling and merry, passing us shots of the local cane liquor between finally moving on to climb into the paramo with sunset.

Through deep muddy ruts, rocky stream crossings, through barbed wire fence pole gates and into the borders of Sangay National Park.
Huddled around the fire in a shepherds shed with Rual and Benja, two young guys who take care of the alpacas here. Sipping on soup by fire light while a drizzle begins to murmur over the tin roof chilly and dark outside the open door. We are at the high camp, where I will spend much time these next couple months in the wilderness. The elevation here is almost 13,000 feet. I cannot wait to see the view from here in the day light?