Ecuador

Horseback Riding

We’ll saddle up for a horse riding! We’ll learn the typical dress of the “chagras” (Ecuadorian cowboys) and even play a little dress up. Then we will ride out across the paramo to the slopes of the extinct volcano, Rumiñahui. A legendary chagra from the area will come with you and share his knowledge of the countryside and the life lived in these areas. Meals: breakfast, lunch

Cooking Class

The fun and all-inclusive cooking class is given by native women who will inspire and teach you their culinary secrets and techniques that have been passed down, generation to generation.  Travel through history while learning about the most representative crops in South America and how to use ancient cooking tools. Examples of some dishes you might make are “Empanadas de Viento” with “aji”, a hot chili sauce made all over Ecuador with many varieties depending on the area and culture. Enjoy the dishes with some traditional “canelazo” after learning how to make this old as time hot tea, made especially to warm up your soul in the coldest areas of the Sierra.

Ropes Course

The adventure is made possible with ladders, nets, swings, ropes, wobbly bridges, swinging logs, and other fun surprises. The course is about 20 meters above ground.  The entire course is located near the Cotopaxi Volcano standing out in the background at a hacienda near their gardens.

Meals: breakfast, lunch

Pachamanka ancestral culinary experience

“Pachamanka” is a word derived from Incan times. In the indigenous Quichua language it means “Pacha” for Earth and “Manka” for pot. The Pachamanka is a ceremony performed during special occasions such as the summer and winter solstices and equinox of the agricultural calendar.

The pot used during the ceremony is heated by volcanic stones and filled with food like potatoes, sweet potatoes, mellocos (similar to potato), beans, carrots, beets, plantains, and meat wrapped in achira leaves. The pot is then covered with a cloth and buried in the ground to cook. The mound where the pot is buried is adorned with flowers from the region, transforming into a beautiful Andean altar where everyone can give their thanks and appreciation.

You will be able to participate in the ceremony just like the ancient Incans once did. The foods are cooked perfectly in the pot due to the intense heat produced by the stones below ground. All the nutrients are preserved in this manner of cooking, and it is especially healthy as no condiments or additional fats are used.

This delicious dish is accompanied by chicha, a non-alcoholic version of corn beer made from different types of maize.  Overall, it is an amazing celebration and who cooks better than Mother Earth with friends gathered around?