Yesterday’s quick post was done especially for my fellow traveler Elsie; today’s is done for my other friend, nature-loving Leslie. Do you two have any idea how much Joyce, JC, Gail, Eric and I ALL wish you two had taken the post trip with us?
We spent a full day communicating with nature in Caja National Park. Getting there and back was a visual feast, made even better because we were viewing it from a very comfortable bus.
Take a close look at the structure on the left. Can you see the profile of a man?
On the right is a rock formation resembling the Virgin Mary, or so I was told.
Our guide shared a story about a pilgrimage that thousands made, years ago, to view this rock . Sadly, I have forgotten the details. I think it might have had something to do with the rock coming to life and speaking to a hiker, but I’m not positive.
Just in case you have difficulty finding the “Mary” Rock, I’ve provided assistance.
When we reached the park, we started our hike at the highest elevation, 13,760 feet, and walked down from there. Of course, what goes down, also has to come back UP.
Can you see the chunk of ice in the lake? By midday, it will have completely melted but will freeze again in the evening.
Juan, our naturalist, accompanied us, pointing out the various plants that are able to flourish with 12 hours of frigid temperatures followed by 12 hours of heat.
Those tiny white flowers are valerian, from which Valium is made.
The trail we hiked was once used by the Incas. Centuries later the drug dealers used similar trails, to carry Colombian cocaine to Guayaquil, on Ecuador’s coast, from which it is shipped around the world.
It’s amazing how many different plants are able to survive in the Andes. Take a look. Many have medicinal properties.
It’s impossible to capture the grandeur of the scenery with a cellphone camera, but that didn’t stop me from trying.
You might have noticed in the earlier photo that Juan was carrying a plastic bag. Want to know what it contained?
Ingredients for S’mores, of course. But the environmentally friendly kind. No fire.
Destination NOW 
what an amazingly beautiful park , the pictures are exceptional. The rock with the face you pointed out very much reminded me of Face Rock in Bandon Oregon.
Diana
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You certainly had better weather than us. I didn’t know there was a blue sky above Cajas. 😊 Maggie
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I’m sure glad you pointed out the Virgin Mary… I was completely perplexed. I am fascinated by how meditational uses for various plants are discovered. I wonder if indigenous people began to notice how calm they became after ingesting those tiny white flowers?
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Your comment definitely made me smile…
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