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    Travelin' Man

    More than a Galápagos Islands pit stop: Don't overlook Ecuador and its untamed,tourist-free treks

    Stephan Lorenz
    Aug 7, 2011 | 12:31 pm
    • Cajas National Park has numerous well-marked trails, but it is still importantto check the map, current conditions, and keep an eye on the weather.
      Photo by Claudia Cavazos
    • Llamas are kept as domesticated animals in many parts of the Andes. Here, onenibbles grass high in Cajas National Park, Ecuador.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • The author's fiancé, Claudia Cavazos, poses in the mountains in Cajas NationalPark, Ecuador.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz
    • Many flowers thrive in the high altitude grasslands of Cajas National park,Ecuador.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • The Inca ruins of Ingapirca are an easy day trip from Cuenca and offer greatviews of the surrounding country side from the main structure, the Temple of theSun.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • Laguna Toreadora is the largest of over 250 lakes in the park.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • Numerous emerald-colored box lakes found in glacial cirques lie sprinkledthroughout the mountains in Cajas National park, Ecuador.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • Puyas are large terrestrial bromeliads that send their large flowering stalkshigh into the harsh Andean climate.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • Polylepis trees grow at higher elevations than any other tree species in theworld. The dense weather-beaten stands harbor many animals and plants unique tothe region.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • Rugged wilderness stretches for miles and miles in Cajas National Park, Ecuador.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos
    • Cajas National Park in southern Ecuador is a large protected area that offersamazing trekking in the Andes.
      Photo by Stephan Lorenz & Claudia Cavazos

    We waved to the bus driver and he pulled off at the highest point in the road. After paying two dollars, we jumped off into the frigid and thin air at nearly 14,000 feet.

    We had simply hopped onto the first westbound bus in the morning, heading across the Continental Divide toward the Pacific. After just one hour, we found ourselves high in the Andean mountains. Below us lay miles of páramo and wild, high altitude grasslands, studded with cold, sapphire tarns.

    On the grand South American travel circuit, the relatively small country of Ecuador is often overlooked.

    It took some time locating the trailhead, but we soon trudged toward lower elevations. We were a bit lightheaded, our lungs full of pure alpine air.

    The trail descended gradually into an empty valley ringed by eroded volcanic peaks and dark jagged ridges. Within a few miles hiking, we walked through rarely treaded Andean wilderness.

    Sometimes overlooked

    On the grand South American travel circuit, the relatively small country of Ecuador is often overlooked. Visitors either stop because it is the only jump-off point to the Galápagos Islands, or travelers pass through between Peru and Colombia. Some backpackers and mountaineers visit a few of the more well-known regions, like the capital Quito, and the famous peaks of the volcano alley.

    Within the lightly traveled country, Cajas National Park remains almost a secret.

    During our few days there, we didn’t encounter any other tourists. Yet, El Cajas offers some of the most accessible trekking, photography, and wildlife watching in the northern Andes.

    The city a destination itself

    Based in the colonial city of Cuenca, which lies about 20 miles east of the park, we spent several days hiking and exploring the mountains. Cuenca, Ecuador’s third largest city and capital of the Azuay Province, offers plenty of affordable accommodations and eateries.

    The center of the city harbors many historic buildings, and has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it a destination in itself. Nestled comfortably at 8,000 feet, spending a few nights here will also help with acclimatization and prevent altitude sickness when venturing into the nearby mountains.

    Here we go

    On our first day in the park, we visited Laguna Toreadora, the largest of the more than 250 lakes found here. The main visitor center and entrance are located here, and park rangers can provide maps plus current information. Bus drivers know the spot and regularly stop here.

    We crossed a grassy flat, nibbled down to turf by domesticated llamas, and started the path circumnavigating the lake. Black cliffs reflected in the leaden water, and dense cumulus rolled over the distant peaks.

    What at first glance looked like sparse and weather-beaten country revealed countless delicate flowers, lichens, and mosses upon closer inspection. Numerous plants in the region are found nowhere else on earth.

    Within protected ravines and along twisting shorelines grow stands of polylepis trees, with their distinct copper bark that peels in thin flakes from gnarled branches. These plants grow at some of the highest elevations of any trees on earth. The crooked trunks created an impenetrable maze above thick mats of cool green moss.

    Within this stunted forest, the wind died, and an otherworldly silence dripped from wet leaves. Except for the shy twitter of a few hardy birds, the world lay hushed.

    Hike to your heart’s content

    The main highway winds west from Cuenca into the mountains, past frothing streams spilling down valleys and steep pastures. It crosses the Continental Divide at Tres Cruces before dropping toward the coastal city of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s most populous city. Bisecting the park, the highway allows access to many trails via regular and cheap public transport. Rains falling on the eastern slope drain into the Tomebamba and Yanuncay Rivers, which eventually flow into the Amazon Basin.

    We walked deeper into the park on our second day. After the accommodating bus driver had dropped us off at Tres Cruces, we planned to hike the Parade Patul Virgin all the way to the eastern edge of the park and catch a bus back into Cuenca from the main road.

    We tromped for hours below a checkered sky of blue racing clouds. The mood of the mountains changed with the fickle weather — from endless miles of inviting, bright, straw-colored hills to brooding lumps of rock, ominous and gray in a quiet drizzle.

    The Andes can be surprisingly mild for the high elevations, but conditions can change rapidly, and it’s important to come prepared.

    We ate some food by one of dozens of small lakes and admired the puya plants (bromeliads unique to the Andes), their tall flowering stalks defying the harsh climate.

    The park protects some of the best preserved wild lands in Ecuador and its respective denizens, which include spectacled bears and pumas.

    We also kept a lookout for some of the famous animals of the Andes, but the view remained relatively empty.

    The park protects some of the best preserved wild lands in Ecuador and its respective denizens, which include spectacled bears and pumas. No worries, though — the chances of encountering one of these rare animals are remote.

    A few Andean condors still extend their massive 10-foot wings above the inaccessible high country and canyons.

    The antithesis in size (but not name), the giant hummingbird visits agave flowers and is seen more often.

    Breathing a bit easier

    A second entrance at lower elevations allows access to the long Inca Trail, a multi-day trek that requires guides and gear. For shorter adventures, it is worth the visit to see the lagoon and surrounding cloud forest that thrives in the more forgiving climate. The entrance here also has a ranger station that can provide maps and information.

    We wandered through misty forest hemmed by steep walls. The valley here offered glimpses of Ecuadorian pastoral life, with thatch-roofed houses scattered on green pastures and cows grazing impossible inclines. We also had a few tense moments with local dogs, a bit overeager in staking out their territories.

    Before calling it a day, we stopped in one of the restaurants along the main highway, which specialized in trout raised in clear brooks in the valley. It turned out to be a delicious finish to a calf burning but memorable few days.

    An Incan side trip

    If a break from the mountains is needed, Ingapirca, the largest known Inca ruin in Ecuador, is an easy day trip from Cuenca.

    The remains of Ingapirca (which roughly translates as "Inca Wall") stand atop dry windswept hills, offering panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.

    At the center of the site stands the Temple of the Sun, an elliptical structure of sand-colored brick. The remaining walls are a great example of the traditional construction method of the Inca. Perfectly fitted fieldstones form narrow hallways, stairs and long walls.

    The ruins date from the 15th century, but were built atop older structures. The Inca were not the original inhabitants, but usurped the area from the Canari. Eventually, after living peacefully in close proximity, both groups merged.

    The ruins are open daily and it takes about two hours by public bus from Cuenca to get there.

    Beyond Cuenca, Cajas and Ingapirca waits the rest of Ecuador, with more mountains, jungle and history to be explored.

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    Preservation efforts

    South Texas mission makes list of America’s most endangered historic places

    Associated Press
    May 21, 2026 | 4:00 pm
    Ruidosa Church
    Facebook/Friends of the Ruidosa Church
    El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus in Ruidosa, Texas is considered an endangered place.

    WASHINGTON (AP) — A historic South Texas mission joins the Stonewall National Monument, the President's House Site, and the Women's Rights National Historic Park among 11 sites on this year's annual list of the most endangered historic places in the United States compiled by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

    The 2026 list, announced Wednesday, May 20, marks America's 250th anniversary with the foundational principle that everyone is created equal as the theme, said Carol Quillen, president and CEO of the nonprofit organization. The 11 sites offer examples of how, over time, Americans have fought against injustice and for equality, she said.

    “We wanted to think about those ideas, especially this notion that all human beings are created equal and find places, sometimes unsung places ... that not all Americans routinely think about," Quillen told The Associated Press.

    The sites are spread across the United States — from New York and California on the East and West Coasts, to Alabama and Texas in the South, to Michigan in the Midwest and the Four Corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah in the Rocky Mountain West.

    At least three of the sites — Stonewall, the El Corazon church in Texas, and President's House in Philadelphia — have been endangered by Trump administration actions.

    “We want to save these places," Quillen said, “not just because the bricks and mortar is important but because the stories these places hold are important."

    For the first time since the list debuted in 1988, each site on the 2026 list will receive a one-time $25,000 grant to help highlight their connections to the principle that all people are created equal and address the threats they face.

    The 11 sites are:

    Ruidosa, Texas: El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus
    The more than century-old adobe church served as a refuge and place of worship for Mexican and Mexican American farming communities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border along the Rio Grande River. Vacant since the 1950s, the structure has benefited from continued restoration provided by the nonprofit Friends of the Ruidosa Church but remains threatened by proposed construction of a U.S. border wall that could come within a few hundred yards of the property. (The nonprofit has posted an official statement and more information about the border wall here.) Ruidosa is in far west Texas, roughly 35 miles northwest of Presidio and 46 miles southwest of Marfa, near the rugged Chinati Mountains.

    El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus A historic photograph of El Corazon Sagrado de la Iglesia de Jesus.Facebook/Friends of the Ruidosa Church

    Montgomery, Alabama: Ben Moore Hotel
    The hotel was a refuge for Black people living under laws that enforced racial separation in the South. Prolonged vacancy has caused structural deterioration and the historic Centennial Hill neighborhood surrounding it faces pressure from development. The hotel housed key players from the Civil Rights Movement, including the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Ralph Abernathy. The Conservation Fund announced in November that it would help preserve the hotel.

    Modoc County, California: Tule Lake Segregation Center
    Initially known as the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, it was set up as a camp but later became a segregation center where Japanese Americans who were thought to be disloyal to the United States were imprisoned. The site is now a national monument managed by the National Park Service. Only 37 acres of the 1,100-acre site is protected. Most of it is at risk of permanent alteration from a proposed nearby construction project.

    California: Angel Island Immigration Station
    It was the largest immigration port on the West Coast between 1910 and 1940, particularly for immigrants from Asia and the Pacific. Hundreds of thousands were processed, detained and/or interrogated there because of their race. The station currently is threatened by physical, environmental, political and economic factors. Additional funding is needed for structural repairs and programming to increase awareness.

    Somerset, Massachusetts: Swansea Friends Meeting House
    Recognized as the oldest surviving Quaker meeting house in the state, it was built in 1701 to serve as a refuge by a congregation fleeing religious persecution and looking for a safe place to worship. The building has been closed for years and needs significant rehabilitation.

    Michigan: Detroit Association of Women's Clubs
    Founded in 1921, the association was one of the first Black organizations in Detroit to own their headquarters building, which was purchased in 1941. But the building has been closed since 2024, when water pipes burst and damaged the interior. Money is needed to help the association reopen the building.

    New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Utah: Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape
    The landscape is an ancestral homeland sustained for over a millennium by the Pueblo and Hopi people, but is threatened by changes to federal land policy that could open up significant portions to oil and gas development. Permanent protections and tribal consultation are needed to protect its cultural integrity.

    Seneca Falls, New York: Women's Rights National Historical Park
    The park tells the story of the first Women's Rights Convention, held in Seneca Falls, in July 1848. It faces a deferred maintenance backlog of over $10 million. Additional funding and support are needed to help preserve the park as a place to teach visitors about the history of women's rights.

    New York: Stonewall National Monument
    The first and only U.S. national monument dedicated to LGBTQ+ history was the subject of administration actions that saw the rainbow Pride flag removed from its flagpole earlier this year before it was restored. The National Park Service had removed the flag in February, citing federal guidance that limited the agency to displaying only the American, Interior Department and POW/MIA flags. But the administration reversed course in April as it agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by advocacy and historic preservation groups that sought to block the flag's removal at the Manhattan site.

    After Trump returned to office, he ended diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and many references to transgender people were excised from the Stonewall monument’s website and materials. The Republican administration similarly has put national parks, museums and landmarks under a messaging microscope, aiming to remove or alter materials that it says are “divisive or partisan” or “inappropriately disparage Americans.”

    Philadelphia: The President's House Site
    The administration abruptly removed exhibits on the lives of nine people enslaved at the site in the 1790s under George Washington, the first U.S. president, who lived there when Philadelphia served as the nation's capital. The exhibits were taken down as part of a broad effort by the administration to remove from federal properties information it deems “disparaging” to Americans. The issue is currently the subject of litigation between the city and federal government.

    Heath Springs, South Carolina: Hanging Rock Revolutionary War Battlefield
    The Battle of Hanging Rock was a key battle in the Southern Campaigns of the Revolutionary War and is considered a Patriot victory that helped boost morale and ultimately weaken British control in South Carolina. Only portions of the core battlefield are protected and open to the public, with the area anticipating population growth and increasing development pressures.

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