Hacienda Cusin, and its sister inn, Las Palmeras in Otavalo, Ecuador are the highlights of my trips to the Mitre du Monde – the middle of the world!

Ecuador; a spectacular country of diverse cultures, enormous volcanoes and mountains that create abundant variety in an area the size of France. 

It may be hard to imagine wanting to fly south in the summer from North Carolina, but I can’t wait to return where the day is equal to the night all year long and the change in the weather is determined by what altitude you choose. 

Next year, I am heading back during the winter months when the Berkshires are chilly and dark. The light will do me good and the tranquil pace of the country will be a breath of fresh air!

I am planning to visit the most affordable place to stay, in the hillside peublo of Quiquinche at the beautiful rebuilt inn, Las Palmeras. With views of three mountains, it is attractive, comfortable, and the staff are eager to help with the details of travel – the bags arrive in the rooms, coffee is hot every morning, rooms are spotless and the gardens are abundant with flowers and blackberries. Meals are delicious three course events featuring fresh grown vegetables, unusual juices and fruits, and meats and fish beautifully prepared in the Ecuadorian style.

I expect to visit owner, Nik Millhouse, who will be staying at Hacienda Cusin. He is a great host and ready to provide all the information and history most of us/ I am able to absorb. The history of Cusin, establsihed in 1602 on thousands of acres, is reflected in all the renovations since he took ownership in 1990 and continues with a plethora of innovations. The décor of the rooms is constantly updated with fabulous examples of local artisan’s handicraft – including ornately carved furniture, indigenous paintings on sheep skin, hand woven alpaca bed covers and religious vestments and European tapestries on the walls. On the last trip, the improvements were a new grand entrance and new wifi service. What to expect this year?

I am looking forward to the choices that abound each day; whether it is a visit to the church in the square at San Pablo del Lago, a rose plantation tour, a taxi ($5) to the leather village for a little shopping trip; a drive up the mountain to the raptor preserve or a stroll through Peguche park to the waterfall. Maybe I will sit on the veranda and practice my Spanish with a local teacher, or maybe I’ll trek around Guinea Pig lake with a guide. Surely, I will return to the abundant Otavalo market, known to be the largest in South America. And of course I will ride horseback up into the hills for a close look at small farms and large fields with indigenous people leading a lifestyle repeated for hundreds of years.

In the evening, there will be a log fire in my room, and in the dining area, even in the summertime when temperatures dip into the 50’s. I hope to again spend evenings among friends and new acquaintances passing through. I might watch a film, check the news on my computer (wifi available) sketch in my journal in the library or sip an after dinner drink at the bar.

Before I go, it will take just a minute to pack. I’ll take a few things to carry in a light bag. I can get laundry done easily for a very reasonable rate, so I only need two or three changes of clothes. Of course, a fleece is a good idea, but I can pick up a new alpaca sweater in the market, or perhaps at one of the high end boutiques in Quito. I’ll need really good walking shoes, a rain jacket and a hat, since the sun shines directly down in the middle of the day. And I’ll be glad to have a few extra art supplies to give away to the children who I meet along the way.

It will be great fun. Can’t wait to go back! Chao!