At the source of eternal youth

So we went to Vilcabamba, back to the Amazon, to visit the source of eternal youth. Vilcabamba is also called the "Valley of the Centenarians" because the residents of this village of 3000 souls live unusually long. Many of the inhabitants live to be over a hundred years old, which is rumored to be due to the high mineral content in the water of the rivers that flow through Vilcabamba, coming from the mountains. Unfortunately, we later found out that while the rumor of legendary longevity held true, the fact did not... Due to increased tourism, property prices, water, electricity, and all living costs skyrocketed, causing the elderly to disappear from the city faster than one can say "tourism." Dropouts, tourists, and wealthy retirees now settle here, forcing the local farmers to withdraw - if we had known this beforehand, we would probably have skipped the visit out of principle... We actually couldn't find a single native person who looked old in the small village square - plenty of old Europeans and Americans, though.

Nevertheless, we visited the "source of eternal youth" on horseback: a waterfall with the best, drinkable water, its base sparkling in the sun due to the many tiny gold particles visible in the sand. Johnny's first ride, my first in many years, was quite exciting at first; we had to get used to the horse - and of course, the horse had to get used to us. Furthermore, the path was very steep, and we had to gain trust that the horse would safely carry us up... The view during the more than four-hour ride was stunning: the path took us over mountains and small valleys, surrounded by towering cacti, blooming magnolias, jagged rocks, sparsely growing eucalyptus, through small forests, and slopes overgrown with bushes. The highlight was the waterfall, where we descended on foot while the poor, sweaty horses finally got to rest. We bathed in the icy water and admired the gold at our feet, surrounded by dense rainforest. We learned that the locals perform ritual washings in the waterfall to cleanse their body and soul, and felt a little guilty for immediately immersing ourselves in the water - while our guide first offered tobacco as a gift to the water and then oiled his chest and face to cleanse his soul with the sacred water. If we had known before, we might have asked for permission to enter the water - we could have sacrificed some of the good cheese we bought in Vilcabamba... But instead, we ate the cheese ourselves and started the journey back. Especially Johnny's backside was now causing him trouble, but Bárbara, with whom we have been traveling since Cuenca, and I also felt every bone on the descent. It is said that the happiness of the earth lies on the back of a horse - well, we were glad when we could get off again; the horses were certainly happy too!