We made a short day visit via congested highways and a bumpy dirt road to Hacienda Zuleta, self-described as a “17th Century Luxury Eco-farm” in northern Ecuador, about 2 hours northeast of Quito.  They grow almost all of the food that they serve, with one exception being rice.   They’ve got a giant worm-composting area for treating compost and manure.

We did not spend more than a few hours here, but it was a beautiful, beautiful place.

welcoming dog, on bench

really nicely done interiors

roses everywhere

geraniums.  I don’t really like geraniums as plants but they worked really well in this bright walkway.

roses in the library

sleeping dog.  look at those paws!

I think this is a yellow geiger tree – cordia lutea

a small church

there is a small cheese factory at hacienda zuleta.  these are labcoats for their tours.  milk is sourced from their own cows and they buy additional milk from local families in the village.

on the way back to Quito, we stopped in Cayambe for bizcocho.  they were buttery and crumbly and more savory than sweet with a hint of anise.

bizcochos calientes, as the neon sign indicates

as we continued south, we were treated to a ridiculous sunset over the western andes