Ecuador, Rhiannon Ecovillage

The first 4 week leg in Ecuador of our grand tour flew by so quickly. We are most grateful to have spent time with Karina’s college friend Cathy and her daughter Eva playing and cooking in the evenings after school.  We did take a few small trips nearby Quito and a bigger trip to the Galapagos. This post focuses on our over night stay at Rhiannon Ecovillage on our way North to Otavalo.

(interactive map below)

On the way to Otovalo, we spent a night at an Ecovillage, Comuna de Rhiannon, started up by Helen and Nicky from the UK. Wow! Rhiannon was really a special place to experience. They do not have much water in that area of Ecuador, yet they manage to have a very efficient garden and a number of trees. I loved the community space they built from bags of sand with a colossal circular roof that spiraled around. We liked running around on the roof, then going inside to swing from the fabrics that Solveig also uses in circus. This building, and most all the other buildings on the property, were  beautifully constructed by the creative hands of volunteers. There was so much love and care that went into that building from the elegant and powerful design to the finer touches seen in the macrame found between the posts. This was a spontaneous and unexpected detour that I found to be something that really touched my heart. Helen and Nicky created a community filled with respect for people and this earth, and you can really feel the blessings they offer here.

http://www.rhiannoncommunity.org/