Salinas

From Guaranda, we took a day trip to Salinas, village 30km away, but 800m higher at 3550m. It was raining the whole time we were there. It was very cold, 51F at midday. We had on our rain gear top and bottom and our fuzzy hats - it was not too warm.

Roasted Corn and Fuzzy Hat


Salinas used to be a poor village that subsisted on mining salt. Right outside the village there are still salt ponds.

View from salt springs to town.


A couple of decades ago the villagers organized into cooperatives that produce cheese among other things. Even though we happened to be there on a Sunday; i.e. slow, donkeys and llamas were seen taking milk to the co-op.

Llama takes a break from hauling milk cans.


Donkey hauling a load.


The village itself is comprised of rather unremarkable even ugly cement/brick buildings, but the surrounding is very scenic from the little we can glimpse in between clearings in the clouds. It looks like they have planted fir trees. We saw humming birds several times. The kids were not begging for money or gifts. To us Salinas lived on up to its reputation as a model for rural economic development.

A few more shots of the village and salt springs.