“Peace can become a lens through which you see the world. Be it. Live it. Radiate it out. Peace is an inside job.”

Wayne Dyer

After a good night’s sleep, we woke up early, and started the day with a yoga session led by Gina. I know in the end I’ll be better for it, but is it wrong to be cursing your friend while she makes you hold that pose a little longer than you’d like?

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We then continued on our way, we had more to see before lunch. We headed down the mountain, then Natalie had us turnoff. She had another spot she said we had to see. It would be steep, but worth it. There were no other people on trail, we were the only ones. It is a strange feeling, and very different from Phoenix – where the trails on a beautiful day can be crowded, to the point where the hike is more for exercise than for relaxation. Natalie was right, the steep climb was worth it!

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We sat at this spot for a bit, taking in the beauty. Natalie asked us to each find a place to sit, to shut our eyes, and think about what we hear, what we feel, what we smell. Rarely do I take the time in life to “stop and smell the roses”, today I did. This is what I wrote in my journal on the mountain – I hear the wind, with the faint sounds of the leaves rustling in the background, and the clicking sound of an unknown insect. A breeze swept across my face, gently cooling me from the hike up The air had a clean, crisp smell. No pollution, no smells of the city, just fresh clean air. I feel free. I feel relaxed. I feel at peace.

Next it was time to find a hidden little gem in the woods for lunch. We climbed through the barbed wire fence, a short cut. It was a gentle incline for about 10 – 15 minutes. We all thought we were having lunch in a shack. Then out of no where, this beautiful building appeared. The restaurant owner, Eduardo greeted us at the gate with a traditional double cheek kiss. The building was built by hand, no electricity, they run on generator. They have no internet. People find this place as they stumble upon it while hiking. Hikers and trail guides write it up on their Facebook pages, so hikers from all over the world know to look for it. They say they serve a lot of Europeans. Eduardo and his wife Ingrid, have their house attached to the restaurant. The restaurant has two tables indoors, with some stools at a counter. There are tables outdoors, but we preferred the coolness of the indoors. Ingrid prepares all the food, and she said her husband helps out with the dishes. They are an adorable couple. We noticed these beautiful wooden napkin holders, with a bird and the name of the restaurant. We later found out, Ingrid paints these, at night, by candle light. She showed us some of her other art work. Clearly cooking isn’t her only talent.

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The food was delicious. The Pisco Sour was refreshing. Everything was fresh. The pumpkin ginger soup was to die for. The tomatoes and avocado tasted like they were just picked. Living in Phoenix, I get avocados all the time, but they never taste this good. Then we had a dish that was similar to a quesadilla. To top off the meal, fresh lemon meringue pie. I didn’t leave a single bite of the pie on the plate. Unlike the pies made in the USA, this was creamer, almost cheesecake like, and the meringue was so light. I love good food, and this was amazing! With tip, we each paid less than $20 USD for the meal. Five star rating. I love hidden gems, and this is definitely one of them, in the middle of the woods. My only suggestion is to hang hammocks in the trees so you can sleep off your meal before hiking down.

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Namaste