One of the main components to international kayaking trips is the community relations. And ensuring that members of the international community we spend time in feel like they are part of our “team” always make our trips run better.  How fortunate we are to have Doña Cleo. While kayakers would all claim that the river is the #1 priority for them, food is never that far behind.

Our hostess Dona Cleo

Our hostess Dona Cleo

Being able to incorporate Doña Cleo’s restaurant into our logistics gives us bragging rights as to the best food served up in the Valley.  Fresh fruit, the ubiquituous eggs, fresh trout dishes….it is all good. What makes it so good is not just the preparation, but the energy that our hostess brings. She is full of advice on curing what ails you (the tea tastes pretty bad, but it is the cure), translating a phase to quichua, updates on local/national politics, and just good hospitality.  We caught her donning her full quichua dress for a special holiday here in the Valley.  And she blushed like a teenager when we insisted on taking her picture!

oararee