The volcano’s peak hasn’t shown, but its power has. The rolling hills of the vibrant volcanic valley contain enough shades of green to fill the most eclectic artist’s palette. Closer to where I sit, the colours expand to include striking pink, yellow, and red; the delightful flowers of a garden cared for with the love of a true greenthumb.

I’m sitting on a mesh net, not dissimilar to a giant hammock, that sticks out from a glass room that hostel guests call “The Hammock House”, because, well, there are a bunch of hammocks in it.

Just below my net is the spot where, on my first day at the Secret Garden, I first saw:

KUZCO!!

We had just arrived in the daily van from Quito¹, and were being shown around the property. The guide had sat herself on the net that I’m now sat back in, and was explaining the different options we’d have for daily excursions available straight from the hostel. There was a half day trip to the refuge 5000 metres up Volcan Cotopaxi, a five-hour trek up leafy Pasochoa, half a day horse back riding, an intense full day hike up intimidating Volcan Sincholagua, and a wildlife dotted trek up Volcan Ruminahui. She was telling us about all the wildlife we’d have the chance to see if we took on Ruminahui, when, a nose peaked out from behind a particularly thick bush. Behind the nose, came a fluffy white face, with two comically large ears which I could only assume had been photoshopped on.

It was the cutest face I’d ever seen, and judging by the collective sigh that the entire group echoed, I’d say they all agreed. The guide, so rudely interrupted, swivelled around to see who had so effortlessly stolen her limelight, only to make the same “awwww” that her not-so-captive-anymore audience had let out. “This is our latest arrival” she said, “besides you guys of course”. Turns out, the cute face (Which had now grown an equally fluffy body and had walked halfway up the path towards us, never taking its massive black eyes off ours.) belonged to a newborn llama, only a couple of weeks old. The baby, had been named Kuzco for the whiny Disney character. Or perhaps it was Cusco, as in the capital of the Inca empire. Between you and me though, we both know which is the cooler name.

As it turns out, where there is a child, the mother is right behind, and the mother was as beautiful as Cuzco was cute. It was a couple of minutes before we finally turned our attention back to the patiently waiting guide (I’d be patient too if I were sat on a giant hammock! Oh wait… I am), who promised us that there’d be plenty of opportunity to interact with llamas as the hostel had over a dozen living on its premises, and that we could use the peels of the unlimited bananas hanging in the common area to feed them.

“Hostel?” You’re probably asking. Which hostel has an initiation tour?! Well, Secret Garden Cotopaxi does. In fact, Secret Garden does a lot that other hostels don’t. Well, that isn’t really fair to other hostels.

See, Secret Garden Cotapaxi isn’t really a hostel; it’s an experience!

This hostel is made up of a collection of smaller houses and structures scattered on the side of a rolling hill. Coming out of your room, you’ll find yourself facing an astounding view of the Avenue of Volcanoes, with Cotopaxi looming large in the centre (when it’s not shrouded in cloud). A few steps down from the rooms are: the Giant Hammock Nets, Flower Garden, Yoga Room (the official name for the “hammock house”, and a giant swing facing Cotapaxi. Oh, and don’t forget the steamy jacuzzi, which gets its water straight from a nearby stream.

Every meal is served as a communal one, with options for all dietary restrictions available in abundance². Besides for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, don’t forget the hot snack every afternoon, and the late evening marshmallows. Best of all, though, is that there’s unlimited fresh tea, coffee, bananas, and amazing banana bread!

There are excursions every morning, including hikes up each of the local volcanoes and horse riding. You chose which excursion you want to go on the night at snack time the day before. Though the excursions cost extra, some are included in the stay packages the hostel offers. This is how 99% of guests book the hostel. Once you’re back from your trip, the rest of the day is yours to do with as you please, resting, reading, sipping beers, playing cards with new friends, soaking in the jacuzzi, or my favourite, doing all of the above… at once.

There’s one afternoon pastime that beats everything else; Llama feeding.

When backpackers have an unlimited supply of bananas, “unlimited”, is really put to the test. Don’t forget the hundreds of bananas used daily for the addictive banana cake. So: What to do with enough banana peels to slip up every last 60s cartoon character? Feed’em to the llamas of course!

Let me walk you through llama feeding at Secret Garden. I’m already quite the expert. In the cozy lobby, next to the stone table where you’ll nearly always find an intense game of chess in full swing, under the constantly-refilled banana rack, is a wooden bucket where everyone puts their banana peels. We take the bucket of peels, and turn left out of the lobby to a large clearing between the room with the hiking equipment and the property gates. The llamas are usually hanging out next to the gate, which is a couple of minutes further from the side of the field we enter, but, seemingly instantly, the llamas are avidly (some of them too avidly) waiting with open mouths and wide eyes for their favourite treat to magically appear out of the bucket.

Panda is always the first one there; I don’t know if that was his actual name, but I call him that because of the small black spots around his eyes. Panda doesn’t get fed though; he’s simply feeding. We are just trees holding bananas, and the tree isn’t going to simply hand over the banana, is it? So you have to pull it right off the tree yourself (“Ouch! that’s my hand!”), and if a couple of twigs come with the banana, that’s a bonus (“OW! Those are my fingers!!”).

Once Panda’s had his share of peels, we try feeding the other llamas. Panda always tries to steal the bananas from my hand before the others even have a chance! Eventually, the only way to feed the others is for the bucket to be split between a few of us, giving the others a chance to grab a treat while Panda pesters one lucky fella.

Hiding in the back, behind her mother, more shy of her own kind than she was of us earlier, is Kuzco. I try to sneak away from the adults to feed her a peel or two, only for mumsie to peck’em right out of my hand! That’s fair I guess. She deserves a treat too. She’s not as greedy as Panda though, and after a couple of peels, she lets Kuzco bounce over to me. That is the best way to spend the afternoon

In fact, that’s the next thing I think I’ll do.

For the third time this afternoon.

If I ever get out of this net.

This view is just something else.

On second thoughts; I think I’ll stay here for eternity.

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Actually it’s not all; Here’s a little Bonus Gallery.

Enjoy!