(NaturalNews) It's shocking visiting the United States after living in Vilcabamba, Ecuador, even for a short while. In just a few weeks in the Valley of Longevity, you naturally get used to the connection with nature: The evening lightning bugs, the dreamscape of stars lighting up the night sky, the sound of the river water cascading its way from the mountains to the coast. You hear the night crickets of the bamboo forest, the chattering birds in the morning, and the occasional mooing of a cow somewhere in the valley.

There's also the scent of life in the valley; trees, grass, water in the air and rich soil under your feet. It's part of the fresh breeze you invite into your home each day by opening your windows to enjoy the near-perfect climate.

Compared to all this, traveling to the United States and waking up in a city is a bit of shock. The first thing I noticed is the complete disconnect from nature. Gone were the sounds of water, birds, insects and animals. The deep blue sky was replaced with a pale, shallow sky. The moon and stars seemed distant and dim. The Vilcabamba smell of abundant plant life was replaced with the scent of diesel exhaust and wet pavement. There were no natural sounds in the environment, and I was overtaken by a sense of artificiality. I longed to be back in Vilcabamba, near my garden, bamboo forest, water canal and medicinal plants.

Of course, this experience is really more about city life vs. country life than any particular country. Ecuador has cities, too, where life is artificial and nature seems distant. But the density and abundance of life in the Ecuadorian countryside is truly astonishing. It goes beyond any country living I've ever experienced in the U.S. Only Hawaii approaches the kind of rich, natural diversity of life that I'm privileged to wake up to in the Valley of Longevity every single day.

The friendliness of the Ecuadorian people

As I'm writing this, I'm back in Ecuador, having flown to Quito from Houston. The people in Houston are friendly, and I really enjoy the "Texas hospitality" there, yet I always find that the Ecuadorian people in Quito are a real joy to return to. From the airport guys helping with the luggage (who work hard for just a few dollars in tips) to the hotel shuttle driver and even the hotel staff, the locals in Quito are incredibly friendly and eager to engage in courteous conversation.

I've been through Quito so many times now that the shuttle driver and hotel staff recognize me and remember details I've shared with them. They know about my dog Roxy, and they remember where I live in Vilcabamba. They ask me about the ranch and the weather. They share details about their own lives, too: One of the shuttle drivers in Quito is actually from Loja, and his grandfather lived to 105 years of age, in much the same way that many people in Vilcabamba enjoy impressive longevity (unless they adopt a diet of Americanized processed foods, that is).

I suppose life can be good in any country, in any city or town, and I've enjoyed many years living in Tucson, Arizona, which is a great U.S. city for lots of reasons. But I've never felt so deeply blessed by a region as much as I feel blessed in Vilcabamba, Ecuador and the Valley of Longevity. It just radiates life and abundance, and every time I leave the valley, I immediately start to miss it (and can't wait to get back).

An environment to really enjoy

Returning to the Hacienda San Joaquin (where I live in Vilcabamba) is a dream come true. It is the closest thing to paradise on Earth that I've ever experienced... except perhaps for some rare botanical gardens in Hawaii, which of course are utterly unaffordable unless you happen to have millions of dollars to spend.

I wish I could wave a magic wand and bless the whole world with the kind of perfect climate, clean water, rich top soils and radiant sunlight that we receive every day in Vilcabamba. This is the way humans beings were meant to live.

I hope you get the chance to visit Vilcabamba as a tourist someday. You can ride the horses in town, walk up the trails to the Mandango mountain, sample the local cuisine and enjoy the many comfortable hotels in and around town.

Vilcabamba is a remarkable place to visit. Just be sure to connect with nature when you're here and make sure you spend some time watching the night sky. It's an experience you'll long remember, and when you return to the U.S. or some other city location, you'll probably experience culture shock, just as I did.

The contrast teaches us all something about living closer to nature in whatever ways we can. The sights, sounds and smells of Mother Nature are part of who we are, and I truly believe that the more dissociated we become from nature, the less we are able to connect with ourselves. Time in nature helps us stay connected, and it reminds us of the value of living on this planet and protecting its environment.

To read more about living in the Valley of Longevity, follow my "life in Vilcabamba" blog at: http://haciendasanjoaquin.blogspot.com/

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