Dream Houses

When you go to Laguna de la Cocha and walk the gravel street of El Puerte that follows the Rio Encano, you can't help but fantasize about what it might be like to live here in one of the houses that line the banks of the river.

Your life would be so quiet, and you could grow fuschias and geraniums year round, not to mention lots of vegetables.

We saw some great vegetable gardens -- onions, potatoes, chard.

You could catch trout in the river and in the lake.

You could buy cheese and eggs from the local farmers.

At 9,000 feet near the equator it's "eternal springtime" though probably a bit chilly at night.

Just imagine living in one of these houses.

These aren't vacation homes.

These are homes of working people.

Many seemed to be built by hand using a lot of scrap lumber.

Charming.