800 years ago a catastrophic eruption occurred in the Western most volcano in Ecuador. After 14,000 years of dormancy, this final eruption caused volcanic ash to permeate the northern Andes. It also produced a 2-mile wide
caldera, known today as
Quilotoa. This past Saturday I, along with four other Americano friends, joined Paypahuasi once again for a good hike, which meant a 3:30 am wake-up call. A bit rough, but worth it.
After about 4 hours in the bus, we arrived to the province of Cotopaxi where Quilotoa is located. For the next 4.5 hours we circumferenced the entire ridge of the volcano, stopping to take in some
vistas hermosas and have a bite to eat. (Aside: I realize "circumference" is not a verb, but as an English teacher, I feel entitled to make up my own words.) It was no walk in the park, but it also didn't rival Pichincha in difficulty. Really, one of the most amazing things about Ecuador is the amount of outdoor adventures one can engage in in a country about the size of Colorado--biking to waterfalls, hiking volcanoes, eating amazing chocolate. Yes, when I eat artisanal chocolate after the chocolate tour on the picnic table at El Quetzal, it is considered an outdoor adventure as well. The following are photos that will bring you a bit closer to my latest escapade outside of the city.
Note: Mom and Dad bought me a camera for Christmas and I love it, but Charles Denson takes beautiful photos that do much more justice to the sites and scenes than my very amateur ones. As resident photographer, his photos are featured here. I highly recommend taking a minute, or maybe 10, to look at more on his
webpage.
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| Americano teachers and bomberos! The most incredible man here is the one with the sunglasses. He is blind and was guided by his friend the whole hike. |
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| Quite breathtaking, isn't it? |
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| Admittedly I missed the wildlife because I was too busy trying to get to the spot for lunch. |
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| The whole Paypahuasi group. |
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| No, we're not in Kansas anymore. |
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| Cuy, an Ecuadorian delicacy. |
After arriving home from the hike, it was time to celebrate my birthday. Wish I could tell you more about that, but this blog isn't for those shenanigans. Most of the time I am 31 going on 60. Once in awhile I am 31 going on 21. Thank you Michelle, Vale and Pedro for helping me celebrate 3-1!
Miss you always,
Jame
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