Our hike up Cotopaxi was challenging, and there was a thrilling sensation of having climbed above the clouds to a height I’d have never imagined possible for us. What I didn’t realize was that the very next day would be as literally and figuratively breathtaking – if not more so.
Once again we chose to engage a driver – this time our friend, Messi (Byron’s older brother) – to go to one of the other wonders of this part of Ecuador, Laguna Quilotoa. When the Quilotoa volcano last erupted in 1280, it left behind a gaping caldera nearly 2 miles across, now filled with the most incredibly brilliant turquoise water. … At an elevation of almost 13,000 feet. We had with us a lovely young woman we’d met at the hostal, Samantha, who is from Canada. We approached the lagoon from the very top rim where you must register as with most national parks so they keep track of comings-an-goings of those touring the area. We had the choice to either walk the rim of the caldera, or take a winding path down to the lake itself. We all agreed that the walk down looked incredibly scenic and the water inviting…what we didn’t calculate fully was just how tough the walk back up would be.
It took less than an hour to reach the lake – it had been raining overnight so the going was slow due to mud and rocks – but it was really worth it as we watched the color of water evolve over time as the day went from cloudy to a bit of sun overhead.
After a little rest at the lake, we had to make a decision about getting back up to the top. We learned on the way down that there was an alternative to hiking back up – ride a horse.
Samantha made the judgement for herself that the horse made sense (smart woman) and $10 was a wise investment. Being the “can do’ers” that we are – sometimes to a fault – we opted to walk back up with Messi. Understand that Messi lives at high altitude so this walk was a nice way to work up an appetite but not a big strain for him. We started up the trail and it became quite apparent that “altitude + steep incline = OMG”. We could go about 10 yards at a time and had to stop, get our heart rate under control, breathe, and slog a bit further. On the way up we met a lovely couple from Columbia – Daniela and Jhonathan – who were also working their way up, and we together egged each other on to the top. Andrew and I agreed that this was probably the most physically taxing thing either of us had ever done (I’d guess his running marathons was right up there). Really. Worth it? Absolutely!
Our reward at the end of this nutty exercise was a fun lunch together with our new friends at local pueblo restaurant. A really nice bond developed and not only will we see Samantha in Canada in April at a conference not far from where she lives, but we got to spend more time with Jhonathan and Daniela in the next chapter of our trip – Baños.
Hasta pronto!
Esther
Living La Vida Loca 