Cotopaxi

I left Quito at 7 am to visit Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world. It's last eruption was in 1877 and its pattern of eruption had been on eruption every 100 years. That makes it 40 years overdue! My group consisted of a Argentinian family with a mother and two teenagers, a Brazilian guy, me and the guide. Because the Argentinians didn't speak English and the Brazilian guy and I understood Spanish, the guide gave the tour in Spanish.

We went by van as far as the road went and then walked 1 kilometer to the refuge. The refuge was at almost 16,000 feet so that one kilometer was the longest one in my life. As if the altitude wasn't enough, the trail was volcanic material that made it feel like I was walking up a sand dune. My heart pounded and I gasped for air but slowly step by step I made it. Then it was another half hour of walking to get to the beginning of the glacier. The glacier path had snow mixed with the sandy volcanic soil. What exhilaration to reach the glacier! The trip down was challenging in a different way. Because the ground was so soft and slippery, we had to run/slide all the way down. That was easier on the heart than going up but the injury possibility was greater with the run/slide down the mountain.

When we got back to the parking lot, we had to decide if we wanted to ride bikes down the mountain. Of course I did. When would I get another chance like this. The Argentinian teenage boy was the only other one who was interested so we hopped on the bikes and down we went. Fantastic! Fortunately the brakes worked. We rode about 10 kilometers to a lake, hopped into the van, and returned to Quito. I wonder if I will be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

(All the pictures came from the Internet but my group promised to send me some in an email.)

Cotopaxi

Sign at Refuge

Path to glacier

End of bike ride

A Walk in the Jungle

Our last day in Mindo we decided to take a walk in the jungle behind the hotel. It's not as daring as it sounds because the paths were very well marked. At first we just walked and talked and didn't really see anything and then we slowed down and started to really look. Suddenly we started to notice all kinds of butterflies and strange flowers and plants and even some beautiful fungus. There were birds too and we could hear their calls but they were difficult to see. I had hoped to see a toucan but no luck. Fortunately we walked in the morning because it poured all afternoon. I guess a cloud forest includes rain clouds.

Heidi birdwatching

Jungle flower

Mona looking down on Mindo

Another jungle flower

Not a jungle flower--a fungus

Bromelias

Our last lunch in Mindo

The Cloud Forest

Mindo

It took all day to get from the mountains of Tigua which is south of Quito to the cloud forest of Mindo which is north of Quito. The change in landscape was the most startling we experienced. The mountains of Ecuador have a stark barren kind of beauty. They are cold and dramatic.As we approached Mindo, that all changed. Suddenly there was lush jungle everywhere. There were flowers, birds, butterflies; life exploded around us. We are staying in an eco-lodge, the Yellow House, a few minutes out of town. Frogs sang us to sleep at night and dozens of hummingbirds joined us for breakfast. We even have a hammock.

View from our window

Humming birds

Our first stop was the butterfly farm. We walked a couple of miles down a dirt road through the jungle viewing beautiful flowers and birds and a raging river as we walked. The butterfly was fun with hundreds of butterflies. We put banana pieces on our fingers and the butterflies would land on them. The largest number were called Eye of the Owl for reasons that are obvious if you look a the pictures. The bright blue Morphos butterfly was the most beautiful.

An Owl's Eye on my finger

An Owl's Eye emerging 

Mona and Heidi in butterfly garden

Next was the exciting part of the day. We walked to the Mindo Extreme Sport Canopy Zip Line Adventure. There are 13 zip lines over the forest. Mona opted out of the this experience but I had to do it. After about 2 seconds of instruction our group of three was ready. Strapped into the harness, I was shoved off the platform to soar over the treetops of the jungle in the valley below. Terrifying doesn't begin to describe the sensation I experienced. The second one was better and I relaxed a little. I refused to do it upside down or in the superman position for the next one but one person tried it. I never truly relaxed but the last one was the best, The clouds had rolled in and we flew through the mist to the final platform. I was drenched in sweat and my knees were wobbly but I was exhilarated by the experience.

Heidi on the zip line

Nothing could top the zip line so next we had a late lunch and went to an orchid garden and Mona got some nice pictures. We ended the day at the chocolate factory where the tour concludes with a chocolate brownie for everyone.

Monkey face orchid

Zapato orchid (shoe)

Chocolate factory

Horseback riding

Our day of horseback riding took place at the Green Ranch inside the Pululahua volcano crater. The last eruption was over 2000 years ago so it has had time to turn into farmland and lush forests. The horses were perfect—all very calm and steady. The ride was difficult at times,going up and down steep slopes. At one point we rode on a ancient trail used by the indigenous people to go to the coast from the mountains. Because it was so old the sides of the trail were 3 to 5 feet high. We ate a picnic lunch (the people not the horses) and then circled back to the ranch. Four hours in all. Everyone was very stiff and sore after the ride. I really regret that I didn't take the opportunity to canter when the guide offered it. Only two people did it but it has been over two years since I had ridden and I was too afraid. I know, Leah, you think I am crazy.

Pululahua crater

Crater

Heidi and Eldron

Good-bye horses

Life on the Farm

Tigua

Booking the Posada de Tigua was a hugh headache. My Spanish teacher had to call to make the reservations because there is no Internet. Then she helped organize a bank transfer because credit cards aren't accepted. Then I had to call from the bus station so someone could pick us up from the bus stop. The bus from Latacunga took us up to the heights of the mountains. I was worried about where to get off but it was no problem and a truck was waiting. The farm was charmingly rustic with modern conveniences like heat and hot water. At 4 pm all the animals came home from the fields. There were llamas, alpacas, cows, geese, sheep, and donkeys.--all trotting, waddling, strolling, running from the fields into the barns and paddocks. One little calf thought I was his mother and sucked my fingers looking for milk. There were a newborn lamb, puppies, and baby llamas. I had been waiting all my life for the opportunity to milk a cow and I finally did it! Not very well but I filled a third of a cup with milk. Our fellow travelers were a family from Netherlands with college- aged children and a family from Puerto Rico with little kids. We had a nice evening with delicious food and great conversation. I was worried that my expectations would be too high for this place but it has been everything I could have hoped for.

La posada de Tigua

Laundry day 

Baby Llama

Los tres amigos (geese)

Sheep at the farm

sunrise on the farm

Farm dogs

View from the farm

Mona's new career as milkmaid

Farm kids in cow barn

Off to Quilotoa this morning. We had homemade yogurt for breakfast. The Puerto Rican family was going to the same place so we decided to go together. We planned to take a bus to a nearby town and then get a van to the volcano lake. As we were waiting for a bus an old pickup with a covered roof stopped and said he would take all six of us directly to the volcano for $2 each so we jumped in. He stopped for several indigenous woman on the way so we all squeezed in. e felt like locals! The truck bumped and rattled its way to Quilotoa where the famous crater like was.

Truck ride with passengers

How can I describe the lake? We climbed up a small incline and suddenly there it was--and immense crater. The color is stunning and constantly change all different shades of green and blue. I could have stared at it for hours but the fierce wind forced us to take cover. We began the trek down to the lake. The path was dusty and under construction in places but the view was stupendous. At the bottom are people with horses to rent for the ride up and we decided to take advantage of that. The poor horse (or actually mule) that I was on had a tough job. Mona's mule had it easy with her 80 pounds. Wonderful experience (for us not the mules).

On our way home we stopped at an indigenous art gallery and bought some small paintings. Then it was "home" to the farm for good company and a delightful meal.

Mona rides

Our friends from Puerto Rico

Horses at the bottom of the crater

Banos (Mona speaks)

On way from Cuenca to Banos, bus made a 20 minute stop at a restaurant. Next to restaurant, a group of Indigenous people were sitting in median strip, enjoying the sun.

As we passed through another small town, some school girls were having a good laugh at a busy street corner. 

Massive Andes Mountain range along the way.  Slopes are cultivated with corn, potatoes, etc.

Reached Hotel Chimenea around 3:30 pm after an 8 hr bus ride from Cuenca to Ambato, followed by another one hr bus ride from Ambato to Banos. Below is view from our 3rd floor room in this very nice  hotel that is located next to a lovely waterfall, and also close to town - a 5 minute walk.

Making taffy the traditional way.

We joined a 3 hr tour, along with 30 other local folks, to see 4 waterfalls near Banos. At this first waterfall, Agoyan Falls, we paid $1.50 each to ride this gondola. View was spectacular. Next stop was Rio Blanco where people were lining up for their zip lining and bungee jumping thrills. Ah, not for us this time! Last waterfall stop was Pailon Diablo which was amazingly huge, powerful and voluminous. Everyone who got too close enjoyed a fine splash.

Heidi's Two-Cents Worth

One thing Mona neglected to mention was the most famous activity Banos—the baths! We went on a Friday night. Just imagine this scene—a medium sized pool filled with hot muddy brown water. Now imagine a hundred people crowded so tightly that we couldn't stretch out but only squat in place. Now add a few kids squiggling in between all the adults. That's Banos on the weekend. Actually I liked everything about Banos except for the banos! And I should have known better than to go on the weekend. The nature was great, the sports were fun, the hotel cheap and comfortable ,and the stores were interesting.