Laguna Quilotoa

From Shell we took the bus to Latancunga and then a taxi to Quilotoa. The 3 hour bus ride gave us time to watch the entire live-action version of Tarzan. We were relieved at the movie choice as our Ecuadorian bus experiences in the past have included very inappropriate movies (strippers and graphic gun violence).

We paid $20 for a beautiful 2 hour drive from Latancunga to Quilotoa. Shades of green and brown patchwork quilt terrain stretched over hills, mountains and valleys, is really a sight to behold. Though if you are prone to car sickness, prepare yourself as the only road in is super windy and involves passing slower vehicles on narrow roads. In hindsight we should have noticed the racing sticker on our driver's windshield, but I didn't until the wheels were squealing as heaped through the curves. Now imagine you have PTSD from a vehicle accident that occurred along a curve! Whew, I don't know how Daddy made it thru that drive.

Upon our arrival in Quilotoa, I was ecstatic to find our hostel was directly across the street from the Laguna Quilotoa observation deck. We checked into our room and immediately went to see the reason we came.

It was awe-inspiring to look out over this crater which was formed over 600 years ago by a massive volcanic eruption. The turquoise lake is 2 miles wide and 820ft deep and though hot springs contribute the water, it is ice cold thanks to the 12,000ft elevation.

The woman below is wearing traditional clothing of the highland Quechua, 

an indigenous people group that lives in the area. Her hat indicates she is married.

After a few minutes the beauty of the crater was no match for the cold weather and blustery wind. I had lost my husband and children to the warm game room and hammocks in our hostel. I stayed and watched the sunset turn thick clouds pink.

Back at Hostal Chukirawa, Daddy had begun teaching the kids to play chess. They picked it up super fast. Afterwards we settled into our room as it warmed with our own wood-burning stove.

The next day we hiked the steep switchback trail down to the lake. It was not an easy hike, the combination of the elevation (less oxygen), steepness and loose dirt trail lead to many falls for our children and quite a few adults that we passed as well. The wind would often whip up the dirt requiring you to stop and face the opposite direction for a bit. Out of concern for my camera, I tied the arms of my rain jacket around my neck to use as a cover.

We spent a few hours at the lake. Renting a kayak was an option, but I chose to look for birds instead, while Asher played at the water's edge. Camping is available at the lake level, but you must pack everything in and out.

We chose to take the easy way up by riding horses to the rim for $10 each. We were impressed by not only the horses, but the men and women who accompany the horses up and down the crater. The two men who kept our horses in line kept up with us on foot. They told us they go down and back twice a day! Quite a strenuous job.

For a bigger adventure, there is a 6 mile rim trail and a 19 mile Quilotoa Loop trail that you can hike. It takes 3-4 days and there are hostels along the route for overnight stays and meals. Initially the rim trail sounded like a good idea, but now that I've experienced the strong, cold winds along the rim and seen the narrow trail, I'm not sure that I would enjoy that. Many people get lost on the loop trail, so if you are thinking of attempting it, I suggest doing a lot of research during the planning stage.

Next stop Cotopaxi National Park.