Andean Adventures

---

After a day hike from Quito to test my ability at altitude, it was time to hit some of Ecuador´s snow-capped mountains.
My first stop was Cotopaxi - the world´s second highest active volcano. I stopped at an amazing hostel (Secret Garden) which was pure luxury: delicious food, the best views and a jacuzzi to soak in after a day trekking or cycling. On arrival we were taken on a guided walk to a waterfall. Our guide packed a towel and said anybody who jumped in would be rewarded with a free beer. This offer was irresistible on a number of levels and so I took the plunge into the icy pool with gusto! I´ve never swam so hard and fast to get out of a pool in my life and it took at least 45 minutes for my breathing to return to a normal level. It seemed everyone else thought jumping was a ridiculous idea and opted to just watch the idiot Brit shiver instead. Good job for that jacuzzi.
The next morning I was to tackle the glacier at Cotopaxi. The first stage was getting from the carpark to the refuge. Only a couple of kilometers, but at 5900m altitude (when your heart pounds after a few steps), this was not to be scoffed at. The weather was terrible, as combination of snow, sleet, hail and fog. You could barely see your hard in front of your face and despite wearing just about every item of clothing possible I was freezing. I was desperate to have a wee and the incentive of using a toilet and having a hot chocolate at was enough to get me to the refuge in good time. After warming up and relieving my bladder, I was ready and raring to tackle the glacier. However, the weather wasn´t on our side and our guide insisted we turn back.
My next adventure in the highlands was the Quilatoa Loop. A route taken by a few travelers who want to get out in the sticks and experience a bit of Ecuadorian country life. My first stop was the lake itself, another lagoon in the crater of a volcano. I spent the night at Quilatoa village and failed to take the warnings that this place gets cold at night (come on, I´m from the North don´t you know). Wearing all my clothes and taking all the blankets from the spare bed were my only chance of survival!
The following morning I hired a guide and hiked to a nearby village - Chugchilan. As I was kitted out in hiking shoes, trousers and a fancy rucksack - my guide was ready to go in slacks and dress shoes. I slipped on the volcanic rock and sand every 5 minutes, as my guide stood by laughing. The village I arrived at and the others I passed through were like a time gone by. The people lived off the land and traded in the streets - the only sign of modernity was the local internet cafe full of the village´s teenagers.
To complete the loop I caught a ride on the back of a local milk truck. This was probably my favourite journey of all as I had views that could never be replicated cooped up on a bus. I assumed the milk truck would be stopped along the way to deliver milk, but actually it stopped to collect milk from people who kept a cow next to their house by the side of the dirt road. Lots of the local children ran out to wave at the gringa, shouting out the few bits of English they knew "Hello! What is your name?"

The next stop was Banos. A really popular tourist town for foreigners and Ecuadorians alike. The place was packed as I arrived during a national holiday, but luckily managed to find accommodation. The highlight here was hiring a bike and cycling the 60km to Puyo, a frontier town to the jungle. The bike ride is described as 'down hill´, which was slightly misleading particularly for the 10km climb right at the very end. But the effort was worth it as I watched the countryside change from mountain to jungle and felt the weather grow increasingly sticky.

Men: My guide for Chugchilan, Juan, was quite the charmer, but sadly married.

Size Zero: Strange side effect of being at altitude = appetite loss! (Shame this is countered by all the food in the highlands being extra fatty and generally involving double carbs).

Mishaps: Running and jumping onto a moving bus carrying a 17kg pack is incredibly tricky. The bruises on my knees are my proof.

---