Cotopaxi

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Our trip to the Vulcano of the Cotapaxi was definetely one of the highlight during our trip through Marco's homeland. I was astonished from the moment I saw the icetopped crown till the time that we had to leave it behind us... amazing!

We slept the day before the trekking in a very nice and cosy hostel, that once even belonged to some royals and from where we could enjoy the countryside in the highlands.

The big day: we met a french couple whit same plans at breakfast and a few minutes later we were sitting in the same bus and carvehicle( named 'taxi') up to the top. the trip by car was a little bit bumping but everybody was in a good mood... the emotions that I felt when I saw the glorious top of the vulcan is not descibe in words... you have to be there to understand... I took more than 100 pictures and it was Oh and Ah all the way long....
The car stopped at the first refugio and from there you have to climd up the last 200 meters. it seems to be very close but it took us more than an hour to reach it, the 4800 meters!!!!!!!!
amazing, fantastic, astonishing, breathtaken, greath, unbelieveble,...

And the best part of this adventure was the moment that I and Marco touched the ice of the glacier! we were very lucky that the weathergods were with us this day and the sky was cristalclear... we could see the top ( 5800meter) all the time and therefore the way to the ice was pretty easy. I never was so excited to touch some ice before!

The way down was a bit easier . and everybody in the car was quiet and still impressed by this woldwonder... I was dreaming of reaching the top once in my lifetime...

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Photos

el condor
there was a small museum about the fauna and the flora around the cotopaxi. Here we saw a condor in full glory...

on the way to the second refugio
( = the little yellow stip at the background)

marco on the way back
it was his third time on the cotopaxi and his first time that he was able to admire the top of this beauty...