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Published: March 13th 2010
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Next stop Ecuador. We were in Quito for a couple of days, staying at a place on ´Rob Alley´. Pretty much every day people came back with stories of getting robbed, mugged, or pickpocketed in the streets nearby. The most interesting story was from an old lady about 70 years old who was approached by three guys in the evening. They tried to get her bag but she kicked one in the balls and they scrambled away. Way to put up a fight! TBagz and I now being familiar to the ways of hardened criminals put on our toughest faces that no one dare mess wit. Quito was an interesting city...lots of old colonial buildings and interesting locals. The highlight of the city time was a sunday afternoon at the midget bull fight. Until we got there, it was a mystery as to whether the event featured midgets fighting normal sized bulls, non-midgets fighting midget bulls, or just full on midget on midget-bull action. The bulls were normal size, however, and only slightly malnourished. The star of the show was a Michael Jackson impersonator who after performing several moonwalks in front of an uninterested animal, was suddenly chased around the ring
and jabbed in the butt by the bull who didn´t seem to like the chorus to Billy Jean.
After partying one night at a bar owned by a former Florida Gator, we set out to Cotopaxi with two other friends we had met in Quito. For awhile we have had aspirations to climb Cotopaxi, the highest active volcano in the world...depening on who you ask. The summit sits at 5,897 meters...a decent bit higher than our climb in Colombia. For this one, we had to leave the climbers refuge at 1:00am and climb in the dark until sunrise. After the sun comes up, snow melt start to occur and the path to the top becomes less stable and more difficult, so you want to start as early as you can. Our guides were unhappy at the speed in which Taylor and I move in the morning, and despite efforts to get us moving we were still the last group to leave for the summit. It was cold, dark, snowing, and all we had to see with were our headlamps. As we made our way to the top, we soon started passing slower groups. Most groups get to the summit
in about six hours, but after 4 hours of straight hiking and climbing, we had passed every other group (8 - 10??) and were just below the summit...still dark outside. The four of us and our two guides finally topped out just before the sun came up. Standing on top of that mountain with the wind whipping our faces dry in the darkness was quite the experience. And then a most amazing thing happened. The sky to the east slowly started to take on color...and within a few seconds the sun rose over faraway peaks and the whole world below was suddenly illuminated. Standing on top of the highest ground around and watching everything come to life underneath was a most dramatic experience and one I will cherish for a very long time.
After coming down from the mountain, we went back and relaxed at our hostel. Everyone was impressed with our speedy ascent time and the group of weaksauce kids that had failed at a summit attempt just two days earlier sulked away as we were showered with the finest wines and kisses from beautiful mountain women. The hostel itself was really great. Owned by an Australian-Ecuadorian couple,
they have alot of sustainable home practices. There is no electricity, they have a composting outhouse which they use the by products to fertilize their greenhouse. Alot of the food we ate for dinner came from their own farm and the animals that they raise. The house was built using adobe brick techniques made from soil that the house now sits on. Pretty sweet little place. The next day we went horseback riding and trout fishing, and all was well.
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Colie
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I like that poncho almost as much as I like my llama picture!