The Misadventures of Volcano Cotopaxi

by Carlie

Marks birthday had come and gone, celebrated with a huge chocolate cake (topped with whipped cream and fresh blackberries) and a couple of T-bones brought up from Quito - YUM!

Birthday celebration

 My birthday was soon approaching, and I had requested a camping trip to Cotopaxi National Park, home of a picture perfect volcano – glacier capped and surrounded by high paramo and stunning lagoons. We had planned to make this the first stop on our trip south to Peru, after volunteering  for five weeks at Llullu Llama Hostal, but we realised we had miscalculated the date me had to leave Ecuador (people are given 90 days, but motorbikes only 89 days!). That meant we had to cut Cotopaxi from our final Ecuadorian itinerary. 

view from the road out

So, after obtaining permission from Christian and Eva (hostal owners) for a night off, we loaded up the camping gear and early in the morning the day before my birthday we headed off. It was a 3 hour ride, over a bumpy 4000m mountain pass, dirt all the way, but it was great to be out seeing the stunning scenery. I had read about a stunning campground in the national park, set next to a lagoon with uninterrupted views of the volcano to wake up to.

volcan cotapaxi peeking out from the clouds

As we approached the entrance to the national park, a huge wooden archway loomed over the road, as though trying to imitate the gateways to the biggest national parks in the US. A ranger waved us over to the carpark before we  entered. I thought to myself – this is where we get hit up for the steep entry fee. But it was worse than that. When the ranger approached, he told us it wasn’t possible to enter the park on a motorbike. Cars, buses and bicycles were ok, but our motorbike was prohibited. We were stunned. I even tried turning on the tears, but to no avail. There was nothing to it but to hop on the bike and ride the 3 hours back to Isinlivi.

Luckily, this story doesn’t end here – it actually gets better! Christian was staying at Llullu Llama for the night, and he saw how disappointed I was, and offered to drive us into Cotopaxi one day the following week, as he had the week off work.

On Wednesday morning we caught the 6.30am bus down to Latacunga, a town close to Cotopaxi on the PanAmericana Highway. (Mark grumbling all the way that he hated buses!) Christian picked us up from the bus station and we returned to the wooden gateway where last time we met such disappointment . Again we were waved over to pull into the carpark. This time the story from the rangers was that foreigners were not allowed into the park without an official guide. Luckily, smooth talking Christian managed to get around this ‘rule’ and finally, into the park we went, winding our way up the pine covered slope, until we reached the high paramo (rocky grasslands too high for trees to grow). Soon the tarmac ran out and we continued on up a corrugated gravel road. Higher, higher – soon the late model 4WD was struggling for power, even in first gear. We arrived at the carpark and the GPS read 4600m! 

This is the point where the intrepid climbers begin the trek to the top of the volcano – 5800m. We planned to only go a short distance, to the refugio where climbers spend the night to acclimatise before the final ascent. The refugio appeared, from the carpark, only about a ten minute walk away.But… at that altitude… it took more than an hour to traipse our way up the rocky, sandy slope. 

I progressed slowly but steadily. It’s amazing the affect altitude can have on your ability to do the most simple of tasks! I was rugged up really warmly – thermals, fleece, raincoat – and they were definitely required. Freezing cold sleet, blowing almost horizontally, stung my face. I was happy to reach the refugio (4880m) and go inside for a hot cup of tea. 

Once we had regained the feeling in all of our extremities, we walked a little further up and around the volcano to the beginning of the glacier. From a short distance, the glacier looked like rocks with a little snow on them, but on closer inspection it was actually a huge chunk of ice with a little mud on the surface. It was pretty spectacular to see such a huge amount of solid ice.

tasting the ice!

The walk back down to the carpark was so much easier than the way up and getting in the car with toasty heating was divine. Now anyone who knows me knows that I am not a fan of cold weather, but Cotopaxi was a wonderful experience, and a good practice run for some of the mountain treks we have planned for in Peru. Thank you so much Christian for the great day (and the tasty steak lunch on the way home)

Coast to the Andes

Our two weeks volunteering at Tagua Lodge in Manglaralto on the coast of Ecuador were super relaxing. Good company, a friendly village vibe and satisfying creative work to do at our own pace. But after two weeks we were both ready to continue the adventure. So it was ‘Coast to Andes’ and it was a spectacular 4 day adventure.

The first day was a long day, mostly because we took back roads, which progressively got worse. We now have an important date to record for this journey – Wednesday July 3^rd 2013 – the first time the bike tipped. It was a steep muddy switchback, we were going slow – it was almost like slow motion. So there was Zorra, the bike, taking a nap in the middle of the narrow muddy track, and of course, a car comes along – the first one we had seen for about 30 minutes. They just stopped and watched us heave the bike up and push her up the steep hill. All in all it was kind of exciting – we survived our first stack!

It took us two and a half hours to travel that first 40km, which was not such a good start since we were aiming for 350km that day. The next few hours were pretty boring  - long straight highway with lots of traffic.  But soon enough we were heading up, up, up into the Andes on windy mountain roads which started off as smooth tarmac, but soon evolved into a bumpy track. We climbed from sea level to around 3000m before desending a little way into the small town of Gurunda, where we spent the night.

The next morning was bright and clear – perfect weather to cruise up another 500m in altitude to a small town called Salinas (not to be confused with the large resort town of Salinas on the coast of Ecuador).  Salinas has become quite well known as an excellent example of community cooperative industry. Back in 1971 an Italian missionary arrived there to a really poor village, who were struggling with poverty and to make enough food to survive. The child mortality rate for under 5 years old was a shocking 50%. This missionary helped the locals start up cooperatives to make and market cheeses, salamis and other meats, chocolate and dried forest mushrooms. He brought in experts from Italy to show them the best methods and hygienic procedures. The village is now prosperous and can add tourism to their repertoire, as they welcome visitors to look around. We spent a few hours wandering and sampling the tasty goods – YUM!

As we headed back down the mountain from Salinas, the weather started looking ominous, and we had to cross a 4000m high pass. The higher we climbed, the colder it became, until the rain had turned to sleet and there was snow on the  ground next to the road. Not a very comfortable experience on the motorbike, but pretty exciting! As soon as we crossed to the eastern side of the pass, the bad weather was behind us and the sun reappeared.

That night we spent in Latacunga, the small city that was the jumping off point to the Quilatoa Loop, a 200km loop of roads, crisscrossed by hiking trails high in the Andes. Rolling green mountains, dotted with small homesteads, fields with small flocks of sheep and black and white dairy cows and locals walking along the road in traditional costume.  Snowcapped volcanic peaks looming in the distance and deep rocky canyons in the valleys.

One of the highlights of the Quilatoa Loop is the deep blue Quilatoa lagoon, set in a volcanic crater, surrounded by a jagged rim. It was starkly beautiful, but oh so cold, with the wind howling from all directions.  It was possible to hike down to the lagoon, or to hike around the rim (a 6 hour trip on an exposed ridge, but it was far too cold, so we returned to our cozy guesthouse with a roaring fireplace and drank endless cups of tea!

 After  Quilatoa, the roads disintegrated into, well, something that sort of resembled a road. Sandy in parts, potholes and deep gravel, so it took quite some hours to travel the 58 km to Isinlivi, our home for the next five weeks.  To hike from Quilatoa to Isinlivi, it is only about 25km, but the roads have to go right around the canyons.

Arriving in Isinlivi (pop 120), we quickly found our hostal – Llullu Llama (means baby Llama in the local dialect).As soon as we went through the front door we both know we would fall in love with this place. A century old farmhouse, recently renovated and converted into a guesthouse, it was super cozy. Polished wooden floorboards, comfy furniture,  big picture windows looking out over the hills and a wood fireplace.

Gladys, who lives next door does all the cooking and cleaning , and her food is amazing. Think quiches, lasagnes, cottage pies, and every night the meal begins with a different home made soup. It makes a wonderful change from the Ecuadorian standard of chicken, rice and plantains! Gladys has five kids and the youngest, Melanie, reminds me of our god daughter Lily – it is wonderful to have a little person cuddle every morning.

Our job is very cruisy – hosting and ensuring the guests have a good time, and giving hiking advice. Its like having a dinner party with different friends every night! We also help out a little with the cleaning, I’ve done some cooking and Mark chops the wood. Check ins, check outs. Piece of cake. If this place was for sale, we would think about buying it!

To the Galapagos…..

 Having spent almost two weeks in the cold and damp cloud forests of Mindo, north of Quito, we were well and truly looking forward to some warmer weather. Some people say that the temperature and weather can have an impact on your emotional  well-being, and for me, that is true.  Not to say that I mope about when it is cold and wet, but I do notice my spirits lift and a renewal of energy when I feel the warm sun and see some blue in the sky. So off we flew, from Quito, the second highest capital in the world at 2800masl to the Galapagos Islands, 1000km off the coast of Ecuador in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

 

We had considered the pros and cons of taking an all inclusive boat trip vs. DIY and finally decided that the prices on the ‘last minute’ websites were out of our budget (about $1700 for 8 days). When we arrived in Puerto Ayora, the biggest  ‘town’ on the Islands, we had a look around to see what our options were. Lucky were we, the lovely Bettyat Joybe Tours, had an 8 day trip to the outer islands departing the very next day for only $950. The pressure was off, all we had to do was kick back and enjoy the ride!

 

Arriving on board our vessel King of the Seas the next day, we discovered it was shabby but clean and comfortable, no problems there for us. The crew of 5 plus the guide were wonderful (for a great insight into the guide, Ivan, check out Marks report in the ‘stories’ section).  The boat had the capacity for only 12 passengers, which made the group like a small family.

The first afternoon we visited ‘Black Turtle Cove’ a mangrove lined shallow bay on the north of Santa Cruz Island. We were paddled in on the small rubber tender, so as to not disturb the wildlife. In perspective, this was a unique site in the Galapagos, as it was the only mangrove environment we visited.  We were all so overwhelmed with wonder, when we spotted turtles, small sharks and rays. Grey pelicans with small black birds balanced on their heads to steal the fish. I almost squealed when a sea lion popped up next to the boat. Little did I know that over the next week, sea lions would be as common a sight as pigeons in London. 

After motoring all night, we spent the next day on land based activities on Santa Cruz Island. My highlight here was seeing the giant land tortoises. These guys were free to wander throughout the wild national park but they liked to roam onto the rehabilitated ranch because of the good grazing and ponds to hang out in. Some of these tortoises were over 200 years old and it was almost like watching huge dinosaurs loping across the fields.

The third day we spent on two new islands, Isla Plaza Sur and Isla Santa Fe. Both of these islands were best known for cactus eating land iguanas, which are bright yellow and black. Like all of the animals on the Galapagos, they seemed completely unaware of the humans who had gathered to watch them. The other type of iguana living in the Galapagos is the marine iguana, which spends most of the daylight hours sunning on the rocks, raising its blood temperature enough to spend an hour in the sea, eating algae and surfing the waves.  On Isla Plaza Sur we visited the sea lion ‘losers corner’ where the bull sea lions who lose the battles over the females gather.

We motored all night and woke up at Punta Pitt, on the northern coast of the next island – Isla San Cristobel. Punta Pitt is a small white sandy bay, backed by soaring cliffs. The hike up the canyon was so ‘Kimberley-esque’ for those of you who know the Kimberley region in Australia, where we spent two years tour guiding.  One of the most dramatic scenes landscape-wise that we saw. Wildlife highlights at this site were the rare chatham mockingbird and the red-footed boobie, found only here and one other remote island in the far north.

After lunch snorkelled at Kicker Rock, 2 huge monoliths jutting from the sea. We saw sharks, rays and turtles, and a few of our crew saw a hammerhead shark!  Then we visited Cerro Brujo on the west coast of Isla San Cristobel, a long stretch of white sandy beach to rival any in Australia. And covered with sea lions!

A brief interlude in the main narrative to explore Sea Lions.  I could have sat on the beach and watched these guys all day. No matter how many we saw (and they were EVERYWHERE), they were all so cute and expressive, clumsy yet graceful. Their coats were shiny black when wet and go a furry golden brown once dry.  I think they really should have been called ‘sea dogs’, the way they looked with their big brown eyes. On the beach they just laze around in different poses – mostly sleeping. The young play, lumbering around on their stubby flippers.  Bigger ones clumsily climbed over each other, ‘stacks on’ style.  We were told not to touch any animals, but especially not young sea pups – if their mothers smell humans on them, they will reject them, and then they will starve.

A gorgeous, but heartbreaking scene we saw was a little guy looking from his mother. He skipped/shuffled along the beach from one adult sea lion to another, sniffing then and making cute little barking sounds. One after the other the adults growled at him ‘I’m not your mummy.’  I wonder if his mother was out fishing or if something more sinister had happened… mum eaten by a shark, or baby touched by a tourist? We will never know how the story ends.

On the south-western coast of Isla San Cristobel is a small rocky island called Isla Lobos (or sea lion island).  We awoke here on the fifth morning, and, as usual, there were tonnes of sea lions lazing about.  The wildlife highlight of this site, for me, were the blue-footed boobies. These guys are rather solid sea birds with bright blue feet. We were lucky enough to see one nesting with two little chicks on the nest – it was the daddy bird minding the young and he had them perched on his feet! A little further along the path we came across a pair of boobies ‘dancing’ which is their courting ritual. Yet another sight you would only expect to see on National Geographic Channel.

We had a little spare time in the afternoon to check out the ‘capital city’ of the Galapagos, sleepy Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. I think there were more sea lions enjoying the boardwalk than locals! 

That evening was the Ecuador vs Peru world cup qualifier, and although the Galapagos are 1000km from the mainland, the locals are still highly patriotic. Everyone was wearing the national yellow football colours (even some poodles!) and the TVs were on in every little shop, restaurant and house. Unfortunately Ecuador lost on that occasion, but they still have a few more chances to qualify.

Isla Espanola is the most southerly island in the Galapagos group, and one of the most starkly beautiful. Our morning destination on the sixth day was Gardner Bay, a white sandy beach that is even more stunning than Cerro Brujo on Isla San Cristobel.

In the afternoon we  went for a hike at Punta Suarez on the Western side of the island, which is mostly know for the Waved Albatross colony who breed there. These guys seriously look like sea gulls on steroids, with huge yellow beaks and 2.5m wingspans. They are so big that they have trouble taking off on flat ground, and so they jump off cliffs, flap their wings and are away. We had to sit quietly by the cliff for half an hour to see one in action – they awkwardly waddle up to the cliff edge and just drop over.  Moments later soaring high in the sky.

Our final Island experience was Isla Floreana. I was holding out hope for two species here – Pink Flamingos and Penguins.  I had read that the Flamingos were often here, in a brackish lagoon behind the sand dunes, but usually they were spotted in the distance. Super lucky – there were three flamingos only metres from the path. It was mesmerising to watch them. They were feeding on microscopic shrimp through filters in their beaks, rhythmically stepping up and down with their long legs to stir up the mud that the shrimp live in. The sound they made while feeding wouldn’t have been out of place in an Alien movie!

 

Unfortunately no penguins.

 

Our final site was Post Office Bay, where pirates and whalers have been leaving mail for centuries. Now tourists are carrying on the tradition, leaving postcards without stamps to be collected by other travellers who hand deliver them if they find one nearby where they live. It was fun rifling through the stacks of postcards, and we took some to deliver to a few of the countries that we will be passing through on our trip.

Final thoughts..  What I brought away with me from this Galapagos experience (apart from lots of amazing wildlife memories) is the hope that in the future many more vulnerable natural areas could be managed as well as the Galapagos Islands. So much theory that is taught in universities around the world about preservation  and the ways to limit the impact of tourists on delicate ecosystems has actually been put in place here.

The guides are so well educated, both theoretically and practically.

 

The monetary cost of visiting is high enough to prevent the average ‘yob’ from coming along, but not so high that it restricts those who really want to be there for the right reasons. 

 

The logistics of granting permits to 107 boats to visit land and sea sites so that they rarely overlap. 

 

Simple practices like cleaning your shoes before returning to the boat, to prevent transferring organisms from one island to another. Only allowing entry to most areas with a guide. This meant to see anything we had to join a tour group, which isn’t how we usually like to travel, but for the most part it was ok. 

 

If you have ever considered visiting the Galapagos, and have even a slight interest in wildlife – GO!!