 |
| Fresh cuy on the rotisserie. Want a leg quarter? |
Today I did an organized tour. A trip to Quilatoa, the caldera of a (semi-) active volcano that has filled in to become a lake. Ecuador's version of Crater Lake, Oregon. Only at a ridiculously higher elevation, this being the Andes and all. It is about a three hour bus ride from the City of Quito.
But, as they say, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. So here are scenes from the journey.
Some of the roads were better paved than this.
We ate breakfast at a hacienda along the way. Pork sausage (tasted like a kielbasa, which is a good thing) and eggs (which were very fresh and actually good).
The next stop down the road a piece was for restrooms and souvenir-shopping.
And what was on the menu? Cuy!
Guinea pigs all on the rotisserie.
The art of this local artist is sold nearby.
He must be good if he gets roadside statuary in his honor.
And I got to see my first llama of the trip.
There would be more. There also was this friendly guy:
Sadly he (or she) was very emaciated. There were other dogs roaming around that looked well fed, so I'm suspecting a horrible amount of worms or some other parasite. I post the picture because this dog was incredibly friendly and loved to be petted and scratched.
Back on the bus.
You know it's hard taking pictures from the window of a bus rolling down a bumpy road. But the mountain scenery was awesome.
So was this.
Whatever it is, it guards the entrance to the viewing platform for the Toachi River Canyon.
This is the Toachi River Canyon.
The canyon was formed from the lava flows from the most recent major eruption of the Quilatoa Volcano, about 800 years ago.
And speaking of Quilatoa, here we are the viewing platform in the indigenous village of Shalala.
And there were more llamas, some with saddles.
These being baby llamas, they would be ride-able by only young human children. You might be able to see that all of the indigenous women, here, at Toachi River Canyon, at the cuy rotisserie, wear fedoras. Every single one of them. And they all look awesome.
And now we have reached our destination.
The lake in the caldera of the still active Quilatoa Volcano (gas still bubbles up through the lake).
And here I am posing for a picture in front of the lake.
She was sad when her mother asked her to get away for my picture, so I pulled her into the picture. Just to spite that Mom!
This is the viewing platform to see the lake at Shalala.
And another more difficult-to-access viewing platform:
And another llama.
It costs a dollar to take pictures of the llamas, but, hey (a) the community needs to support itself somehow, and (b) they are llamas! Llama pictures are worth a dollar tip!
This, llama, however, posed for free:
As did this statue of I don't know what. A puma? They have them in this area.
You don't just have to view the blue-green waters of the lake safely from high above on the rim. You can hike down into the volcano. It's only a little more than a mile hike. Straight down.
What I didn't realize at the time was that almost meant a hike of about a mile. At 12,000 feet in elevation or so. Straight up. But that part of the adventure will be another post.
But, as they say, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. So here are scenes from the journey.
Some of the roads were better paved than this.
We ate breakfast at a hacienda along the way. Pork sausage (tasted like a kielbasa, which is a good thing) and eggs (which were very fresh and actually good).
The next stop down the road a piece was for restrooms and souvenir-shopping.
And what was on the menu? Cuy!
Guinea pigs all on the rotisserie.
The art of this local artist is sold nearby.
He must be good if he gets roadside statuary in his honor.
And I got to see my first llama of the trip.
There would be more. There also was this friendly guy:
Sadly he (or she) was very emaciated. There were other dogs roaming around that looked well fed, so I'm suspecting a horrible amount of worms or some other parasite. I post the picture because this dog was incredibly friendly and loved to be petted and scratched.
Back on the bus.
You know it's hard taking pictures from the window of a bus rolling down a bumpy road. But the mountain scenery was awesome.
So was this.
Whatever it is, it guards the entrance to the viewing platform for the Toachi River Canyon.
This is the Toachi River Canyon.
The canyon was formed from the lava flows from the most recent major eruption of the Quilatoa Volcano, about 800 years ago.
And speaking of Quilatoa, here we are the viewing platform in the indigenous village of Shalala.
 |
| Ride my llama? |
These being baby llamas, they would be ride-able by only young human children. You might be able to see that all of the indigenous women, here, at Toachi River Canyon, at the cuy rotisserie, wear fedoras. Every single one of them. And they all look awesome.
And now we have reached our destination.
The lake in the caldera of the still active Quilatoa Volcano (gas still bubbles up through the lake).
And here I am posing for a picture in front of the lake.
She was sad when her mother asked her to get away for my picture, so I pulled her into the picture. Just to spite that Mom!
This is the viewing platform to see the lake at Shalala.
And another more difficult-to-access viewing platform:
And another llama.
It costs a dollar to take pictures of the llamas, but, hey (a) the community needs to support itself somehow, and (b) they are llamas! Llama pictures are worth a dollar tip!
This, llama, however, posed for free:
As did this statue of I don't know what. A puma? They have them in this area.
You don't just have to view the blue-green waters of the lake safely from high above on the rim. You can hike down into the volcano. It's only a little more than a mile hike. Straight down.
What I didn't realize at the time was that almost meant a hike of about a mile. At 12,000 feet in elevation or so. Straight up. But that part of the adventure will be another post.
I would have done the same to that Mother!
ReplyDelete