Making it to the top... Well at least to the Glacier

Made it to the Glacier!

On a last minute decision we decided to change our last minute plan of catching a bus to Riobamba for taking a tour of Cotopaxi and Quilatoa. We did change tour companies though. After the many misadventures in the Amazon we thought it would be for the best.
We called our contact in Riobamba and told him that we would be a day late and set our alarm clock, aka our phone for 6 am. The phone ran out of battery and we woke up 30 min before we were supposed to be there. We ran to the showers and packed our bags and ran for the meeting place. When we got there everyone was lounging around eating breakfast and no bus in sight. We were out of breath but relieved to find they had not left without us.

The private bus ride was a departure from the norm for us. No vendors yelling at you to buy plantains and fried chicken, no million and one stops, and no paranoia about little kids crawling under your feet to grab your stuff. It felt like a pleasure cruise through the mountains.

When we got to the hostel we left our bags and picked up a guide for the Cotopaxi volcano. On the car ride there he explained lots of things about the region like how pine trees are not native despite their domination of the landscape or the fact the roses grow extremely well in the volcanic ash soil. He also showed us all of the volcanoes that surround this area in Ecuador called the valley of Volcanoes most of which were covered in clouds.

Wild Horses below Cotopaxi

When we stepped out of the bus to start the climb a shocking blast of wind hit me and I realized I should not be doing this I should be nestled under blankets drinking hot chocolate. What was I thinking? It is way too cold for me to be climbing up a volcano. Standing next to me is a girl from California with leggings some Sophie shorts and a penguin hat. Can I really be cold with my long underwear and down jacket and rain jacket? Regardless there was no turning back now, mainly because it was nonrefundable. We started the climb and the altitude made it feel as if I had gained forty pounds and ten years of sitting on the couch eating potato chips. Every step was a chore and I was out of breath in a second. There was this gusting wind that carried sleet and snow into my face and cloud cover all around so there was nothing to look at other than the volcanic ash under my feet. After 45 minutes of struggling up what seemed to be a relatively easy climb without the altitude, we made it to the Refugio or building on the side of the mountain and we stopped there for a break for hot chocolate.

At the Refugio-not the best weather

Those who wished could continue up to the glacier at 5000 meters. Of course I was one of those who went. There was no reason for me not to, I was feeling fine no effects of altitude other than a little shortness of breath. The climb was a lot shorter and it was not that difficult. In no time we were at the glacier and snapping lots of photos. On the way up we had made friends with an Irish woman named Michelle and she helped us out by taking some photos of us together.

Me at the Glacier

On the way down it seemed like the sky just opened up and the whole valley came into view. It was beautiful. I could have stood there for hours just watching the clouds move like dragons down the mountain. It made me think of the movie The Thirteenth Warrior were the fog seems to be alive and moving with purpose. I know bad movie reference but I could not help it.

Break in the Cloud

So on the way down we are supposed to mountain bike on slippery volcanic ash from the parking lot to this lagoon. We head out on the bikes and right away I am scared for my life. The road is super bumpy and my back wheel is sliding all over the place. I am contemplating taking the bus down rather than be sent flying off the side of the volcano into some volcanic boulder and just two weeks into my trip. After about ten minutes of holding the brake until my hand cramped I got used to it and I was sailing down the mountain with no problem other than the scattering of brain rattling bumps. It was no time until I was standing next to the lagoon, breathing a sigh of relieve to be off of that mountain bike. While we waited we did see some seagulls that have adapted to live at high altitude flying around the lagoon. Once everyone was safely down we headed back to the hostel.

Cotopaxi covered in clouds

When we got back I was exhausted. Luckily they served us chocolate cake and hot tea which made the trip worth it. It was some of the best chocolate cake I have ever had. It just made you want to sit back and take a nap which is what I did until dinner at least. Christina and I shared a subpar meal of spaghetti and a hamburger. Then it was off to bed. When we got there we found we were sharing a room with Michelle, what a great surprise. We shared stories and trip plans and found that we were headed in the same direction so there may be some joint travels in the future. Soon enough we turned out the lights and drifted off to sleep.

That lasted only a few hours for me when I woke up with intense nausea and stomach pain. When I woke up to go to the bath room I nearly fell over partly due to my poor placement of my shoes and partly due to my dizziness. I stumbled out of the room trying not to wake any one up until I opened the door and it sounded like I was ripping the hinges apart. I rushed to the bathroom just in time to see dinner in a toilet bowl. I sat there hoping this was the end and then went back to bed. About three hours later it happened again and I stumbled to the bath room again and hugged the toilet again with nothing left to give. After a few moments I went back to bed dreaming that it was all over. Unfortunately I was wrong again and I just decided that maybe a hot shower would help me. I got my stuff and headed for the showers. I turned the water on and stepped into a not hot but not glacial shower with a shiver and I knew at once this was not going to help. After the shower I ran to my room and threw myself under the covers in the hopes that someday I would be warm again. I sat there bundled up unable to move as everyone got ready around me, knowing that if I did not start getting ready soon I was not going to make the bus.

Laura