We arose
from our hostel rooms, of which there were many needed to accommodate the whole
rabble, and were presented with a wholesome breakfast of Porridge, eggybread,
fruit, fruit juice and coffee. All of
which was prepared by the awesome breakfast team of Cliff, Josh F, Cameron and
Jake. Personally I had the best night’s
sleep yet which set me up nicely to begin our trek. No matter how many times
you could possibly view the Quilotoa lagoon and crater it could never be enough
to take it all in. The early morning views were a pleasing reward and just a five-minute
walk from the hostel; certainly motivation to prepare us for the hard day’s
trekking ahead.
We began
(properly) hiking on a path engraved into the rim of the extinct volcano by
animals and fellow travellers alike. The dirt path was dusty and thin which
defiantly added to the exhilaration of the trek. Eventually all good things
come to an end and for us we tore ourselves from the lagoon with memories to
last a lifetime. In order to reach the next town, clearly visible from the rim
of the volcano, we had to drop into and climb out of a vast canyon; a challenge
we attacked with relish. After a fair amount of downhill (the best as it
requires less effort) we reached our lunch stop, probably one of the best yet,
although that would be somewhat biased as I helped make it with Andrew and
Josh. And with the view we had across the magnificent canyon, the food seemed
to taste all the better.
Crossing a canyon
often results in having to cross a river at some point. Thankfully there was a
makeshift bridge that got everyone across safely. (Ed. probably best I take over from
here... As we approached the bridge we noticed three Belgium guys and a French
girl that we had met a few times while trekking during the day. They were half
way up a felled tree lying precariously against the crumbling walls of the
canyon. Our guide shouted and encouraged
them to descend. Only one guy took his
advice as the others desperately clung onto the tree...two guys then tried to
cross what looked like a vertical crumbling wall and were slipping and kicking
off lumps of earth. I realised then that
we needed to initiate a rescue. I got
the safety rope and ran up the path, which was relatively simple, Joaquin
running ahead of me, Mr McMillan coming up behind. Being at altitude I thought my lungs were
going to explode as we reached the point above where the crazy people were
climbing. By the time Joaquin and I
reached the point the guys were up and safe; their faces a little ashen from
the fright and adrenalin surge. However,
the girl was stuck. Joaquin quickly undid
the rope as I tied a suitable knot forming a loop which the girl just needed to
place over her head. Once she had
performed this task we quickly hauled her to safety. The French girl, however, rather than being
frightened by the ordeal, seemed to enjoy it, whooping as we brought her to the
safety of the path. I think there was a
few unhappy ‘adults’ around. The guys
made their excuses for such a crazy act and continued on their way to the top
of the canyon.
Upon
reaching the small village of Chucchilan and travelling through the settlement
we welcomed the sight of Hostel Cloud Forest as meant a well-deserved hot
shower! This is the nicest hostel yet, clearly indicated by the number of other
guests from across the world staying and all willing to chat and offer advice.
However, the ultimate feature of this hostel is the fact that it has hammocks
hanging from first and second floors. Reinforcing this is amazing views of the
trek we just completed cementing a sense of achievement. The ice cream Magnum, a
brilliant luxury which also helps!
We are all
eager for what tomorrow will entail.
Brent Whiteside
