Cotopaxi

Sun 20 April - bright sunshine, clear sky, and snowy Cotopaxi sitting right outside my dorm window. Stunning. last night we saw it clearly directly beneath the southern cross - what an amazing sight... one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. The sky was black, pitch black, but looked to be lit up by the snow on top of the volcano, reflections from the full moon above. None of us could capture it on our cameras... trying to imprint it on my memory instead! With the sun up on Sunday morning, the guys - Colin, Hessl, Nick and Peter - and I headed up Ruminahuai for some trekking and downhill biking while the girls went off on horses - I know, I know, you normally wouldnt get me on a bike at all, but since we couldnt trek on Cotopaxi, I was after the next best thing. Then, Jesus, the altitude. I thought my lungs were going to collapse in on top of themselves. So much for acclimatising in Quito... more like doing bugger all exercise in Quito for 3 weeks bar salsa dancing, and then paying the price for it! I was very glad for the few hikes with Pat´s gang pre-Ecuador - at least I knew I wouldnt die completely once I got my breath back! I ended up face down on the dirt track trying to slow my breathing - not at my most elegant!!! By the time we got up to the ridge though, I was in great form - and then decided to go higher! The view down over the valley was amazing (photos are generously contributed by Colin and Hessl cos my memory card corrupted!)

The downhill was great - at speed - but boy am I glad I didnt have the bike with no back brakes! By the time we got to the ´driveway´of the hostel though, the rain arrived, and by the time I got back to the hostel, I was wetter than a drowned duck. I have never been so drenched in my life. But I just had time to warm up again before I headed back to the city for my early a.m. flight to the Galapagos! ... lol... I shouldnt have bothered... heat was not going to be in short supply there!!!