Day 64:
Left early in the morning. My Volcanology class requires me to go on at least two trips and do a report about them. I opted for climbing Cotopaxi, the second tallest volcano in Ecuador, but also the most likely to be the demise of the entire country. Cotopaxi, as i have learned, is possible of erupting with a VEI (volcano explosively index) of about a 6 out of 8. To give you an idea, Krakatoa was a 6, and it kill 120,000 people and demolished the entire island. If you think I am in danger, don’t worry about me. Yosemite is a possible 8; and this is on a logarithmic scale i might add, meaning that when it blows, it will be 1000 times larger and possibly start the next ice age. So im worried about you. 
Anyway, we boarded the bus to our destination at about 6:30 in the morning, driving until about 10 or 11. Stopping briefly to be lectured about volcanos and rocks and what not, which was all very interesting, but terribly hard to pay attention too, standing on top of old lava and stuff. Ill skip the boring details and tell you that we drove through this valley that was scattered with rocks in an otherwise desolate landscape high above the city. You could see the clouds rolling in over the other three volcanos surrounding Cotopaxi covering the peaks in snow. After about 200 switch backs and a movie later, we made it to the base camp of the Volcano. We had a brief lecture in the volcanos likely lava flow basin looking at different types of volcanic rocks. It is literally unfathomable to imagine such a large area covered in molten rock and ash traveling at 100 miles an hour towards the helpless cities that line the base. Mind boggling.
We were then given two hours to climb the volcano and experience what it had to offer. We climbed for about 30 minutes on red sand like substance before making it to the refuge on about 10 minutes from the glacier. Had a nice cup of hot chocolate, the only cup i have had here i might add, and some soup. Once regaining our energy, we managed to scale the rest to the edge of the glacier. It was indescribable. There is a permanent glacier at the top of a volcano a few hundred miles from the Equator! MOTHER NATURE IS SO COOL!
We drank some fresh glacier water, had a snow ball fight, took stupid photos and decided to hike down; or fall down. Im not sure which is more appropriate. What do you do at the top of a volcano? I tried rolling down the side, but volcanic rock doesn’t feel good when you have it in your eyes. I tried mooning the whole world, but my butt started to freeze. I tried sledding but ice isn’t always slick. Whatever we did, it was crazy.
We made it back to the busses just in time, and left for our next destination.
The city of Baños is very cool, i wish we could have spent more time there. Walking through the little artisan markets is always nice, and trying to barter for large knives you don’t need has its moments. Apparently we were there right during a parade, complete with fireworks and band. Not too shabby. Dinner was interesting, conversation topics hardly ever stray from inappropriate poop jokes or complaining about service. I mean really. Who puts left over pizza in a paper bag; greasy pizza, on a rainy day. That just doesn’t make any sense, and makes for a really awful motel room air freshener.
Day 65:
About 4 hours after i had fallen asleep, we were expected to be on the bus. As angry as i was at the time, I would soon come to forgive our MLP. (Most Loco Professor). I fell asleep on the bus to the waterfall, but wish i hadn’t. The scenery was some of the most beautiful i have EVER seen. I am not exaggerating.
We arrived at a small bamboo building covered in exotic plants and were instructed to hike through the cloud forest until we couldn’t anymore. After a short geological lecture about how the ENITRE valley had been carved out by one explosion by Cotopaxi, and what i was seeing was the impact of a 250 yr old avalanche, it started to put the rest of the day in perspective.
Im going to try and describe this waterfall, but i know, that i will not even come close to giving it justice. After hiking for about 20 minutes through the cloud forest, and fighting the urge to stop every 23 seconds to take a picture or drink from bamboo aqueducts that jut out from the cliff providing water to the nearby web of vines and probably deadly plants, you come to a small manmade rock Kodak moment infront of the waterfall, which by the way is named Pailón del Diablo or Whirlpool of the Devil. This small rock outcrop also is the entrance to a small cave which leads you behind the Devil’s whirlpool, meaning you are literally standing behind the crest of a 200 foot waterfall that rips at your skin if you are brave enough to stick your hand in it. On my way back to the buses, i took a little detour. There is a bridge that crosses the river and leads to El Otro Lado, from this bridge you have the best view of the waterfall. The water falls between a large volcanic rock that looks like it is floating above the water Avatar style. Complete with vines and trees, the rocks are smaller at the bottom than they are at the top, giving the illusion that the rocks levitate. The clouds of mist rose over the sides of the floating rocks and up the cliff making it look like giant white cotton balls where falling down the sides of the green cliff face, or like cream on the side of an especially green key lime pie, and you are in the key lime pie. I thought i was dreaming.
The rest of the day was less spectacular, including an 6 hour drive back and a dirty fried chicken restaurant.
Day 666- 69 ( i think at this point my day numbering system is off):
This week, i…. i uh… spent a lot of money, learned how to break someones knee, did a back flip, played with playdough, ate WAY too many burgers and organized a break dance battle at my school. I cant think of anything else too memorable.
Day ~70:
Once again, another schedule trip for volcanology class. This is one of the strangest classes i’ve taken in a while. This weekend we are scheduled to go to the coast, an 8 hr bus ride from Quito. This means four lousy movies, a lot of pee breaks, 3 doughnuts and two ice creams later we arrive at the coast on an overcast day around 11pm. Not much to do but run around the beach, and lie in the hammocks.
Day ~71: Tempting Death:
Today was a day were, on more than one occasion, I could have fallen, drowned, blown up, choked or poisoned myself to death, but i suppose thats not much different from most days. (Don’t worry mom, i WAS being careful!). Today we woke up, had a nice beach front breakfast then boarded the bus to begin our adventures. We ended up at this escalation site where supposedly ruins of an ancient city were about to be found, but the government wouldn’t let them dig any more. Im skeptical. We were given an explanation of all this while we walked around looking at what is known as a ‘Black Smoker’. This is not a racist term, to my knowledge, but rather a geological structure that is responsible for the oceans saltiness. Apparently the one we saw, almost perfectly preserved, is one of only two that have similar rock formations. ( Forgive me, i may have my facts wrong. I was explained all this in a very costal accent ) The rocks we saw produced a bluish green mineral that had the texture of chalk, mixed with obsidian, or black glass. Educationally very interesting.
During our short break we went up to the main base of the excavation site and had a drink. And by drink i mean liquid 8th grade locker room stank with alcohol. It was repulsive. Our MLP (who shall remain nameless in order to protect his job) suggested we all try a sip of this water down orange juice like substance in a gatorade bottle. As the foul substance approached my mouth, the stench was so powerful, it reminded me of death and how i would probably meet him very soon. I sipped a drop, a single drop, and my throat burned for the rest of the day. Our MLP most kindly informed us later that we had just drank the guts of smashed spiders, snakes, and scorpions mixed with a powerful homemade moonshine made right there. Pleasant, right?
We descended back into actual blasting site for a small demonstration of two guys filling size living room sized rocks with explosives. After some deliberation about how far away we should stand, and joking about how rocks would be hurled at us like bullets, the six rocks exploded in succession causing splinters of Andosite and Basalt ( i have finally learned my rock types) flying at us and littering the ground with rocks the size of my head. It was quite entertaining.
After our close encounter with a possible landslide or cliff collapse, we made our way to the beach. Very pretty beach, with very powerful waves. We walked along the beach and talked about the pillow lava formations, which incidentally make very rough boulders that are not conducive for climbing barefoot. Anyway, after our brief lecture we went into some giant volcanic tubes that and formed caved in a boulder. Every few seconds the cave would fill up with water from the crashing waves, then drain just as quickly, it was pretty remarkable. Swimming there was kind of a challenge, considering the current pulled so hard that two of the students nearly drowned.
The boulder also has, if you chose to climb it, a very small bamboo bridge that is fastened to the rock with rising line, crossing this ~25 ft bamboo bridge was one of the scarier things i’ve done here, as it bowed about a foot in the middle, and cracked as i balanced across it. Once on the other side, i was able to jump from the rock into the water, provided that a wave had washed over the jagged rocks beneath, it being low tide and all…
We had lunch on the sand. Fresh fish, rice, some bananas, and a pepsi. Very good.
Later that night, things started to get crazy, in a different sort of way. We began by trying to start a bonfire on the beach (unsuccessful) and make a torch out of a piece of bamboo and someone’s lace panties. When the rest of the class heard about our endeavors, they joined in, rather drunkenly. The night proceeded for most with drunken wrestling, stumbling make outs, a strange nude man that instead on getting in the pool, but wouldn’t. I didn’t get much sleep because one of our in-bus-movies had provoked many drunks to scream obscenities at the top of their lungs in strange accents right outside my door. I suppose this is Ecuador.
Day 72-ish:
Did a report on the beach about different types of rocks, then tried to go paragliding. The weather was not cooperative, and only allowed the two lightest members of our group to fly to the beach. Bummer. Afterwards, we spent another 9 hours on the bus back to Quito.
photos:
-thots
