The Quilotoa Loop

Our spontaneous decision to go to Quilotoa was no longer an idea, but our new home for the night. Our scenic route to Quilotoa ventured into the Andes through abandoned looking villages, sloped mountainside farmlands, and cloud infused roads. The ride was rather windy given that we were sitting in the back of an open truck. Over the span of our 3 hour drive, the air turned briskly cold, and each breath was somewhat less satisfying than the one preceding. At 4200m above sea level, the clouds drifted through an alley of huts located on the plateau of Quilotoa. The only 3 homes, doubling also as hostels and meal providers, catered us with a warm meal and some tea. With the purchase of Kenn’s fabulous new wool poncho, and some day old bread with jam, we were ready to venture over the edge.

A narrow passage wedged through the volcano crater rim brought us to the lookout. The view was… white. Several minutes into our decent, along with a potion of luck casted from my magic wand (a piece of wild grass served as a great substitute), the clouds lifted and blue sky joined the social gathering. The view was spectacular. The lake grew larger than our expectations could imagine. The shades of blue and green danced across the water for a vast dynamic range our eyes could feast on.

Kenn and I hiked three quarters down the trail and veered right to our elected platform looking suitable for camp. Our detour consisted of exposed ridges, rock waterfalls, and narrow gullies. We set up the tent and escaped the cold by crawling into our down sleeping bags. The skies were promising and we decided to sleep under our mesh canopy for the night. Once we turned off our headlamps, it’s as if someone turned on the night light. The sky was overwhelmed with stars that glittered both above and below us in its reflections over the water. We were awakened by a chilly breeze. The volcano ridges leaked a bluish tint of light revealing the new day ahead of us.

The ascent was breath taking, literally. We hiked half way around the volcano rim. Several unmarked trail junctions crossed our path. We altered our route at the eucalyptus wooded junction. We were not sure what a eucalyptus tree looked like, but our sixth senses agreed.