QUILOTOA DECEMBER 2018
If you have watched the video of the song « Y si tu la ves » by Nicky Jam and Wisin, you recognized it. Quilotoa lagoon is the first image of the video, at the very beginning of the song and it occurs multiple times during the video.
The lagoon is in the Andes and it formed at the bottom of a volcano.
It is such a breath-taking view that you feel directly projected into a National Geographic documentary. We travelled by car a few hours from Quito to get there. Quilotoa is managed by the indigenous community settled there.
To go to the bottom, there are two options:
- by donkey
- walking
We opt for a mixed system and decide to go down walking and go up with the donkey.
It took more than one hour to reach the bottom. We basically are walking along the inner wall of the volcano crater, something I do for the first time.
Ecuadorian Andes are constellated of volcanos: Cotopaxi, Tungurahua are two of the most famous ones, some of which still active, but this one has been quite for a good while.
We arrive at the bottom and in front of us we find this beautiful green surface of water. I felt it I would love comping there for at least a couple of days. It would be amazing to wake up in the morning there and do some yoga while contemplating the lagoon. However there is no point for me to express loudly such a wish. I know my travel mates are never going to accept, so I add it to the list of things to do when I go back alone.
There is a small kiosk there selling snacks and drinks. We buy some grilled corn and to drink I have un canelazo con puntas. A canelazo con puntas is basically a hot drink with cinnamon. The basic version is alcohol free, but when they add puntas, it means there is alcohol inside.
Time to climb up arrives and we approach the donkeys to go back. The guardians help us to jump on them. It is a funny ride till the top.
Once there, I turn back a last time to say « Thank you ».
We sit in the car and we head to Baños de Agua Santa. On the way, we stop to have some food.
There is a super small « restaurant » , very very basic. They sell grilled meat and corn.
We sit. The lady takes from the grill the meat pieces with her hands and put them in a dish, We eat with our hands as well. Forget about cutlery and hygienic standard. If they can, so do I.
The best way to clean your fingers afterwards is to suck them.
A small flock of lama walks slowly in the middle of the road. I ask the driver to slow down so that I can take a picture. The people accompanying the lamas get angry and shout at me: « Pagaran ». They want me to pay for taking pictures. The driver accelerates.
