So today started off just like all of our other mornings on the mainland! woke up bright an early to do some adventuring! We were heading off to Antisana (Ecuador's fourth largest volcano! :) ) it was about a 2 hour drive, but we stopped plenty for pictures! It was extremelyyyy windy up there... I was really super cold pretty much all day... I didn't realize how cold it was going to be exactly. I thought jeans and a tshirt with 2 tank tops underneath and my fleece over it would be enough... yea.. not so much!
Anyway! On our way up, we saw 3 Andean Condors flying above us! (Ugly birds... but HUGE! It can have a wingspan of up to 10 feet! holy cats!) It was super cool! We watched them for a little while and then decided to drive up a little more! As we got farther up (of course) it got colder and colder! So I was getting out of the van less and less (I don't enjoy being cold) But after awhile we finally saw the volcano! It was covered in clouds, so it was kind of hard to see at first...
We didn't think we would end up seeing it at all, so we continued up the a lagoon (where Joe, Jon, and I decided to stay in the van since it had started raining and none of us had a jacket, or warm clothes). So after everyone else returned, we started driving back. To our surprise, when we were heading towards the volcano again, we realized it had cleared up! We were starting to see more and more of it!
So we continued to drive, hoping those pesky clouds would move so we could see the peak! (After all, it was the reason we had driven up this way in the first place!) We gave it a little more time, and some people decided to walk even closer (crazy people...) and we FINALLY got most of the clouds to break!!
So pretty and so happy! :)
After taking a bunch more, we started to head back down, still continuing to take a few pictures! After a little way, we stopped on the road to make ourselves our lunch (a delicious avocado and cheese sandwich :) ) and we decided to walk down to this little field by a stream (we would be a little more out of the wind..) so we walk to the path and find the stream. Well, adventurous Jon and Rob jump over the stream (didn't seem too far). So of course I'm contemplating doing the same... (I seem to forget I have shorter legs). Everyone thought I could do it, and Rob reminded me of the pact we had made earlier... Just to be safe I took my camera out of my pocket and handed it to Joel (Thank goodness!!). Jon stood on the other side to grab me when I jumped... I gave myself a little bit of a running start... jumped... made it to the other side ( I'm thinking in my head... "yay! I did it!!") then... uh oh... tipped back... Jon grabbed my hand, but it didn't work... Fell back into the stream... sooooaked with water... freezing cold water... instinct was to get out... so I got out on the side I was jumping to... The wind was blowing so I was extra cold... I stripped off my fleece, and quick walked back across the stream... got out and took off the tshirt I was wearing (so I was left with my wet jeans and tank tops) and thankfully Joe and Rob both gave me their long sleeves... Still... I was extremely cold, so we walked the long walk back to the van...
Unfortunately I was miserably cold the rest of the drive, but we stopped at this really cool restaurant that only uses local food! they had a cute little playground (with a zip line) just for kids (right at the edge of the mountain side haha safe? yea I didn't think so either!) it was in a beautiful location, and the area is apparently known for attracting hummingbirds! Super cool, especially when you're at such a high altitude!
After the visit, we continued on back to Quito, where I am now sitting in my hotel room, still trying to warm up, but thinking about dinner! There will be pictures of my fall soon! haha.. We finally head to the Galapagos tomorrow! Should be there by the afternoon!! :) Can't wait!! xx
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