Quilotoa Crater (December 3-5)

Last weekend Lela and I explored the Quilotoa Crater and the gorgeous mountains in the area. Even though we were robbed on the bus on the way there, we still had a great time. On Friday we hiked down into the crater, which took 30 minutes to descend and about an hour to get back to the top. It was quite steep! On Saturday we headed out early and hiked for nearly 11 hours, and about 18 miles total.
First we hiked around the top of the crater and down into a valley, into a canyon and then back up into the little town of Chugchilàn. We met an awesome peacecorp couple from Portland, OR who joined us on the way there. On the way back to Quilotoa where our hostel was, we ran into four other CIMAS students who were backpacking in the same area. Once we reached the crater again we decided to loop all the way around it and just before we got back into the town we saw a gorgeous sunset reflected in the lake. After another night in the little village, we departed early Sunday morning and walked and rode buses back to Latacunga, where we ate more amazing fried corn and cheese fritters and then continued onto Quito.

 On the way down into the Quilotoa Crater on Friday afternoon

 Chilly start to our hike on Saturday morning at 12,000 plus feet

 Illiniza Volcanoes

 View down into the Valley of Chugchilàn

 On the way back up to the crater, passing some Andean Quichua women herding sheep

 Clouds rolling in during the afternoon

Sunset over the lake inside the Quilotoa Crater on Saturday night