The Big Rescue

Well I´m back in civilization. Not that I really left it but anyways... I departed Quito with Kate from Boston on Friday for the Andean highlands. We took a bus and then rode in the back of a truck to get to the breathtaking Laguna Quilotoa. From there we checked into a hostel run by a local indigenous Quichua family that cost $8/night including dinner and breakfast (did I mention that Ecuador is even cheaper than Colombia?). After dropping some weight from our backpacks we left to complete the 5 hour hike around the rim of the Laguna (inside of an inactive volcano). The first 2/3 of the hike went smoothly; indescribable scenery all around- the sparkling laguna, patchwork mountainside, etc. After following the top rim of the volcano for approx. 3 hours, the path began to wind down towards the laguna, which was a welcome change to the taxing inclines and fierce winds. After awhile though, we realized that we should not have dropped down from the rim at all. We had long ago lost the path and were descending into bush. Then came the giant ridge that would prove to be impossible to cross. We began to worry abut how difficult it would be to get back up when out of nowhere a local Quichua woman appeared to offer us her ¨guide services¨ After bartering her down from $8 to $5, she led us to a path that we never would have found on our own and was patient as we struggled to keep up behind her. Best $5 I ever spent...
After returning to the hostal, we realized that we had no running water in our room to shower (very smelly we were). But it would have been to cold to get wet anyways. While we waited for supper, we huddled under the 20 pounds of blankets with all our clothes on. With supper finished in 5 minutes or less (we were STARVING), we found ourselves back in the room at 8pm with nothing to do to pass the time until bed. After playing a few rounds of tic tac toe and MASH, we settled in under the blankets to sleep. I woke up around 1am and was unable to fall back asleep the rest of the night as my heart was racing too hard from the altitude.
After breakfast the next day, we hiked back along the crater rim aways to get to the path that would take us through one village and on to another, 5 hours away. The day went quite smoothly and we found ourselves a great hostel in Chugchilan. Being only 1 pm when we arrived, we decided to do some more hiking, mostly to avoid playing tic tac toe again. We started uphill along a road that was to lead us to a cheese factory and then a small cloud forest. An hour and a half later we reached the top of the road, just when the heavy fog began to descend from the other side of the mountain. We were starving by this time and ready for some cheese. Just then we saw the sign through the mist for the cheese factory, which came as a great relief. But after descending down the road past the for over an hour, we cxame to the conclusion that we musthave made a wrong turn somewhere. It was beginning to rain at this point and it was very cold. Again afraid that we may not make it home before dark, we turned around to head back the way we came.
At this point we were thoroughly exhausted and in no shape to run from or defend ourselves from dogs. The choice however was not ours, and when the dog came running behind us barking out of the mist, we picked up sticks and began shouting to intimidate it from infecting us with rabies. It followed at a far distance for quite some time, occasionally closing in a bit. Eventually it backed off and we were safe but completely spent and we still had some was uphill to go before we couild descend back into town. Clearly we made it alive or I would not be posting this, but it was quite the experience!
Today was less exciting, but we did get to ride in the back of a milk truck for an hour to the next town to catch the bus back to Latacunga. From there we had 2 more short bus rides, which brings me to Banos where I now sit typing.