When we talk to people about our blog site, we often get asked for the meaning behind our name, LivingTheQLife. It is actually pretty simple, our last name starts with the letter Q and when we first decided to start writing about the places that we’ve traveled to and the food that we’ve eaten, we thought to ourselves that we are fortunate to be living a good life. That simple thought turned into our name since we were living our lives in the best way that we could. This week’s Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge is anything with the letter Q, so we could have chosen just about anything, but here are few photos that represent the theme.
Queen Victoria Memorial in LondonHiking Around the Rim of Quilotoa in EcuadorLivingTheQLife in AmsterdamOpaque Clouds in ColoradoChanging of the Guards in Syntagma Square in Athens, GreeceAnother View of the Victoria Memorial for Queen Victoria in London
On a clear day, Cotopaxi is an ominous sight that can be seen looming in the distance outside of Quito. It is an active volcano that last erupted in August of 2015 and spewed ash and steam until January of 2016. You are no longer able to hike all of the way to the top, but you can hike up to the refuge shelter that sits about half way up the side of the volcano. There are evacuation route signs throughout the park providing a sense of how seriously one should take the possible threat of a future eruption.
View of the Refuge ShelterEvacuation Route SignView from the Base of Cotopaxi
Upon entering the park, you pass through a forest that is owned by a local lumber mill that provides wood for making furniture and other items. The road quickly deteriorates as you move your way closer to the base of the mountain and you pass through fields with wild horses roaming in the grasslands. It was a cloudy, foggy day, as is often the case, during our visit to the Cotopaxi National Park. We did get a few glimpses of the peak, although most of the time is was shrouded by clouds.
The steep road, which was made up of deep sand and ash, continued to get more and more difficult to travel the closer we got towards the trailhead. At several spots the road was almost unpassable due to the deep, slippery, sand and then as we rounded a bend just short of the trailhead, our driver got stuck and was not able to make it up the steep slope. We were just one of several vehicles that were not able to make it up this stretch of road even though we were in an all-wheel drive vehicle. It is definitely important to have a 4-wheel drive vehicle if you want to make it to the trailhead. We could have hiked up to the trailhead and then continued to the shelter house, but decided that due to the cold conditions and high altitude that we would pass on this particular hike.
Better Part of the RoadWind Swept Grasslands and Shrouded Volcano
Our guide then took us to the Limpiopungo glacier lake, which was created centuries ago and is home to an abundance of waterfowl and other birds. We did a nice hike around the lake, enjoying views of the wetlands and the volcano on the horizon. It was cold and windy, but the hike was very pleasant anyway. Afterwards, we stopped at a small, family-owned restaurant to enjoy a nice hot lunch before returning to Quito in the afternoon.
Ducks on the LakeHikers on the Trail around the LakeAnother Waterfowl
Visiting Cotopaxi is a simple, hour and a half drive from Quito and is well worth the time to visit. There are so many volcanoes in Ecuador that are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire and each is unique in their own way. If it is possible to go on a sunny day, you will be greeted with stunning views of the snow capped volcano.
Interesting WildflowersLooking across Limpiopungo Glacier LakeBirds on the Shore
If you want to get tremendous views of Quito, Ecuador, the Teleferico is definitely a great way to do it. The Teleferico is a cable car that takes you up the Pichincha volcano. Once the cable car drops you off, there is the opportunity to continue hiking even farther up the side of the mountain. In addition to views of Quito, if the weather is clear enough, you can see other volcanoes in the distance like Cayambe and Cotopaxi.
Riding Up the TelefericoAmazing ViewsView of Cotopaxi VolcanoVolcanoes Behind UsView of the Valley
Hiking at such high altitudes is definitely difficult and can easily take your breath away. It is strange for us, who live in Colorado, to see plants and trees growing at heights as high as 14,000 feet (4,270 meters). The tree line here starts at about 11,000 feet (3,350 meters) at which point the air is too thin for anything to grow. We assume that it is likely due to the high humidity in South America and the Andes mountains that allows plants to grow at such altitudes.
Looking Up at the TrailAmazing PeaksQuito with Cotopaxi Volcano in the DistanceYou can Ride Horses if You WantCayambe Volcano
Even if you don’t decide to hike up towards Bear Cave, the views from the top of the Teleferico are worth seeing if you are visiting Quito. The cable car ride itself is quite steep, so if you have a fear of heights you should try to sit so that you are looking up at the side of the mountain and not down. If you are able to, though, sitting so that you look back at Quito as you climb higher and higher provides amazing views. It is often foggy and cloudy in Ecuador, so if you are able to time your trip for a clear day, you will be rewarded with spectacular scenery.
Quito is a Long, Narrow CityStarting the HikeAmazing Views from the TrailRugged Landscape
