The next morning, slightly hungover from the wine bar the night before, a van and a guide, Carolina, picked us up from our hotel and we headed south on bumpy, country roads towards Cotopaxi National Park. It was nice to see some of the country communities rather than traveling by highway, but it was a little bit like a rodeo trying to stay in our seats.
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| Michael, Taylor and Mike getting pumped up for zip lining! |
Our destination: zip-lining!! After getting outfitted, my Dad, Michael, and I hiked up to the top of 5 very long zip-lines which spanned back-and-forth across a canyon. My mom chose to avoid the inevitable virtigo and go for a hike to a waterfall instead, saying that zip-lining once is her lifetime (a few years ago in Nicaragua) was enough.
After zip-lining, we took the van to the hacienda for lunch. Hacienda El Porvenir sits at around 11,600 feet is an active hacienda, meaning it is not just a place for tourists to stay, but still engages in some of the traditional agricultural and animal activities. Our meals were delicious and primarily made on-site with local ingredients. The buildings are very nicely decorated, with large, fresh flower arrangements on all the tables and giant, always-lit fireplaces with sitting areas around them. It was a very classy place that attracts a ton of attention in the high tourism season. Lucky for us, we had the place mostly to ourselves.
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| Sharon, Mike and Taylor enjoying tea and empanadas by the fire |
At the same time as us, two ladies from South Africa arrived and we spent a good amount of our time in their company. They were energetic, well-traveled, and good-humored anesthesiologists who provided a lot of entertainment with their stories of traveling in Africa and abroad.
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| Mike, Michael, Taylor and Sharon outfitted and ready to ride |
The first morning was everyone´s highlight. After a good breakfast, we were outfitted in traditional Ecuadorian-cowboy style with panchos, chaps, and our hats (which we bought in Otavalo). My mom got the best chaps with long, dreadlock-like hair that earned her the nickname "Chewbacca's mother." It was hilarious. Then, properly dressed, we were given a horse and left for a 3.5-hour ride over the hacienda´s land that abuts Cotopaxi National Park. In the earlier morning, we had a glimpse of the top of Cotopaxi, but the clouds obscured most of it during the ride (Unfortunately, Michael and I have yet to actually see the mountain we climbed). Nonetheless, we had great views of a lower and closer volcano, and it was wonderful to ride through fields of grasses and wildflowers with its rocky peak looming overhead.
We returned to the hacienda just as a rainstorm arrived - and it rained on and off almost until we left the next morning. Most of our remaining time at the Hacienda was spent sipping wine, reading, talking, and/or playing games in front of the roaring fire. It was very peaceful - definitely a highlight of our trip.
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| Michael, embracing his cowboy side, sitting by the fireplace |
We arrived back in Quito, and after some packing, we headed out for our final dinner together before my parents left. My parents were ready to head home and Michael and I were ready to continue our travels, but none of us really wanted to say goodbye. I am so appreciative that they came down for those two weeks to travel with us, and I miss having them here now to chat over a bottle of wine.
The next morning, Michael and I caught a taxi to the airport at 5:15am, the beginning of 40 hours of continuous traveling by plane, bus, and taxi. Ultimately, after an overnight bus ride, we arrived at the final destination of our trip: Huaraz, Peru!!!
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