June 3, 2019
Our day started in Quito with the intent to get on the road as early as possible. Our destination for the day was the Chilcabamba lodge high in the Andes mountains. Kevin choose a road that was beautiful but rustic. The road was very old and was cobblestone and dirt most of the way. The road wound its way from up the Andes from 8,000 feet to over 13,000 feet in elevation. The Chilcabamba Lodge sits at around 13,300 feet.
The air at the lodge was hard to get used too, however, we adapted to it about the time we were leaving for the low elevation Amazon. We arrived around nine in the morning with the expectation of going horseback riding in Cotopaxi right away. One thing we had learned so far is that punctuality doesn’t mean as much Ecuador. We were told our ride to go to the horses would be there at 11:00 and at 10:15 it showed up. After a short but bumpy ride, we were at the base of the Cotopaxi volcano.
We had to wait another hour for our guide to show up, but the wait was worth it, we were able to see Andean Condors taking off for flight. We also got to watch the clouds ebb and flow on the side of the volcano. After a while, we saw four horses run down the mountain toward the coral and we were told to get ready.
We were presented with four horses that are much smaller than the horses we are used to in Colorado. This was Noah and Annaleigh’s first time on horses, but they caught on quickly and they did great. We choose to do the three-hour tour knowing full well our behinds might suffer.
We all paired up with horses and after a little lesson off we went. Kevin told the guide we wanted an easy calm ride since this was the kids first riding experience. The weather was calm but cloudy and spitting rain, and for most of the trip, it was good. We brought rain gear for the ride but instead, we wore alpaca ponchos that did a very good job of keeping everyone dry and warm. Sarah was paired with the slowest horse, Kevin’s horse wanted to be in the lead, Noah’s horse hated anyone passing it, and Anna’s horse was content with whatever.
We got to ride among “wild” horses in a desolate landscape at 14,000 feet. Kevin found a way to use his large camera while riding and even brought his large gear pack along the way. Halfway through the trip, we stopped for a break and we saw the remains of an Inca ring. Toward the end of the trip, we were all very happy to see the lodge again. Back at the Tambopaxi lodge, we had lunch, however, Noah barely ate and wasn’t feeling well and the rest of us didn’t have huge appetites. The altitude was getting to us all in one way or another.
After eating we headed back to the Chilcabamba lodge to relax. We spent the rest of the evening relaxing waking the grounds and watching the clouds flow over the volcano. At dinner, Noah and Annaleigh both wanted hot chocolate which is made from melted chocolate and they both enjoyed it. Noah also got to try another new fruit, Babaco.