A lil bit of my world

Well I think the best description for my Cotopaxi trip was that it was a very beautiful semi-failure. Ben and I didn't end up meeting up in time due to a problem with the public transportation system, so I was there when we were supposed to leave but he wasn't. Since it was my last chance to go, I just went by myself. I sat by a group of friendly orthodontists on the train, so I just attached myself to their group. The two hour train ride, on top of the train, was absolutely gorgeous. I had no idea that so near to Quito it was so rural. All the sudden there were chickens, horses, hogs, lambs, fields and waving farmers everywhere. I felt like it was a great way for me to say goodbye to Ecuador's landscapes.

Upon arriving at the national park, you're supposed to get a group together and split the cost for a $35 truck ride up to where the hike begins. You have unitl 2pm to get back to the train from the first hiker's refuge, or you can spend the night and start the hike to the top at about 1am when the ice is hard. The friendly orthodontists, however, weren't sure if they wanted to go up the mountain or just stay and hike the green sunny mini-trails inside the park. They'd been really nice to me the whole trip so I felt like I should wait for them, but when they finally decided that they did not want to go up the mountain, all the other ambitious hikers had already left. So...we just ended up taking like a 10min hike through some foilage and then chillin on the grass after we ate lunch. It was pretty and relaxing, but disappointing that I didn't get to go up and see the "lunar landscape." The train ride back was equally impressive, and we got to see Cotopaxi from afar, but I'll have to live vicariously through Kathleen's pictures as far as the actual up-close-and-personal view of the mountainside goes.
I did get back around 5pm, in time to say goodbye to Antonio and Maria Julia.