It began in the dark at 4.30 on another warm, damp morning in Puerto Lopez as Pedro and Mirella who look after the Book Bus house (and the volunteers!) waved us off and we began the journey to Manta, glad we`d opted for a taxi rather than a trek to the bus station as somehow our bags are still heavy, despite leaving books and pencils and stickers. Might be something to do with the souvenir shopping maybe.....
It was light as we got to Manta - where the air was suddenly much drier and we realised just how humid Puerto Lopez had been - and with the minimum of fuss boarded the plane for Quito......
...a regular service people seem to use like we might use the bus from Inverurie to Aberdeen (we met someone who was off to the dentist). However, it turned out to have rather more spectacular views.
We`d hardly had time to fasten our seat belts before some serious mountains hove into view
and then the big one....
....the "snow-capped, perfectly symmetrical cone of Volcan Cotopaxi". The Rough Guide also informs us that at 5897 metres Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world "it`s also one of Ecuador`s most destructive, with at least ten major disruptions since 1742 (though) fairly quiet since it`s last burst of activity in 1904, and today Cotopaxi is the most popular climb in Ecuador."
From the plane window it was quite simply awesome in the true sense of the word.
Then it was back to earth (not with a bump - very smooth landing) straight into another taxi (a process organised incredibly easily at the airport), quickly leaving traffic-clogged Quito behind
and watching as the landscape changed from dusty to green
to the lush surroundings of Mindo,where the cloud that makes it so hangs permanently over the forest
and Susan has decided that humming-birds don`t really count as birds at all ......I think we`re going to like it here. :)
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