One Last Update

Left Photo : Cotopaxi towering above Quito, here photographed in 2011. This year, the skies did not clear enough for us to witness it in the distance. 

Right Photo: A woman in her stand at the market puts the final touches on little dolls. 

Sunday, the last day in Quito, is spent further discovering the city and its surroundings. The group divides in subgroups according to interests; after all, some members have been part of the CAMTA team for multiple years and not everyone has the drive to climb Cotopaxi yearly!

The Cotopaxi hiking team (Tim, Don, Alex, Alex, Érica, Neethling, Cathleen) 2017! 

Cotopaxi is an active volcano just a few hours outside of Quito. On a clear day, it towers over Quito's smaller mountains, with his snowcapped summit often hiding amid the clouds. Towering over 5800m, the hike is strenuous. Though the ascent is not technical the altitude takes a toll on hikers' lungs. The weather changes quickly, which sometimes prevents the groups from reaching the glacier. This year, some were lucky to go all the way! Others hired a local guide to bring them out in the mountains between Otavalo and Quito, to hike around a volcanic lake.

Some group members opted for a “futbol” (soccer) game with Quito's local team (La Ligua) opposing their rivals from a coastal town. The energy at the game was contagious and the group attempted to chant alongside the locals. Other parties drifted off to the “mercado artesanal” where Quito's artists conglomerate on Sundays to sell their paintings and their textiles.

A Quito street in the Old Town and a futbol game with Jorge, our driver and walking encyclopedia. 

That day in Quito is the last occasion for CAMTA members to soak in what defines Quito: her colors, her fragrances and tastes, her bustling energy and impressive cultural legacy, her parks or the urban labyrinth of the Old Town. Locally hired guides or taxi drivers are knowledgeable of their city's history and are always delighted to share with curious foreigners. 

A very partial view of Quito, from the vantage point of El Panecillo. Quito is a very dense city, that nearly three million people call home.