Quilotoa Loop

All of a sudden we're off to the rim of a crater tomorrow morning. Being here is almost like storm chasing -- chasing around to find a volcano behind the clouds. Finally, today we saw Tungurahua at La Casa del Arbol or tree house.

Looks innocent enough doesn't it?

Corn in one pot and some kind of funny looking meat in another for all the visitors trying to look at the volcano. The locals who have to run from its explosions must think we're all nuts.

Next to the tree house is a 24/7 seismic monitoring station to evaluate and report the volcano's internal gases and sounds. The station is connected to a webcam and reports to emergency services down below.

We decided to walk 6 kilometers down the mountain to a resort that turned out to have better promotion than services. On the way down we decided to leave Banos tomorrow morning by bus to a town about 100 kilometers from the Quilatoa Laguna.

An impressive fruit or vegetable.

We were going to go by bus and I was dreading all the hassle. We've read that logistics to the crater are a "nightmare."  But the taxi driver who brought us back down from the resort today suggested that he drive us to somewhere not too far from the crater, wait while we go down into it and then take us back to a hotel 100 km. away (for a price). I blessed my lucky stars and also Bob who agreed.

We'll be hiking around the lower loop of the crater's rim.

Internet photo of the laguna.

We're thinking of you Christmas shopping, listening to carols and having fun preparing for the big day. Hugs to all.