Cotopaxi-Quilotoa Ecuador

Last weekend we took advantage of our first three day vacation and flew to Quito for another mountain biking adventure in the Andes Mountains. We had 7 great friends join us for the two day adventure and we were able to experience some amazing places in this beautiful country. Check it out:

The adventure started at the top of Mount Cotopaxi, over 15,000 ft and the tallest active volcano in the world. Seriously, that's high.

Little D rocking the moonscape

All together we had a group of 16 riding through this wild landscape

No, those aren't shorts left behind by the last guest at this sketchy hostel, they were there to cover the vent. Classy! We had a group of 5 in 1 room, the bathroom door wouldn't stay closed and there was no shower curtain. Needless to say, we all got an extra 10 minutes of sleep by not showering. Classic.

Much of day 2 was riding through farmland as we descended back into a small market town. Having a chance to see the everyday life of the farmers was a personal favorite, that and having some of the little village kids along the way throw rocks at us. They were all smiles and waves just until you were about to pass them and then, whamooo! "Welcome to my village". Cute kids.

The Saturday market was full of all the usual Ecuadorian offerings: clothes, art, unidentifiable food, stray dogs and wonderful people.

Laguna Quilotoa was the main destination for us this trip. It is a spectacular crater lake within the Andes Mountains. We woke up early and hiked near the crater rim as the sun was rising.

Now that's pretty

Yep, that's the real deal........guinea pig! Check out the 3 little piggies in the background.

It tasted a lot like an old leather hiking boot seasoned with garlic, onions and mystery juices. D-licious.

Still living the good life!