Avenue of the Volcanoes

Ecuador has a backbone of volcanic mountains running down its center.  Yesterday I visited two spectacular spots along the "Avenue of the Volcanoes": 

Quilotoa Crater and Volcan Cotopaxi.

Quilotoa Crater formed when a volcano erupted violently 800 years ago.
 Slowly it has filled and a gorgeous lake has formed.

I didn't descend all the way to the bottom, but I did walk part of the way around the top.
I could feel how much less oxygen was available to breathe at these high altitudes.

Yes, those are llamas.  And yes, that's a rainbow.  Happy Zappy!

Can you spot the face?

There were signs all over Cotopaxi National Park informing people about evacuation routes.
Cotopaxi is an active volcano.

In fact, Cotopaxi had a big eruption last August.  Nearby towns were evacuated.
Scientists believe a massive eruption is likely to occur in the next few years.
Here's a link to webcams that film Cotopaxi 24 hours a day.

Here's what Cotopaxi looks like on a clear day.

And here's what I saw.  Huge disappointment.

I tried to console myself by admiring moss growing in designs on rocks.

But then, miraculously, the clouds parted and I got a peek at Volcan Cotopaxi.

This is the last time I smiled yesterday.
After this, I got stuck in a horrible traffic jam for many hours heading to Quito.
Oh, and I vomited.  A lot.