vacation from vacation

I have often heard others on this trip talk about their vacation from vacation. A funny concept until you spend months on end unpacking and repacking your bag moving from town to town and identifying yourself with a story day to day.

Spring break brought respite; vacation from vacation came to me in the form of Devin and Marshall on break from BGI.

I cannot describe how nice it was to stay in a house I know (thanks to Mimi and Jim!) with friends I love, cooking food that tastes of home. Just having a kitchen to play in and dinner conversation that extends beyond travel was a source if joy.

What did we do with ourselves? Not much. :) we went to Otavalo, visited weavers in Peguche, ate lunch at lake cuicocha, explored the town of cotacachi, Devin and I lounged in fluffy grass while marshall climbed to the top of fuya fuya. On all of our field trips we were accompanied by Patricio, our very sweet and competent taxi driver.

After four relaxing days at casa mojanda we left to stay at Secret Garden Cotapaxi. Secret Garden has been my favorite hostel in my travels. They are in Quito and provide a great community feeling with delicious dinners on a rooftop terrace. About 40 people eat there each night and many travel companions meet and make plans at this table. Secret Garden has a second location two hours away and this is where I went with the boys.

Secret Garden Cotapaxi is situated on the far side of a valley at the foot of a 5900 meter volcano: cotopaxi. The inn is off grid, dinner nightly by candlelight, after dinner music around the fireplace. Hammocks strewn around a patio. Need I say more? We drank beers, laid in hammocks, read books and discussed various ways we might make the world a better place. For two days.

One of the hostel workers observed that we were skilled in the art of doing nothing and we felt compelled on day three to do a hike. To 5000 meters. I was shocked at the difficulty I had breathing, stunned by the beauty, though. It's a funny thing, as a child I always envisioned the soul's location to be in or near the lungs. On this trip my lungs were burning, I could not speak: my soul was glowing, I had no words. My eyes, though, they were feasting and feeding the soul!

A perfect ending to our stay at cotopaxi, to feel as though you are on top of the world with much beloved friends.

Onward to Lima to meet Mickey and visit machu picchu!