So, as usual our plans have changed approximately 1,000 times in the last few days. After much deliberation, stress and intesity (which this trip has been full of), we have come to the conclusion that the best option for us right now is to relax in Baños. We don´t want to hire a guide, and barely got into Cotopaxi without one...it is apparently very illegal, and, with only 4 days left, we are running out of time! So, we are going to spend our last few days here hanging out at the hot springs, hiking and maybe even renting some bikes.
Ok, so when we decided to go to Baños, we didn´t think it would be super difficult. Just a few bus rides....and it would have been just like that except....when we got off of one bus to catch another bus in the middle of nowhere Ecaudor....the door to the storage under the bus (where our backpacks with all of our mountaineering gear and everything) was STUCK. The bus driver tried to get us to go catch our other bus without our stuff...and we starting swearing and jumped on the bus and refused to leave until they opened the door!!! You DONT mess with a mountaineer and their backpack. We waited impatiently for one hour...got ice cream...another hour....got greasy french fries...and the final hour...we each drank a liter of Pilsener (Beer)...we chatted with local Ecuadorian girls, and watched as the bus repair people tried to clean out a pipe which they thought was blocking the air pressure for the door opening. We asked the local girls if this happened a lot, and they said...¨Yep.¨ damn. Eventually the door popped open and we hopped back on to the next bus stop and to Baños where we found a super funky hostel. What should have taken 4 hours took 10. Welcome to South America ;) Oh, and did we mention that our entire food bag was nabbed right out from under our noses? Guess we wont be enjoying that freeze dried blueberry cheese cake or the mac-n-chez we have been saving; Hope someone is happy!
The decission to let go of the big mountains has not been easy. In a way if feels like we are compromising our original goals by settling for day hikes and Pilseners, but on the other hand this whole trip has been far more than any of us were prepared for. Its hard to justify letting a giude take us up mountains, paying them to make us hot coco and fluff our sleeping bags, when we know its well without our capabilities. However, there are rules that we cannot get around, time we cannot stretch, and emotional exhaustion that has brought us to a stopping point. Its hard, feeling like we trained so hard, and invested so much time and energy into these mountains, and then have to step down. But maybe that is another great lesson in climbing, maybe it all comes back to the quote that became so real to me (Melissa) after Aconcagua: ¨One cannot always reach the summit, or the mountain loses its mystery.¨ These mountains are still so mysterious; but climbable. I am so motivated to head back home and continue to solidify myself as a climber so that next time, I can tackle these mountains with the respect they deserve. So I guess Baños isnt such a compromise; hopefully it will provide a time for reflection and decompression, and a time to smile and enjoy this beautiful country we are in. Up until this point, its been stressful, and hard. I think we are ready to kick back and just be in the moment, with each other, and still be under the watchful eye of the increadible mountains around us.
Ok, so when we decided to go to Baños, we didn´t think it would be super difficult. Just a few bus rides....and it would have been just like that except....when we got off of one bus to catch another bus in the middle of nowhere Ecaudor....the door to the storage under the bus (where our backpacks with all of our mountaineering gear and everything) was STUCK. The bus driver tried to get us to go catch our other bus without our stuff...and we starting swearing and jumped on the bus and refused to leave until they opened the door!!! You DONT mess with a mountaineer and their backpack. We waited impatiently for one hour...got ice cream...another hour....got greasy french fries...and the final hour...we each drank a liter of Pilsener (Beer)...we chatted with local Ecuadorian girls, and watched as the bus repair people tried to clean out a pipe which they thought was blocking the air pressure for the door opening. We asked the local girls if this happened a lot, and they said...¨Yep.¨ damn. Eventually the door popped open and we hopped back on to the next bus stop and to Baños where we found a super funky hostel. What should have taken 4 hours took 10. Welcome to South America ;) Oh, and did we mention that our entire food bag was nabbed right out from under our noses? Guess we wont be enjoying that freeze dried blueberry cheese cake or the mac-n-chez we have been saving; Hope someone is happy!
The decission to let go of the big mountains has not been easy. In a way if feels like we are compromising our original goals by settling for day hikes and Pilseners, but on the other hand this whole trip has been far more than any of us were prepared for. Its hard to justify letting a giude take us up mountains, paying them to make us hot coco and fluff our sleeping bags, when we know its well without our capabilities. However, there are rules that we cannot get around, time we cannot stretch, and emotional exhaustion that has brought us to a stopping point. Its hard, feeling like we trained so hard, and invested so much time and energy into these mountains, and then have to step down. But maybe that is another great lesson in climbing, maybe it all comes back to the quote that became so real to me (Melissa) after Aconcagua: ¨One cannot always reach the summit, or the mountain loses its mystery.¨ These mountains are still so mysterious; but climbable. I am so motivated to head back home and continue to solidify myself as a climber so that next time, I can tackle these mountains with the respect they deserve. So I guess Baños isnt such a compromise; hopefully it will provide a time for reflection and decompression, and a time to smile and enjoy this beautiful country we are in. Up until this point, its been stressful, and hard. I think we are ready to kick back and just be in the moment, with each other, and still be under the watchful eye of the increadible mountains around us.
WOW! You have had such a great experience in Ecuador and have learned SOOO much! I am so proud of you girls. I know things have turned out differently than expected, but that is how life is. But the knowledge you girls have learned is priceless. And Nat and Mel did summit Cotopaxi...not too shabby! :-) Enjoy the rest of your stay in South America! Be Safe and love to you all!
ReplyDelete