From our hostel in Cotacachi, we took a van up to the national park of Cotacachi Cayapas. There we embarked on a 14km (8.7 miles) hike around la Laguna de Cuicochi. Gasping for breath at an elevation of just over 10,000ft, we stopped frequently to listen to Claudio Moralas. We learned about nearly every plant along the trail. Claudio explained the medicinal uses of plants, identified gorgeous and unique orchids and wild Andean onions, and demonstrated the dying effects of the sanchi plant. Obsessed with the rouge juice of sanchi, our hands, faces and hair were soon covered. Later we discovered it was an effective sunblock. Too bad we didn't apply sanchi to our ears.
We we remained high above the lake, but learned there are no fish to be caught. All the fish of the lake died several years back when the active volcano's toxic gases bubbled up into the caldera's waters. You can hire a boat to float the waters, but access to the caldera's two islands closed after devistating human-caused fires ripped through both islands.
By Julianne Kellogg
RSS Feed