Farm Fields

Not a good night’s sleep. I woke up at 2:30 to pee. Also, I was a bit warm. I heard roosters crowing at that time. There was a cat on the roof, followed by light rain. I put in my earplugs, but couldn’t get to sleep. I started listening to Pink Floyd--”Dark Side of the Moon” (the Walkman was out because I fell to sleep listening to Yes), and over this I heard a noise that should have been on “Animals”. I took off my headphones and heard a loud hog that sounded as if it were in the next lot over.

After breakfast, which was late because I slept later, we took a taxi to Laguna Mojanda at 12,000’ elevation. The páramo, or high altitude plateau, is stark and beautiful, with clouds and mist moving about. It reminds me very much of the same altitude on Mount Kenya, also on the Equator. We had a leisurely hike back down, stopping to take pix, or just have a look at various flowers or scenes. We descended the 3,700’ back to Otavalo in 5 hours.

It was great to get away from it all, and it whets my appetite for more.