Rachael Cate: tough-girl feet are taking me places!: Elation Abounds: Over the Mountains and Through the Woods From Ecuador Once More

Another week has passed, and I am doing everything in my power, I believe, to soak in this amazing and beautiful place and time, and to be everything I expect myself to be for the children whom I came here to meet. The puffy white clouds which often waft through the otherwise clear blue morning skies remind me of lofty dreams upon which rays of sunlight and rainbows sleep and dance. On special occasion, they break for long enough to reveal their deepest and most beautiful secrets, those of the high and mighty Andean peaks which rise to greet us all and knocks our socks off. By mid afternoon, though, they always cover up again in misty shrouds of whiteness, and you might almost forget there was ever anything out there--until the brilliant sun rises again.

This past weekend, I and some other volunteers were lucky enough to head up twice into the mountains, on Saturday and on Sunday. We first went up to the infamous ´´heart of Imbabura,´´ the volcano which lies to the northeast of and is closest to Otavalo. It is a heart-shaped formation located on the south or southwest face of the mountain. At the base of this formation, we climbed an outcropping of volcanic rock which in years past has fallen off the top. It was great fun to be climbing again, and I enjoyed in immensely. We then headed off in a caravan for lunch in town and the, afterward, up to the 4,000 meter Mohanda Lakes area. The weather had turned into a torrential downpour by this point in the afternoon, so we could´nt venture on the dirt track road farther than the first lake, but it was still an amazing site to see. We heard that it is am ideal place to see condors, especially in the mornings, when the weather is clear.

The next day, we headed up into the mountains near Otavalo for some horseback riding and amazing views of the valley. I didnt ride, because I decided I needed the exercise myself, and besides didnt feel the need to burden another animal with my weight, but meeting the horses was still a special experience which I enjoyed very much. It was about 7 miles to a ¨sacred waterfall¨ where it is said that indigenous peoples have come for centuries to bathe and also to search for medicinal herbs. I´d say I got my exercise sufficient for training for next weekend. I will continue to train this week by running. I´m especially excited, because I and two other female volunteers are planning an ascent to the top of Imbabura. Wish us luck! Until them, here are some photos!