Hiking around the Lagoon

Johana and Me

la laguna (lagoon)-- an area of shallow water separated from the sea by low sandy dunes. (dictionary.com)

Lagoons make me think of the “Kiss the Girl Scene” from the Little Mermaid. Vegetation from all sides…like a bayou-swamp, something out of a fairy tale. I am not sure why the Lagoon at Cotochaxi is called a lagoon rather than a lake, if only for the reason that it looks like it is straight out of The Lord of the Rings.

Aragon and Robbie

Johana, Robbie, Aragon el perro, and I took a four-hour hike around Cuicocha, a volcanically formed lake (similar to Crater Lake in Oregon) that sits at the base of Cotacachi Volcano. Steep-climbs up Andean slopes were rewarded by brief moments jogging down the other side of the mountain. I will admit, at 10,649 feet (to give you an idea—Denver, CO sits at 5,280 ft), I was breathing a little harder than usual—not that I am using this as an excuse. The view was gorgeous. To one side, the lagoon with a mountain-island, and to the other side, a valley surrounded by higher mountains climbing into the clouds. Aragon provided constant laughs, trying to drag a 2 meter log to play catch and incessantly retrieving our mandarin peels we tossed into the brush.

A half-hour into the hike, I recognized that I had visited this lagoon two years ago, only I didn’t have the pleasure of a hike, only a brief stop to see the crystal clear water. When two of my fellow students dove into the lagoon, splashing a boat of French tourists, we were quickly ushered back to the buses, and followed by a trail of French profanities.