Where We Be
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| We had to work hard to obtain this unobstructed view of Cotopaxi Volcano from the city of Latacunga |
| Latacunga, Ecuador |
| This was our initial cluttered view of Cotopaxi from the overlook point. As the photo makes clear, the city is quite close to the volcano -- only 25 km away -- and very much in its danger zone. |
| Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes on earth |
| Latacunga's central square offers a peaceful refuge |
| Panoramic view of Latacunga from the overlook. The city is only 55 miles (90 km) south of Quito along the Pan American Highway, making it an easy stop along our route. |
| This mural at the Mirador depicts Mama Negra, the key figure in the city's annual "Fiesta de la Mama Negra." Cotopaxi colorfully erupts behind her. |
| The Mirador de la Virgen del Calvario offers a panoramic city view, as well as a view of several different volcanoes surrounding Latacunga |
| A second city park with huge palm trees |
| Inside St. Francis Church is this stained glass window (in the balcony) depicting a visit by Pope John Paul II to Latacunga, with Volcano Cotopaxi visible behind |
| For dinner we tried the traditional dish of Latacunga called chugchucaras, which is a mixed plate of fried chunks of pork, hominy, fried bits of pork skin, potatoes, fried banana, tostado (toasted corn), and empanadas, with spicy "aji" to taste. A weird dish worth trying once! |
| More than once in Ecuador, when Robin asked for coffee with cream, she received this -- a cup of steamed milk served with a small glass pourer of coffee on the side. The proportion of steamed milk to coffee seems odd to us, but this is apparently the traditional way to serve coffee in Latacunga. |
| St. Francis Church on the main square |
We came to Latacunga with one clear purpose
in mind: to see Cotopaxi Volcano. But finding a
clear view from within the confines of the city
was harder than we expected. We climbed
stairs to an overlook at Mirador de la Virgen del
Calvario, but telephone wires cluttered the
view. We had to venture into a more rural part
of town where tourists seldom go (judging from
the looks we got) to get an unobstructed view.
Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes
on earth, standing at 19,347 ft (5,897 m), second
only to Chimborazo in Ecuador at 20,702 ft (6,310
m). Cotopaxi's symmetrical cone is topped with
snow -- and a rare equatorial glacier. This
makes it particularly dangerous should it ever
erupt, since the glacier could melt abruptly and
send a lahar (thick mudflow) rushing downslope
towards Latacunga. The city has in fact been
destroyed three different times by Cotopaxi
since it was founded in 1534.
in mind: to see Cotopaxi Volcano. But finding a
clear view from within the confines of the city
was harder than we expected. We climbed
stairs to an overlook at Mirador de la Virgen del
Calvario, but telephone wires cluttered the
view. We had to venture into a more rural part
of town where tourists seldom go (judging from
the looks we got) to get an unobstructed view.
Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes
on earth, standing at 19,347 ft (5,897 m), second
only to Chimborazo in Ecuador at 20,702 ft (6,310
m). Cotopaxi's symmetrical cone is topped with
snow -- and a rare equatorial glacier. This
makes it particularly dangerous should it ever
erupt, since the glacier could melt abruptly and
send a lahar (thick mudflow) rushing downslope
towards Latacunga. The city has in fact been
destroyed three different times by Cotopaxi
since it was founded in 1534.