|
|
A Visit to
Cotacachi: a Volcanic Lake, a Historic City and Bargain
Leather Goods
|
|
|
At the end of our ride, our tickets granted
us a complimentary cup of coffee. As we sipped our coffee
and looked upon the lake, we realized how fun it would
be to spend the day kayaking on this lake, circumnavigating
the islands at one's leisure. We asked our guide about
this potential, and he expressed interest in offering
kayaking adventures in the future.
We proceeded to a nearby museum, located
up a hill from the docks, which provided information on
the the Cotacachi-Cayapas Ecological park. Most informative
and well organized, the museum was definitely worth a
visit. One of the things we learned was that the park,
due to its location straddling the Andes' Western cordillera,
encompasses both high altitude Andean topography as well
as pristine cloud forests and tropical jungle. As we emerged
from the museum, a local band provided live musical entertainment
on a terrace overlooking the lake.
Another adventure to be experienced at
Lake Cuicocha is a four hour hike around the perimeter
of the crater. From what I have been told, the hike is
fantastic, especially when performed early in the morning;
During the early hours, there is less cloud cover and
the lake reflects a surreal deep blue color. The hike
is also known as a great bird watching experience, especially
given that condors can be sometimes seen flying high overhead.
In order to get a taste of the experience, we decided
to tackle a small portion of the hike. The verdict: great
fun, awesome vistas but proper hiking boots are necessary
as the terrain is gravelly and slippery.
We departed the park, which, by the way,
has a car entrance fee of a dollar, and headed for the
town of Cotacachi. Cotacachi lies in a dry, temperate
valley 100 kilometers or so from Quito. The town has recently
been blessed with a makeover of sorts, mainly due to Auki
Tituaña's vision and efforts. Early in his tenure,
Tituaña identified tourism as a means for the town's
economic development, and, as a result, one can notice
a difference in the town's presentation. Cotacachi is
well-organized, clean and marked with plenty of informational
signs.
|
|
|
It was around 2 in the afternoon when we
pulled up into a municipal parking lot located in the heart
of Cotacachi. Famished from the morning's activities, we
looked for a restaurant. To our delight, we found El Meson
de las Flores located on a street bordering the Cotacachi
cathedral. An open-air courtyard beckoned us in. Once inside,
we were impressed by its well-maintained Spanish architecture
and floral arrangements. The ambiance of the restaurant
reflected its advertised motto: "A place where time
stood still, and where peace has turned into a flower."
The service was friendly and efficient, and the food was
authentically delicious. To boot, we got to meet the owners,
Mr. and Mrs. Cordoba. A delightful older couple, of the
landed gentry sort, they treated us like old friends. We
were invited into their home, which is part of the larger
Hosteria Meson de las Flores. Ms. Elsa Cordoba gave us a
brief history of her house and the hosteria, which is basically
an old hacienda handed down over generations and eventually
converted into a guest house. I was intrigued to find out
that our host's husband ran against Tituaña for mayor
of the town.
After lunch, which had extended to a leisurely
two hours, we decided to visit the local leather markets
located only a few blocks away. Given our time limitations,
we only stopped at the one store which was recommended by
Ms. Cordoba. Sufficiently impressed with the merchandise,
we spent over $200 USD on various leather bags- a garment
bag, a carry-on luggage piece and two computer bags. Given
the high quality and bargain prices, I am sure that if we
had stayed longer, we would have purchased a few of the
sharp-looking leather jackets hanging near the entrance.
Yes, my companion had that look in her eye.
After piling our merchandise into the car,
we realized it was already 5 PM and time to head home. Our
only lament of this outing was being unable to visit the
town's museum and historic sites. Given it was a Sunday,
most of the sites had only limited morning hours anyway.
The cultural exploration of Cotacachi would have to wait
for another day. We left Cotacachi satisfied; We had partaken
in the region's unique outdoor recreational activities and
enjoyed its urban appeal.
Back to Top
|
| |
 |
◄◄ |
[1]
[2] |
►► |
 |
Related Articles: |
|
|
