Lago de Limpiopungo

          While spending time in Ecuador we went on a trip to Cotopaxi, a volcano said to be the closest point on earth to the sun and a province of Ecuador’s namesake landmark. Driving into the national park, pine trees carpeted the area surrounding the road. It was strange to see trees from my home of snow and ice being planted in a land so far from home, while also being the land which my father would explore as a child. Moving up the road the landscape drastically changes to a much more arid environment as we reached around 13,000 feet. From that point we climbed around the preliminary trails leading to Cotopaxi, only to be thwarted by strong winds barraging us with ice.

       As we descended from the base of Cotopaxi my family decided to make a pit stop at Lago de Limpiopungo to allow us to stretch our legs. While some stayed at the trail head I, underestimating the size of the trail circling the lake, impulsively decided to embark on a circle of the lake. My father and sister also tagged along as I hiked towards the headwaters of the streams feeding the lake. Fed from glacial remains, Limpiopungo is home to many birds which nest atop miniature islands on the lake made up of compressed grasses. While hikers venture to Cotopaxi, or nearby Rumiñawi, bird watcher gather around Limpiopungo to photograph a Plumbeous Sierra-finch, Andean Teal, and hope to see the ever elusive Andean Condors.

          During our hike, for reasons I still don’t know, my sister began walking directly on my heels. Agitated by my sister stepping on the backs of my boots I began to accelerate into a power walk. My sister maintained pace. I then decided to go at a light jog, thinking nothing of it. My sister did not follow as I ran off.

Soon something felt different. While I was jogging along I started to develop a side ache and I felt light headed. I pushed onward thinking that this growing feeling of breathlessness was simply due to inactivity. I took a pause at a bridge to rest and all at once I was overcome by an immense amount of nausea. I leaned on the bridge and tried to take deep breathes while drinking water. After a few minutes of this I was able to see without the world moving and the bright colors that flooded my vision disappeared.

Recovering from this scare I walked over to where the trail ended to join my family taking photos and preparing to leave a café that had a wonderful view of Cotopaxi, when the clouds allowed us to gaze upon the volcano.