Last Thursday, we left our beloved Quito for some adventurous adventures in Imbabura Province, named after a great inactive volcano. Our agenda included hiking around a lagoon in a volcanic crater, meeting new SST partners, and visiting Parque Condor, a refuge —and kind of a hospital— for birds in the Cantón of Cotacachi.
On the way there, somehow, the bus turned into a karaoke stage and music raged on!
MC Little… oh, I can’t keep up with all the names, nicknames, monickers, stage names… started us up with a real banger!!Warming up those pipes!Even Klever got on the music action!Truly commanding the karaoke stage with bravura! Another banger!Were they rapping Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise”?Sinatra’s spirit appeared in the shape of “My Way” on our way to Cotacachi.“Baby shark” was a hit!
Lagoon Cuicocha, given its volcanic origin, is surrounded by a 14K ridge of walkable but demanding terrain.We took a little break from all that Karaokeing Once we arrived at Cuicocha, many took a boat trip instead of climbing up the ridge.Including the most athletic ones.Boat trip!!Only one student and one faculty member remained unaffected by the tropical disease: Laziness Syndrome.And we found some plants.I was hoping for a larger group.Oh, do we see something?I think that is them!Maybe…Oh, yes, they caught up with the small group to have a moment of reflection.…smiles……and fake whining.Some students did take a short hike around Cuicocha.Of course, they wanted to look like their admired Klever, so hats were in order. Who is driving the bus now???What? What?Jaime was kind enough to let me drive, for just a bit.
Our brand new driver had to take a break from all that bus racing, so Jaime was behind the wheel again —to the relief of students, families, and faculty— on our way to Parque Condor. There, we learned that many birds in the area have been hurt by humans or are endangered because their habitat has also suffered. Most birds are released back into the wild, but others are unable to hunt and fend for themselves, so they become flight artists in residence.
As we entered the park, we didn’t know what to expect.The staff showed us how to train falcons.Some students learned really well.A few birds have to be kept tied down while they heal from illness or wounds.Falconry is a sophisticated art……as is taking pictures. The fruit of good photo takingMight be hard to see, but there is a big falcon mid-flight. Birds are an attraction too. One flew over the students’ nestFor all your falconry needs, call the Parque Condor hotline. Faculty and students enjoyed the majestic views from Parque Condor.“No, don’t leave me here, I swear, I’m innocent. I want to talk to my lawyer!!”
