Imbabura

 First, dinner the day before, eating as much tostado corn as possible with bananas.
Then there was the surprise birthday party. Happy Birthday Chark!  And lots of cake.
Then at 6:00 AM walk to the bus terminal, take the bus to Ibara, 35 cents, then find the next bus to La Esperanza, another 30 cents, then get loaded into the back of a pick up like cattle truck that heads up the mountain on a stone paved road.

 The trail is steep, going through grasses up the ridge higher and higher with huge views of the valleys below.

 Then there is a strange Yucca forest, the most beautiful plant I have ever seen, then get closer and it has delicate blue flowers...The summit was cold, encased in fog, snow and ice covering the windward side of everything.  The wind was blowing wildly as I ate the egg salad sandwich I made last night. I was one of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done, so beautiful I did not have enough capacity to contain my sense of wonder at it all.  We hiked fast, being led by a Isa, from Bilboa, and it felt good going from warm to cold to frozen windstorm to shelter to warm to very warm again.

And back to the town of dogs