The altitude here in Equador has a definite effect on the body. In Quito we are at about 2800 metres which is about 9000 feet - a shade under two miles above sea level. Even going up steps and walking around leaves you a bit breathless. You have to really concentrate on breathing in as deeply as you can to maximise oxygen intake.

Today was a trip back past the airport and up into the Andes to a place called Papallacta where there are geothermal springs and a spa.
 
It was a fairly civilised start time of 7.45, so plenty of time for breakfast. Much the same offerings as before with a change of fresh fruit to watermelon and papaya, not quite so nice as the pineapple from yesterday.

I met a couple from Arkansas desperately looking for their  'group' . I am always amazed that you very rarely see our friends from across the pond on their own, they seem to prefer to travel and get comfort from being, in a group of travellers. I have to say they always seem very happy to have been thrown together with a bunch of strangers for their travels. It just seems a bit alien to me, I would hate to be that organised and have to follow where I may not wish to go, or worse, to miss out on something I would rather do. Poor loves, they were like rabbits in headlights with a touch of panic surfacing at the thought of maybe having been abandoned by their group and looked like they were having horrific thoughts of having to find their own way around.

Today, for me, it was just Christine and Fred and me to start with, with two others tagging along from another hotel. We had Raoul as our guide again. It was only 55kms to our destination but the estimated journey time was one and a half hours. I thought this sounded a long time, until I saw the roads we were to travel on.

Once again the weather forecast I saw before I left was so wrong! They said 80% chance of precipitation, thunder storms and 14ºC. Er, no ...... how about beautiful blue skies, sunshine and about 20ºC. Add that to some stunning scenery and it makes you glad to be alive.

We started off from Quito on a very busy cobbled road, the same route used by the Spanish Conquistadors when they routed the Incas from what is now Ecuador and started out on their quest to find El Dorado. This road gradually widened out and became metalled as we neared the new airport which was completed this time last year.

Going away from the airport, the road was a work in progress, literally.  This was why it was going to take a while to get to Papallacta.  As we climbed higher we were met by the magnificent sight of Cotopaxi, Ecuador's most active volcano, the caldera and surrounding slopes covered in snow, looking like a giant cupcake. Set against the backdrop of a startling blue sky, it was breathtaking. It is the world's 26th most active volcano but today it was at peace with the world, thank goodness. This is the one that is long overdue to erupt.

The road was full of construction traffic and there were deep trenches across some of the lanes protected by a scattering of cones, HSE at home in the UK would have kittens. I certainly wouldn't fancy going over that lot at night or when the clouds had dropped down.  There were little shrines along the way for drivers to pray for a safe transit, they were full of flowers and lit candles, so there must have been grounds for their concerns!

We reached over 4000 metres before we dropped down again. It was absolutely freezing up there and even with the sun spreading its warmth, the wind chill was keen. Papallacta used to be an agricultural area specialising in the mighty potato but now it is more into trout farming and the oil pipeline from the jungle with its associated side industries. The main water supply for Quito is found in this area as well in the form of a large reservoir which looked really beautiful against the blue sky. It is reputedly a very pure water, but I'm still sticking to the bottled stuff for this trip! Apparently Ecuadorians have the second strongest disease resistant stomach, just behind that of the jackal!!

We reached the spa in the prophesised time but disappointingly there were no massage appointments left. Raoul was completely gutted and felt he had let us down but let's face it, it wasn't his fault. I think that the guests at the hotel next to the spa had pinched all the appointments. Not surprisingly as the prices were so cheap. Ooh and have you ever had a chocolate wrap or a wine wrap, yum! Not sure whether you had to lick it off yourself or not! The average price was about $25 for a 30 minute treatment. 

So we went off for our nature walk. Talk about puffed out! The extra altitude was certainly telling but after a while I got the breathing right and trotted along quite well. It wasn't exactly the gentle stroll I had expected because there was a fair bit of climbing as we followed a fast flowing mountain stream. The reward was meeting a herd of llamas. They were a bit spitty but it was good to see them as I would have been disappointed not to have come across some, whilst in the Andes.

Back at the spa we collected our towels and changed into swim gear. All but one of the five pools were really hot, the other one was freezing. There was a slight pong of sulphur-  or it may have been the drains! You couldn't really stay in the water too long or you would have been poached! It felt freezing when you got out, despite the strong sun. Again I had expected to be huddled up in my fleece and cagoule in freezing temperatures, so the whole day had been perfect weather wise.

Back here in the hotel, I have so far evaded the dreaded Liza, I think I probably sound mean but if I'm going to have the next eight days with her I need to seize the opportunity for respite. I am meeting up with Christine and Fred for dinner again tonight. They leave for Galapagos tomorrow, so I will miss their company, they have been great to be with, and I consider myself very fortunate to have met such nice people.

I seem to gave managed to get a bit of a rosy nose and cheeks from the sun, I wasn't expecting any sunshine so didn't take the suncream. Out comes the aloe vera aftersun cream from Aruba!