Ecuador's Quilotoa Lake

I hired a taxi from Latacunga to visit the lake! Since my schedule was tight, I arranged a driver through the hostel instead of taking the bus. It cost about $50 round trip, which was very affordable when split among five people. 👍 On the way, if the view was beautiful, we stopped briefly to snap some photos 📸. Seeing the distant Cotopaxi Volcano made my heart bounce with excitement 💓. Quilotoa is about 70 km from Latacunga, and it takes around an hour and a half to reach it via winding roads. Finally, we arrived! At an altitude of 3,900 meters, this volcanic lake is 1,800 meters higher than Mount Baekdu 🏔. The grandeur is simply indescribable. While some might find it less impressive compared to other South American natural wonders, the moment I looked down from above, I felt an incredible sense of freedom 🌬💙. It takes about 30 minutes to hike down to the lake and over an hour to climb back up ⏱. If you're worried about the physical challenge, you can ride a horse 🐎. At the lake, you can also rent a kayak for $3 for 30 minutes. If you have time, I highly recommend staying overnight to enjoy the star-filled night sky ✨. There are plenty of souvenir shops too! Especially the ponchos—buying them here means getting beautiful colors at reasonable prices 🧶. Ecuadorian designs are more stylish and affordable compared to those in Peru or Bolivia 🙌.