Taylor wanted to go horseback riding. I had asked her what she might want to do with the few days she had in Quito before we were to head to the Galapagos and she said she wanted to go horseback riding. She had looked up a few things to do in the area, and—if I were amenable—horseback riding topped the list. I was happy to do whatever mi esposa wanted.

I messaged Patricio to see if he were available to drive us and whether he knew anything about horseback riding in Cotopaxi. He said he could take us and that we could figure things out once we got there.

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Cotopaxi National Park sits two hours south of Quito and takes its name from the snow-capped Cotopaxi volcano that dominates the landscape. One of the highest volcanos in the world and the second-tallest summit in Ecuador, it’s considered an active volcano, though the last eruption was in January of 2016.

At the entrance to the park, we were told we had to pick up a guide. It was slightly unclear why, but we went along and so our party of three became one of four.

As we drove through the park, our guide had us stop. She had spotted a large buck, which she said was a rare sighting. From there, she took us to the Limpiopungo Lake, and we walked a short trail to a viewing platform looking out over the lake.

From there Patricio drove us to a small ranch. A set of people were about to head out and we were told that we’d be leaving next; we were waiting for a small group to arrive from the nearby hotel. We cooled our heels and enjoyed the landscape.

Some thirty minutes later, our horse guides decided they had waited long enough and had us suit up, offering us ponchos and chaps. We donned helmets, mounted our rides, and set out across the park.

The landscape was beautiful, and it was amazing seeing it pass slowly as we trotted along the paths. In the far distance, we could see bands of horses in the fields.

As we rode, it started to rain, but our ponchos did a fantastic job of keeping us dry. What they didn’t do as great a job of was protecting our horses from the hail that followed shortly thereafter. The pellets spooked the horses and at one point, Patricio set off in an unplanned gallop. Our horse guide chased after him to steady his horse, and as we came upon a vast plain, they asked if we were ready to head back. I could have ridden forever, but it was time and the weather didn’t seem like it was about to let up.

Back at the car we retraced our steps out of the park. I thought about asking Patricio to drive us up the volcano, but it was completely enshrouded in clouds and didn’t seem worth the effort.

Back in Quito, Patricio offered to take us to a restaurant. We readily agreed and found ourselves seated at a local joint in his neighborhood. He ordered for us and plates of rice and beans and flat roasted meat appeared. I was surprised how hungry I was after our excursion and dug happily in. 🇪🇨