Written by: Sara
Tuesday, 18 September 2007

Steaming coffee at 6am welcomed in the sunshine on our rest day at the laguna. Some enjoyed a sleep in and others awoke early to explore the fishing delights awaiting us in the hidden lake over the crater edge.

Beck, Catherine, Jade and I went with Zac on an expedition to the upper, glacier-fed lake, approximately an hour and a half from the tents. After the overnight rain the walk around the lower lake was extremely soggy and slow. Catherine and Beck decided that breakfast beckoned after all, and Jade bid us farewell to bond with some other nearby travellers. Thus Zac and I journeyed alone yet again.

From the end of the lower lake the terrain became extremely rocky, broken by a multitude of fast flowing streams. There was some creative rock hopping that had me in stitches and very nearly in freezing water. The rocks became boulders closer to the crater edge, which was steep and dry. As we past over the top of the edge the sight of the aquamarine lake at the foot of a glacier - contrasted with the rocky cliffs - literally took my breath away. It was spectacularly beautiful. The lake brimmed over into a crystal clear pool that spilled down below to a waterfall. And the pool was teeming with trout.

Returning to camp many hours later, replete with our morning catch of 18 and our fishing delight, we were told that the crew had also been fishing in the lower lake and that the catch for the day was 78! So a feast was prepared for the pachamanca, literally air oven, the sunken rock oven that is covered so that the smoke stays in to cook the food. We all squished in around the gas light, feasted royally and expressed our thanks to each other for a great trip. Salute!

Trackback Print

Location: Blogs Sara