Hot Springs and Cotopaxi, then back to Quito

I mentioned that we put a lot into our mainland itinerary. Well, today, we woke up very early to soak in the hot springs before breakfast. We tried two different pools, one of which was located directly in front of our room and the other to the left. Just then, we realized that the pools were heated differently. We could only last for about 10 minutes in the hotter pool and 5 minutes in the other one. The view of the mountains was simply breathtaking. The surroundings, the pool's temperature, and the landscape are all beautiful and incredibly calming in their own unique ways. We just wished we could stay here for a whole day. I would love to get a spa treatment or a massage if there was enough time. Our room was heated, comfortable, and well-maintained. We had two big beds, and the room was spacious for Mai and me.

Daniel took us on the Island Trail hike in Papallacta, an activity offered for free for hotel guests. We were supposed to do a short walk at the base of the Cotopaxi Volcano later that day, but the volcano was acting up a little bit then, so instead, we did the hike in Papallacta. Although it was rated as an easy hike, we experienced shortness of breath at some points throughout the excursion. It was most likely due to the cold temperatures and high altitude. Along the path, we came across a few paper trees and a wide variety of plants and herbs. We also walked on some bridges above a stream.

We finished our walk by stopping by Papallacta's public pools. They have a large number of pools of varying temperatures that are open to the public for day tours.
 
After the hike, we checked out of the hotel and continued our journey to Cotopaxi National Park. There have been some reports that the volcano is having small tremors and has been smoking for quite some time, so even walking at the base or taking the entire hike was not allowed. We just walked through Limpiopungo Lagoon and took some great pictures. This lagoon used to be a sacred place for pre-Inca and Inca people, where they took their purification. Daniel also told us some interesting information - the Inca Trail used to pass through this lagoon going south all the way to Cusco. Amazing!

We stayed there for a while, did bird-watching, and took pictures before leaving. We really wanted to see the volcano's summit covered in snow, but the clouds were hindering us from seeing it. But Daniel made several stops on our way out of the park, where we saw some parts of the snow-capped summit. Thanks, Daniel! It was, indeed, very pretty!

We then traveled back to Quito for our final evening on the mainland!