Back to Cotalo...

On Tuesday I took a trip with two of my frineds from Salasaca to see what was going on on the West side of the Tngurahua Volcano. We hiked from the town of Cotalo across the Chamba River and up to Bilboa. The town was mostly deserted but we did see a few children playing by the church and a few famlies working in the field. There had been some rain the night before so we had no problem with the ash that was everywhere.

From there we went North tword Baños across no-mans land where most of the pryoclatic flow had passed a few weeks ago and into the comunity of Casua. On the South side of the town there is a clear line where the fiery flow passed. On one side it is lush and green on the other is like a dry river bed that streathes more than a kilometer and still smells like a bonfire that had been doused with water. There were large rocks (2' x 2') that had been tossed out of the crater and looked looked like they had been turned to charcole.

The town of Casua was also deserted except for a few people we saw working in the fields. Except for a few minor rumblings the volcano seemed harmless enough even though it was obsured by clouds. We continued on to Baños, arriving late in the afternoon.

It was a great day and I was thinking that the danger was over and if I was one of the misplased persons camping out in the church in Cotalo I would return to my home.

However, on Wednesday there was an increase in the seismic activity and 38 evemts were registered and some 400 explosions....two were very large and windows rattled some 15 kilometers away...so once again in my life I was wrong.