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Intag and Its Hidden Thermal Springs
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Leaving Cotacachi and traveling west about 12 kilometers toward the Intag and through the village of Quiroga, you will find yourself on the edge of an ancient crater that contains a deep and mystical lake known as Laguna de Cuicocha. The lake affords the perfect combination of outer beauty and inner serenity that easily encourages hours of quiet contemplation and relaxation in an idyllic natural environment.  There are two restaurants near the lake, overnight accommodations and boat rides around the lake and its central islands. The owner of the small restaurant and bungalow establishment at the top of the lake is a knowledgeable naturalist. He will escort you on a four-hour walk around the lake’s edge, pointing out the area’s healing plants along the way. Once Gary and I were there when Gary had a bad head cold. The owner took him out to the driveway, picked the leaves of half a dozen different plants and told him how to use them to alleviate his cold. It worked! |
| Continuing past Laguna de Cuicocha you enter the
Intag, an area that covers approximately 2,200 square kilometers in
northwestern portion of the Ecuadorian Andes. Roads are winding
and rutted. Progress is slow. The
Intag is one of the most biologically diverse as well as one of the
most threatened, regions on earth. It is well known for strong community endeavors to resist the mining that is destroying the environment and the quality of life there. |
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 Grassroots
movements and international organizations in the area are creating
alternative projects to replace destructive practices and help locals
improve their health, standard of living and incomes. A former mayor, or alcalde, of the Canton of Cotacachi, Auki Tituana, has been very instrumental in introducing these alternative projects. The people choose their own sustainable projects and have designated Intag an Ecological Country. Their collective vision may very well be the best model we presently have for living green. After passing through the
picturesque village of Santa Rosa, with its small, tile-roofed houses
scattered along a winding river, the road reaches an apex and then
drops down on the other side of the Andes. The countryside views
are spectacular and ruggedly remote. The romantic river, steep mountainsides and
misty cloud forest canopy in the afternoon make me think I'll
run into some castle keep or that a medieval knight in armour
might lunge across my path at any moment. 40 kilometers from
Cuicocha
the road curves to the right around a cliff and winds in a sharp
descent to a lower altitude. We come upon the subtropical village
of Apeula.
A short distance past Apuela, the largest town in the area, you will find the thermal springs of Nangulvi with concrete pools of varying temperatures and a charming restaurant with great fish dinners, all situated right next to the raging river. This is the perfect spot to soak away your troubles and soak up a very special Ecuadorian experience. |
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