No Ordinary Run in Parque Metropolitano

A run in Parque Metropolitano Guanguiltagua - try saying this 5x fast - this is how we have to ask cab drivers to get us home every single time since we live about a block from the park entrance - it's quite the challenge!  Anyway, notice the llamas on the sign - but I'll get to them later...

But first - fires.  Fires have been the theme as of late here in Quito.  This past Sunday I was running down the trail when it started to get really smoky and I spotted a wall of flames burning about 100 yards from me.  I ran full speed in the other direction and didn’t stop running until I got home.  And then last night the park was burning yet again and this time it was much bigger because the entire city was covered in a cloud of smoke and there was ash raining down on us as we walked to go climbing.  The smoke was strong and thick in the air.  We watched as a water truck filled up from a city hydrant and headed back up the hill toward the park.  We hoped that they would contain it soon so that there would still be trees left in the park!  Based on today's run it looks like they got it under control. I didn't get a chance to see the damage that it caused but over the next couple days I will get back to that area to check it out.

So today before I headed out for my run I noticed the smoke smell in the apartment again but I looked outside and it was clear.  So I figured the fire must be further off and not in the park today.  As I’m running I start to hear helicopters overhead and I notice that the helicopter has a basket hanging from it.  As I continue my run I get over toward the water treatment plant and realize that they are filling the basket with water from the plant and then somehow dumping it on the fire, wherever the fire was.  I was taking pictures through a chain link fence so they aren't the greatest but you get the idea...

Fighting forest fires in Quito:

Helicopter with basket

They were literally just dunking the basket into the water and letting it fill and then flying off again

I realized where it was as soon as I started heading back down toward my house – it was on the other side of the city nestled in the opposing hills from where I was.  Thankfully it looked like it was contained solely in the woods and wasn’t super close to the houses.

Now for the llamas...I brought my camera on the run so I could take some pictures of the llamas – Sung still has yet to see them!  Maybe they’re only out during the day which is why I see them almost every day I’m there.  I didn't see the shepherd guy today but I'm sure he was there, he carries a staff and herds them all around the park so they can have fresh grass to graze on. 

The baby has to be my favorite - so soft and fuzzy!!

I decided to go to all my favorite places within the park since I had my camera with me:

The Mirador of Cumbayá - beautiful views to the nearby suburb of Cumbayá, a lot of American expats live there, it's supposed to be safer than Quito

Random dog walker - that's a lot of dogs!

This rock/grass/dirt sculpture reminds me of the pictures in the Andy Goldsworthy book - they call this sculpture apacheta which means cairn:

Zipline!  I need another person to hold the rope thingie while I climb up on the platform though - Brandon and I tried it when he was here visiting - it's fun but you get jerked pretty hard at the end.  They would never allow this in the US for liability reasons!

 

This is my outdoor gym.  It's not the best but it's something!

Sculpture with tortoises crawling toward a giant chair!  Kinda strange!

Stores where you can buy snacks and of course - ice cream!!

 

 
After a month of running after 3 years off my legs are FINALLY feeling springy again.  By the end of 2 years hopefully I'm hoping to be good at running uphill!

The beginning of the up and up and up...

This might be the only flat trail at the park!  At the end of this trail there's a random set of pull up bars (in the middle of the woods!) that I like to attempt at least once a week.  This is definitely my outdoor playground.

Beautiful day for a run - and lots to distract me!  My mom will be happy now - she'll be able to envision where I spend about an hour of each day.