We started out early with a pit stop at a petrol station to refuel the bus and our bodies. The club sandwich assembled fresh at the station was the best I had eaten. We then moved on towards Cotopaxi, stopping along the way to sample coca tea and sniff eucalyptus leaves to prevent altitude sickness. Along the way to the base of Cotopaxi, we stopped to take photos of the majestic mountain. At the base, the very knowledgeable guide informed us about the other mountains and animals which we could potentially spot. My partner and I could not make our way up to base camp as I was panting too hard from the thin air but we saw an Indian condor. On our way back we also saw several other species of birds at a lake, wild horses, llamas and deer. Lunch was at a little hut along the highway which served very tasty pumpkin soup and sold coca candy. Joshua was a very caring guide who made sure we ascended and descended safely from the mountain. He did that by engaging us in a little song and dance and also a said prayer for us.