Day 321 - Cayambe Fishing

March 16th – A Fishing Expedition and an Unexpected Adventure

At daybreak, a group of Indio peasants passed by our camp. One of them attempted to steal our cooking stove, but luckily, Heinz caught sight of him just in time and jumped out of bed to scare him off. With the thief gone, Heinz chased after the group to ask if they knew the way to the Laguna. An elderly man pointed to a mountain pass and mentioned that we could see the lake from up there, though it was about 2-3 hours on foot. It sounded promising, but we remained a little skeptical.

After a quick breakfast, Gregor and Heinz grabbed their fishing gear and sandwiches, excited for the adventure ahead. Ellen and I waved them off, wishing them good luck. Soon after, midday arrived, bringing a few rays of sunlight through the clouds. But the cold kept us indoors, so we spent the afternoon reading in our camper. As darkness crept in, Gregor and Heinz were still nowhere to be seen. We tried to stay calm and played cards, hoping they’d return soon.

At 9:30 PM, they finally appeared—pale, exhausted, and barely able to speak. Both men just wanted to rest, and Ellen immediately handed them glucose tablets and water. Moments later, Heinz vomited, his body trembling from exhaustion.

On a positive note, they had 12 trout with them, a testament to their efforts. Ellen fried some up while I prepared a fresh salad. Gregor joined us at the table, eating ravenously. After a while, Heinz forced himself to take a few bites, his body still recovering. Then, they began recounting their adventure.

The fishing at the Laguna had been amazing, though the terrain around the shoreline was challenging—thick brush made it difficult to get to the water. As the sunset neared, they began their journey back.

The ascent to the 8,530ft mountain pass was brutal. Darkness fell, but luckily, the full moon illuminated the trail. However, their dehydration took its toll. They both collapsed, their legs feeling like rubber. After resting for a while, they crawled to a natural spring, drank copious amounts of water, and slowly regained the strength to continue their climb. Eventually, they made it over the pass and down to our camp.

Ellen and I were incredibly relieved to have our fishing heroes back safe. What an adventure!Read more