Last weekend we did a little road trip in Suave Monjita. It was the first weekend in a month that travel was permitted because of covid. I was a little stir crazy. The group included Daniela, Karlita, Andres, Bernardo, Jefferson and myself.
Our first stop was Parque Arqueologico Cochasqui. The park is the most important complex of pre-Columbian and pre-Inca Empire ruins in northern Ecuador. They are about 30 kilometers northeast of Quito at an elevation of 3040 meters (9970ft).
The park covers 84 hectares (210 acres). It consists of 15 pyramids and 21 burial mounds. The pyramids are made of soft volcanic rock and would not have survived except that they became covered in grass. They were constructed by the Cari or/and Caranqui people between 950AD and 1530 AD.
One pyramid that was uncovered included solar and lunar calenders. They think that 3000 people lived there at one time. Nothing is really known about the people and their culture.
It was very interesting and reminded me of the mounds I have seen in the mid-west. Monks mound outside of Saint Louis seemed very similar and nothing is known of those people either.
When we left we headed to Lagunas Monjanda which we had been to before but not from this direction. It was 17 kilometers of dirt road in 4 wheel drive. We made it around half way when I chickened out. I did not feel like getting stuck in the mud without a shovel or winch. When it dries out a little I want to return to complete the drive to the lake.
