The mountain that lost its splendor

Hello, My name is Juan Martin Ortiz and I am from Quito, Ecuador.

This story is about a special place, in fact my object of care is actually an emblematic place in Quito. I’m talking about the Pichincha volcano, specifically the part which is accessed by the Teleferico, a great tourist attraction in the city. From this place you can appreciate a beautiful view of the city, usually when the fog does not cover the view. Also from the cable car and upon arrival you can see the green of the mountain landscape and it is simply beautiful. One understands why it is a place praised by many local and international tourists. It is simply the perfect place to escape from the city to nature without having to make a long trip.

This story goes back to my adolescence, when I was 16 years old, it was the first time I knew this place, I was with my girlfriend at that time and she being a great lover of landscapes and nature, proposed to visit this place. As I went up in the cable car little by little I could appreciate the beauty of the mountain, its green and splendor, I simply fell in love with the landscape. As I climbed the cold was taking over my body, but the cold lost its importance when I arrived because the beauty of the mountain, the peace of nature was overshadowing it. When I chose a place to sit down, I simply felt something in me that concentrated with that mountain, I felt a lot of peace, I felt happy, calm and in contact with nature, something rare in me since I am not very fond of it. So I decided to return at least once a year to this beautiful place.

As I mentioned before, this place is not only important for me, but also for the city. This piece of natural heaven near the city is home to a variety of animals and plants, which for them is their home. This place is concentrated with the whole Quito community, since it is an emblem. Knowing that we are so close to the Guagua Pichincha, an imposing and beautiful volcano and being able to be there in a few minutes is extremely important. I firmly believe that all of us who have visited this place know what we are talking about when we say that when we are there we concentrate with nature and get lost in the landscape. Besides, this tourist site is a great letter of introduction to our tourists, so that they can see how beautiful our city and our country is.

Unfortunately over the years this place has been deteriorating. Its greenery has been fading, the cold is becoming less and less, and the dank mist is now only confused with pollution. The volcano has suffered the effects of climate change, including some forest fires. What began as a volcano that could even be seen a little snowy several tens of years ago, now gradually looks like a lifeless dry mountain. The landslides have made it dangerous to visit this place at certain times. Simply the effects of climate change have caused this essence to be lost. This is a clear example that the earth is changing, we are no longer in an era of green and beautiful landscapes. Little by little the beautiful things are losing their natural splendor. Possibly over the years there will be no trace of this imposing mountain, of this emblematic tourist attraction and the cable car will simply be a forgotten site.

 

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