Jedi by Knight

From Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador.

This high altitude lagoon sits at the foot of Cotopaxi mountain, which was obscured by clouds the day we visited.  This sign proclaims it “Lga [Laguna] Limpiopungo” at an altitude of 3,830 msnm (metros sobre el nivel del mar, or meters above sea level), which is about 2.38 miles above sea level.  For comparison, Lake Titicaca, thought to be the world’s highest navigable lake, has a surface elevation of 3,812 m.

The name “Limpiopungo” is a compound of the Spanish word “limpio” (“clean”) and a Quechua word “pungo” that I don’t know the meaning of.  The sign also asks visitors to “Protejalo” or “Protect it.”