Fog swallows entire valley from top of volcano

The Pululahua Volcano is situated at the equator near Quito Ecuador. One of the country's largest and most spectacular volcano's. Now dormant, the volcano is home to the world's only inhabited volcanic crater. It is five kilometres (3 miles) across and is 3,000 metres (9,000 feet) ab-ve sea level.

Pululahua means "cloud of water" and it's wonder and mystery draw huge crowds each year to experience the beauty. The crater holds lush vegetation which is often covered by dense and mystical fog. The view can be enjoyed by walking down trails, or riding horses, or simply by looking out over the vista from the top of the volcano.

Famous for it's rolling fog, the volcano and crater are a spectacular sight, especially in the late morning. A camera set up as the fog started to roll in captured the scene as the mountains and fields below disappeared under a blanket of eerily drifting fog. Within 20 minutes, the entire valley was swallowed and only a dense cloud could be seen. The wind and updraft even carried some of the water vapor up the side of the volcano where the camera was stationed.

Speeding up the film creates a dramatic and breath taking effect as the valley and low mountains disappear in under one minute.

The crater below is home to numerous farms and it provides a perfect location for agriculture with excellent soil for crops. This is a surprising thing, considering hot lava once flowed over these grounds, many years ago. This is a highly ranked tourist site, with hotels, hostels, restaurants and a few shops to provide visitors with all that they need for an extended stay. Of course, the view from the available rooms is stunning. Descending from the top of the volcano to the valley below is challenging, as the trail is steep and treacherous. Those who dare to take the trip down will be challenged even more with the long, steep climb back up.