The eruption of the Cotopaxi volcano in September 2015. César Muñoz (CC BY-SA 2.0)
People in the Andes have been telling stories about their mountains for centuries — stories in which the mountains are seductive lovers and jilted husbands. Writer and educator Lisa Madera grew up with these stories. She lives in Quito, and she says they tell us something essential about the nature of mountains as geologic marvels and sacred sites.