March 1 Exciting days in Baños

Baños downtown



This is an incredible country and everytime we take a bus to another part of Ecuador it seems more beautiful and scenic than the last. In our 6 plus weeks we have not missed a day of seeing a river as every city has one or more running through it. Now we are in Baños which of course means bathroom in spanish but also baths...and this town is known for for its many hot baths or pools. The town is surrounded by mountains and one right in town is an active volcano whose last eruption was 2006 when the whole town was evacuated. This volcano´s heat causes the themal waters and minerals which provide the pools for soaking.  One is right next to our hotel which opens at 5am and on Sunday we went at 6am figuring we would be the only people there but found over 200 people joining us at that early hour. The pictures shows the pools after 5pm when the water is emptied and how it looks in the daytime. We have been almost every day early in the morning before breakfast. It is also a nice time to meet others and talk spanish as most of the guests are Ecuadoreans. There are 3 pools going from cold, hot and VERY hot. I like the very hot best and Richard likes the hot. There are also cold showers and I have learned to go from cold to very hot which is quite invigorating. The pool is right at the bottom of a very large waterfall which comes to view as the sun rises. The rest of the 360 degrees has mountains. For future travelers we highly recommend Posada del Arte where we are staying as it is beautiful, great location and delicious food.



Las Piscinas de la Virgen






and with people and water



a view from our bedroom
and from the hot pools

There are many adventures possible for each day and numerous companies and guides.

We had a great guide, Carlos to take us to the Amazon jungle for a long 12 hour day. We drove 2 hours past Puyo to the jungle stopping to buy groceries to make our almuerzo. Carlos studied at a cooking school so we enjoyed cooking and helping him prepare our meal. Our first destination was a Refuge for Monos ... monkeys where they are saved from getting killed in the jungle. An odd occurence happening on and off during the day was a large group who were the contestants for Miss Ecuador along with police, red cross, guides, family, and important tourist people. We left the monkey reserve quickly when this entourage arrived.


we had to remove hats, glasses and
and jewelry so the monos did not grab them

The next stop was the jungle and first to a spot with a large kitchen and area for folks to stay overnight. We helped Carlos cook pasta with pesto and mushroom soup. It was interesting as several other travelers passed through. Our trip was only one da...just a taste of jungle life,  but many of the jungle trips can be 1, 2,3 or up to a week. We shall have to come back for more.

 Next was a walk into the waterfalls and this time we were equipped with high rubber boats so we could go through the rivers. Carlos showed us many plants and even had us try a few leaves and bark. It was a true effort of trust as we just did what he told us to do. In fact, we had very little knowledge before we started about the trip and lived in the moment waiting for Carlos to direct our day. Ricardo and Carlos swam in the waterfalls.

Ricardo takes the plunge

This indigenous woman brought us our boat

incredible scenery in the jungle

Then we took a truck to a spot along the river where there was a long wooden canoe and 6 of us piled in for a canoe trip down the river...mostly propelled by small rapids, once coming very close to some rocks. It felt like a disneyland ride but it was for real. After the boat ride it was about 7pm and we headed back to Baños but along the way Carlos noticed a boa constrictor in the street so we stopped and he picked it up to show it to us. It was scary but fun. We finally arived back to our hotel by 9pm after one big day.

 

a baby boa constrictor

Now friends....if you are not to tired I will go on to tell about our next day ... La Ruta de los Cascades...The route of the waterfalls.

We traveled by double decker bus along the same road we traveled the day before only this time stopping to view incredible waterfalls and crossing the gorges in two different cable cars. Our bus stopped for one hour because of a rockslide on the road and they wanted to be sure there would be no further rocks falling before cleaning it up and allowing the many cars to pass. The final hike down to the Pailon de Diablo waterfall was steep but exciting at the bottom and Richard climbed in the little space to go behind the falls.

behind the Devils Cauldron

one of our cablecars high above the river

Now, Wednesday March 2nd and we are leaving in a little while to head to Quito, the large colonial capital of Ecuador for the final leg of our trip. Love to all and thanks for reading our adventures.