Hotel el Belen Banos

... buggy's, 1 very near collision with truck, 1 very angry local cop, 2 nights out, 1 disgusting bush, 1 cut foot, 1 hospital visit, bungee jumps for 4 of the boys, 1 100 metre bridge and finally thermal springs.<br><br>Upon boarding our 12 hour night bus out of Banos our opinion of the place was a lot different from when we first arrived. Great little town.

This morning I woke and was full of energy so before anyone else was awake, I put on my sports gear and went for a 45 minute jog around town. Banos, I discovered was a small town with more than its share of hostels, some with their own spas and thermal baths. It was surrounded by steep mountains, waterfalls that could be seen from most areas of towns and plenty of tourist shops and tour shops. I felt great but had to go much slower when threatened by the steep hill ...

I woke up friday after the second day of jungle sickness and felt alot better. We headed into town to grab some of the famous Cuy that we had heard so much about...nothing like a whole bar b qued guinea pig to settle the stomach. We took it easy the rest of the day, talking to other travelers, getting advice for our trip to the coast. <br><br>Saturday we got up early and caught a ride with some guides to the rafting competion on the Rio Negro. Our ...

We left Riobamba on the Saturday after the market - again, not really worth seeing the market - just all the same **** as in other places....we got on the bus to Baños, taking us a little further to our volunteer project in the jungle starting on the 5th Oct.<br><br>The bus ride was fine, normal as ever for the first 45 mins (by that i mean crazy driver going ridiculously fast down small roads, etc). The descent into the valley where Baños is was ...

... this time basically jumped straight away before I had a chance to look down. I dont think the guide even had the chance to make sure I was far enough out on the ledge!<br>Anyway, moral of the story was: I ******* myself, but I did it in the end and it was brilliant fun.<br>What was maybe even worse than the jumping was being lowered down onto the cliff below, because the guys at the top would simply drop about 2m of rope at a time and you would fall 2m, swing abit, be ...

... next as its a surprise!! Isnt this great!!´´ Well the girls didnt fall for that comboy attitude, but obviously all male egos did. The surprise was a 50m vertical drop next to a raging waterfall. Alex stupidly clung on to all bits of rope on the way down, so that skin smoke joined the waterfalls mist, and Phil did a wonderful impression of a shaking fetus. All in all a grand day to survive, and all pairs of pants went to the laundry that evening...<br>

... Puyo. From here, we took an arranged cab out of town, 90 minutes north into the jungle over a decreasingly paved road. Upon reaching our destination, we took off our shoes and put on the obligatory knee-high rubber boots, and made our way across a swamp over a wooden footbridge and up the side of a cliff to our new home. Although the dwelling certainly was home to 12 or 15 wonderously friendly indigenous Ecuadorians, there unfortunately was anything that could hardly ...

... tomorrow and use the internet before we head out in a bit for dinner. <br><br>We stopped in Latacunga for petrol (super still appears to be $2.10 a gallon, even slightly cheaper some places!) and then on the Pan American to Ambato before heading slightly more East to Baños. One slight issue with a detour through one of the villages ( no idea which one!) I suspect due to a rock fall as we saw some more minor ones on route and also the trucks which come to clear up afterward. The ...

... see how i was next morning. <br>Tuesday morning came and i felt okish so i said we should do it-up we went and it is pretty cool. Its basically this seat you sit on in a wooden box that they close on you and all that is visible is your head. Inside the box is your body with alot of steam inside. You stay in for about 5 mins, then get out and cover yourself with a towel soaked in freezing water and apply it over different parts of body. You repeat this process 3 ...

... Cascada de Chamana, "Manto de la Novia" (Mantle/Veil of the Bride), and "El Pailón del Diablo" (The Devil's Cauldron). These get bigger and more impressive the further down the valley you go; the last one, "El Pailón del Diablo", is pretty spectacular, with a substantial volume of water thundering downwards onto the rocks far below. There are viewing platforms right by the waterfall, and even a ...