When Dave and I heard that we had the opportunity to view an active volcano we jumped at the chance and headed down to Banos, about 1.5 hours south of Ambato.
On the road to Banos we passed right by the volcano but unfortunately it was only smoking so we didn't get to see any lava. None the less the scenery was amazing ... Dave and I can't get over how green and lush everything is and how much water there is. Banos is a beautiful town and courtesy of the volcano has some nice hot springs. Dave and I soaked ourselves in them for a while which was good because Banos is so cold. The next day we hired some quad bikes and went biking through the Andes. It was so much fun; Dave and I had an abolute blast. The only scary moment was when a bus overtook us through a one way tunnel with no lighting - once we got out of the tunnel we had to pull over to regain or composure!
I wish you all could see how beautiful Ecuador is because I can't adequately describe it with words. Everywhere you look there is a mountain covered with snow or a waterfall or a field with flowers. The people are also the friendliest we have come across anywhere and everyone has a laugh and joke with you. Not to mention that they are also the most hospitable people we have met. All in all we both felt a week in Ecuador did not do it justice... I think we will be returning here one day. More thumbnails ...
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