Darkness can be deceptive....
Trip Start
Mar 25, 2008
1
17
54
Trip End
Nov 22, 2008
Baños, Ecuador,
Ecuador
Thursday, May 1, 2008
This morning I rose early and went up tot he roof top terrace to see what was up there...oh my goodness we are surrounded but the most beautiful moutains that you feel like you can reach out and touch on all sides!!!!! VERY Impressed....we came here with the intention of going into the Amazon Jungle for a few days,....but this is the town of thermal springs, massages, spaīs etc...and to be honest I am getting a little over...well as of this minute anyway ...staying in places with no electricity and hammocks....Iīve seen plenty of monkeys before...ok I am sounding bad...I think I will do a one night Amazon stay and then get serious on the Spanish school and take this time to learn the language...we are improving altho it is still all about us and what we want /need it would be nice to be mildly conversational!! Donīt think we are being completely shallow we will be doing the Amazon in Bolivia as well for quite a few days and quite a lot deeper than here.
The focus for Baņos will also be a mountian bike ride to Puyo which is 61 kīs away the waterfalls along the way are supposed to be spectacular...spanish leassons...and various day trips...it wont be time not wasted whilst NOT in the jungle!!!
Ahhh the rains are coming down....glad i'm not in the jungle!!!...everyone said it would be warm here...
Thoughtful
it's not freezing but it is still fleece weather so I am happy to be staying in a hostel with blankets and hot showers etc. We have had a very different wake up experience...a steam bath...you sit in a wooden box with only your head exposed then the box fills with steam....you stay here for 4 mins then step out and there is a bucket with cold water runnign into it and a towels which you then wet and wipe all over yourself in the flow of your blood circulation...that part is freezing and a shock to the system...I like the steam box...Frey likes the cold towels...then back in the box...you do this 4 times and then you lay in a little bath that is curved and massage your tummy and get splashed by cold water some more (Ecuadorian water torture I believe!!!!...)...then back in the box...then hosed down under pressure with the cold water....and then it's all over....actually in the end the cold didn't worry me anymore and I felt quite invigorated...I will be doing it again tomorrow....Frey wont ...she is a little more sensative to heat and the steam looked like it had permanatently turned her into a lobster...it calmed down a few hours later!! It's been a pretty chilled day...after breakfast we headed to Chakra for reflexology massage and a facial then a walk around town...now it's time for a nap!! ahhh the hard life!!!
Tomorrow is the 60k bike ride...I need to nap!! haha! Hope the rains stop! Oh spanish is non exisitent as it's a long weekend and all the schools are shut!....Aye crumba!!!!!
OK the sun is shining the birds are singing and my moutain bike is waiting...all this after once again waking up early to do the steam bath...
There are 7 of us going mountian biking to see all the waterfalls on the road to Puyo..cost is cheap US$5 bucks for teh bikes for the day....we have 3 americans, 3 aussies and an englishman (girl)...we have all stayed at the same hostels all the way down and collectively shared other outdoor adventures in Cotopaxi so itīs a nice bunch!
The day doesnīt start without drama...firstly my seat keeps turning as I ride...not so much fun....then Katie gets a puncture that takes nearly 45 mins to fix as the equipment given to us wasnīt sufficent to ge thte job done!...Casey manages to become a bike mechanic and fix all the woes and we are all on our way again!! At one stage we thought we had lost havlf our team in a tunnel as they didnt see the NO BIKES sign and rode on thru...th cars donīt seem to put lights on in these tunnels and they are pitch black...just to add to the struggle of riding a bike on a busy road...anyway we went aroudn the tunell and waited for them on the other side...they never came out!!!!! oh uh!!!!!...we stopped cars that said they were still makign their way thru so we waited longer...still no sign....oh boy!!! the tunnel was really long and dark and full of fumes let alone crazy drivers....we were very worried and then they come riding back from where we are heading looking for US!!!!...seems as they went thru the tunnel there was NO cars and they made it thru faster than we did on the muddy road!!! They has been waiting further down the road and aroudn the bend thinking something had happened to us....anyway we were all accounted for and safe and onwards we road!!
Once at Devils Falls we did the hike down took photos and climbed back up again!...ahhh lunch time...and what a bargain....US$1.75 for a bowl of chicken and veggie soup and then BBQ and salad with rice...and to think I pay nearly US$10 for sandwich in Cayman!!!
After all the delays with bike issues and tunnel issues we werenīt making it all the way to Puyo so we got a taxi truck for the return ride to Baņos for 1.50 each...about 20 miles.
Last night was dinner with the girls and then bed exhausted!!! ;o)
Today a chill day and tomorrow we are leaving for Gualaquail by bus...an all day event I think ...one sleep and we catch a flight to the Galapogas Islands for 5 days fo sailing.
Donīt think there will be internet there so you prob wont hear from us until after Monday next week.
Basic round up of Baņos - massages, reflexology, facials, thermals, steam baths & bike rides...no Spanish lessons no jungle!!.
Me having another smoothie in Baños
