Baños

After a very dodgy night bus ride which we were very relieved to be awoken by the bus driver with all our belongings still intact we followed a fellow Danish gringo to a hostel we had stayed in before. He took us to Plantos y Blancos, a great hostel! They luckily had a room ready and with it being before 6am we went straight to bed!

Baños is a beautiful small town situated at the base of huge lush green hills with waterfalls littered amongst them. We had heard great things about this place and we weren't disappointed. By the end of our first day we had already decided we would stay here an extra night and spend only one night in Quito before our flight to Panama.

The first day we spent wandering around the town before climbing a long stepped path up to the a holy statue they have overlooking the town. This was hard work in the afternoon heat but worth the view over the town and valley.

The second day we went canyoning. This is basically abseiling down waterfalls. With no others in the group we had the guide/instructor all to ourselves, this was comforting to Lynne who had signed up to face her fear of heights. The first 4 waterfalls varied in height (10 – 15 metres) and difficulty and had us actually abseiling right down the middle of the waterfalls. Following a heavy night of rain the water was very strong and it proved very tiring but great fun. The final waterfall was 50 metres high and had us step off a sheer drop and gradually let ourselves down next to the water. This was really exhilarating and fantastic fun. Lynne did herself and David proud by finishing it after almost pulling out at the top!

In the evening we headed for a session in the town's famous thermal baths. Ecuadorians come here from all over the country to spend time in these waters that (like all thermal springs) boast many medical benefits. We were surprised at just how hot they actually were and felt very rejuvenated afterwards before heading out on the town for a few drinks.

For the remaining three days we relaxed enjoying the tranquility of the town and the fantastic hostel (Plantos y Blancos), especially the steam bath sessions the hostel offered. It appears that these are a prerequisite of any accommodation in the town and for only a few dollars a session we made the most of it! The sessions involved us sitting in a big wooden box filled with hot steam broken up by a few washes in very cold water. At all times the spa owner is there and he times the sessions whilst also having the pleasure of hosing you down at the end with more cold water!! By the end of the 3 sessions we definitely felt a difference in our skin....David now has the idea of building one of the steam baths in the flat's garden!

One morning we hired bikes and cycled along the road that heads east to the jungle. This is a popular tourist activity and takes you through some beautiful scenery consisting of lush green hills and waterfalls. Also, it is all down hill and easy to hitch a ride back to town on a bus or in a pick up truck. The main attraction is a walk to the impressive Devils Throat Waterfall. We didn't expect to be so taken back by a waterfall after visiting Iguazu falls but with the opportunity to squeeze through some tight caves and get up close and personal with it you couldn't help but be in awe of the power of this waterfall. After hitching a lift back to town we randomly bumped into Eddie & Alice, a couple from PSF. Using the excuse of catching up we headed out on the town again.

We left Baños feeling well rested looking forward to our flight to Panama, not particularly looking forward to a night in Quito.