Adventures in Banos

One big attraction in Banos is the series of waterfalls in the area. You can bike ride for 60k and see them, like my roomies did, or you can take the local short tour bus to the same places. Guess which I chose... I boarded the cute little bus with locals and had a ball. We rode in cable cars across gorges to waterfalls and hiked down to the bottom to feel the rush of the MacKay Falls. Loved it!

After my half day of waterfall action I decided that something had to be done about the extreme stye on my eye. It looked like a volcano and was ruining my photos! I consulted with my doctor in NYC who thought that I should wait until I get home to take action and not scuba dive in the meantime (Don´t know what part of I´m on a dive trip to the Galapagos didn´t translate). I went to a local doctor who spoke no English, but "absesso" conveyed. He got some surgical tools and a neddle from a rolled up dinner napkin and went at my eye until I screamed, which is more than the other adventure activities could do. I was off with a handfull of prescriptions to prevent death from absesso and a $35 bill. Wish me luck.

The next day it was time for more thrills. My Dutch friends and my new German friend, Sandra, and I went Canyoning. Basically we hiked up a mountain and repelled down through four waterfalls and then slid down two more. It was serious fun and we felt like we had taken on nature and won!

We spent all our early evenings in the public baths melting away. One friend, Carson, enjoyed the baths so much he couldn´t bring himself to move on to the next town. Or was it the intoxicating atmosphere of Banos?

I left Banos on a luxury bus back to Quito this morning ($3.50 for 4 hour trip) and arrived in the early afternoon. I had time to see some more of the old town Quito and to climb the spires of the Basilica del Voto National, which has Galapagos animals to protect it instead of mythical creatures. I just had dinner at the hostel with a fabulous view of Quito and am getting ready for my next adventure. I will be under water in the Galapagos Islands living aboard a boat for a week and will summarize the experience when I come back to civilization. Adios!

The Great Crater Lake and Beyond

Several of our merry band of travelers were headed to the adventure town of Banos, but in very different ways. Two adorable Dutch girls, Anya and Marsha and me hired the driver from Cotopaxi to take us off the beaten path and visit the volcano crater lake of Laguna Quilotoa. Anya read something about it in her guidebook and it sounded like an adventure. Enrique and Harley joined the party and rode all day in the back of the pickup truck!

It was a beautiful day and I feel like I got to see the real Ecuador. Women in traditional dress with hats and fushia ponchos, families working the fields, a bustling town market, etc. We stopped for lunch in a small town where we bought rolls from the bakery and a whole chicken and cheese from another place to make divine sandwiches for a picnic. Our Barcelona born Enrique was invaluable to get things done and make sure we weren't missing anything fun.

The drive was scenic, but nothing could have prepared me for the beauty of the Laguna Quilotoa. Stunning! We were all silent as we peered over the edge at the glowing green lake nestled in the volcano crater. The locals claim the lake has no bottom and it does look magical. We hiked down taking photos constantly and arranged to ride donkeys back to the top. It was so worth the long drive!

We hit Banos at about 6pm on Wednesday and our friends from Cotopaxi were walking to the new hostel, Plantas y Blanco, at the exact same time. It was a cause for celebration--it doesn´t take much! Our hostel has a cafe/bar roof deck with a waterfall view--all for $7.50 a night in a 4 bed room with our own bath.

Banos is where travelers and locals come to have a good time. There are countless adventure activities and the premier attraction is the public hot baths, said to have healing powers. The thermal baths and many area waterfalls are gifts from the impressive local active volcano Tungurahua (throat of fire).

I had a lovely dinner with Anya and Marsha and we planned our activities to get the most out of this exciting town!

Getting High in Cotopaxi

The Secret Garden Cotopaxi hostel is a family home, working farm, and retreat all in one. The view of six volcanos with the snow covered Cotopaxi as the star was simply breathtaking. We arrived in time to settle into our quaint bunk rooms (mine had 8 beds surrounding a potbelly stove) and have lunch. After being served a lovely meal of Ecuadorian stew at the long wooden table we were invited on a nice hike up to a nearby waterfall. I pulled on the rubber boots and headed out with the group, 4 dogs and two guides.

I am just lucky to be alive! We went over, under, through and around thick vegetation, slippery rocks, sheer drops in big rubber boots with the oxygen available at 12,000ft. The waterfall was beautiful, but more importantly we bonded as a group, basically trying to stay alive! If it were not for Patrick, from Switzerland, who pulled or pushed me on many occasions, you would have nothing to read. Patrick, who just finished his degree in molecular biology, won the money for his South American trip on a game show that sounds like our Family Feud. The stories are wonderful here...

The waterfall experience made the next days´ Cotopaxi climb to the Jose Rivas Refuge seem possible. I survived with the limited air available at 16,000ft and made my way up the ground lava to the Refuge. This is the place the climbers sleep before leaving at 1am to head to the summit. None of our group took this on! The weather changes rapidly on the volcano and we were rewarded with some great sun to match the cold wind whipping down from the glacier. It was a great experience!

My two days at the hostel were truly special. We woke up each day with the sun and the rooster. The first person up checked the sunrise and woke everyone if it was a clear shot of Cotopaxi. If so, we would all grab cameras and tumble out in pjs to get the shot before climbing back in until breakfast at 7:30. Everyone did different activities during the day meeting back for an afternoon of laziness in hammocks before snacks and cocktails at 5pm. Big group dinners turned into fun evenings chatting by the fire. When we turned in exhausted, the staff had built a fire in our stove and lit candles everywhere. What an experience!

Operation Ecuador

My vacation got off to a rocky start last Saturday with airline malfunctions threatening my first day in Ecuador. But, persistence pays and got me to an alternate city, Guayaquil, with a free hotel. I ended up having a ball in the coastal town of Guayaquil, an easy flight to Quito the next day and a great story to tell.

Quito is not only the capital, but also the soul of Ecuador. Nestled in the Andes, at almost 10,000ft it is the world's second highest capital. The area called Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and the location of my hostel home base in Ecuador, The Secret Garden. The top floor of the hostel is an open air cafe/bar with a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and lively Quito.

Within minutes of arriving at the Secret Garden, I met an delightful Australian couple who were headed to the art museum that happened to top my list for the afternoon. The Museo del Banco Central put the pre colonial, colonial and revolutionary periods and art movements in context for me. I am now eager to learn more as I travel around this small and proud country.

By some miracle, my luggage arrived on the evening flight from Miami and I picked up my bags without incident. I made it back to the hostel in time for dessert and to spend the evening sitting around a fire built in a wheel barrow hearing travel stories and soaking up the lights of Quito. My list of places to see is growing by the minute.

The next morning me and about 16 others from the hostel hopped in two trucks for a ride out to the middle of nowhere. We tied the backpacks on the roof and headed to the Cotopaxi National Park.