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!