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!
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