Quilotoa, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

I’ve booked to go to the Quilotoa crater today, fortunately a British couple, Joel & Kate, also want to go and so the tour is on.  Sat eating breakfast as the guide walks in, bizarrely it is Fernando ‘messy’ who was our raft guide on the river a few days ago. We set off by car (nice change from mini vans) and Messy talks us through the villages and towns we pass including Pelileo which is the main commercial market for the region and mass producer of jeans. We stop briefly at a lake and then at Tio Toachi canyon. This canyon is pretty cool, it was actually formed by lava flow. Messy makes me stand on the edges for photos which I do nervously.  

Our arrival at Quilotoa coincides nicely with lunchtime and we sit in a cute restaurant with a wood burning stove eating quinoa soup and chicken. The crater lake view is amazing, the minerals keep it a lovely blue with brighter edges. I hadn’t fully realised we would be at 4000masl until we walked a bit and I felt it in my lungs.  

Our hike took us down to the lake edge, a steep 300m down on a sand path. The lake was really peaceful and tranquil, we spent 20minutes down there before starting the climb out. Jeez, that was the tough part. The sand path and gradient was exhausting but we took it slowly. I was red and knackered as we made it back to the top but still smiling. We drove back to Baños as it grew dark and I took Joel & Kate to my favourite Italian for my last night in town.

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

Friday was Justin’s last day in Ecuador as he needed to get home via Lima. We wandered up to the bus station via a quick coffee stop and he left on a midday bus. It was quite funny watching the bus leave, throwing some passengers off and stopping for a few more before it had got out of the station. He seemed okay as he set off for Quito and his afternoon flight to Lima.

After a faster paced few weeks, I was ready to chill and plan my next move. I grabbed my things and moved to a cheaper hotel down the road with the important addition of a hammock on my balcony for strategic planning/snoozing. I made good use of this spot over the next few days as it was also perfectly positioned for people watching!

I can skip through the next 3 days as they cover the same routine. The weather was pretty grey so I spent time in coffee shops, reading in my hammock, indulged in a body massage and enjoyed a few nice meals including an excellent spaghetti carbonara. I have decided to stay in Ecuador till the end of the month to explore more before heading to Colombia. 

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

I woke up with a bit of a funny tummy, and it is raining. I am thinking the bike ride is going to be a wash out, but we agree to read for an hour or so to see if it clears up. There is a great spot at the hostel with two hammocks that we can laze in. It is Justin’s last day so I am hoping it isn’t a write off.

By 11am it had cleared up enough for us to grab the bikes and set off, I am pretty sluggish but this route is perfect as the 16km is mostly downhill. It is called the Waterfalls route as it tracks a river with three waterfalls. We pass Cascada Agoyan, then Cascada Manto de la Novia and both feature zip lines or suchlike with multiple companies, it is fun to watch the chiva tours or party buses as I would call them moving on the adventure tour.

The ride is mainly on road unless there is a cycle route around one of the tunnels. Our last stop is Cascada Pailón del Diablo or Devil’s cauldron, this waterfall is best viewed by hiking down to see it. It is immensely powerful and it’s always fun to get close enough for a thunderous spray. The hike back up isn’t nice but once at the top we can load our bikes and ourselves into a truck for a bumpy lift back to town.

We drop the bikes back and stroll to a cafe.  I manage a camomile tea whilst Justin wolfs down a corn muffin topped with cheese and a coffee.  A restful afternoon and I am feeling much better as we head out for dinner. I can’t believe this is Justin’s last night before he starts the trip home. We order red wine to toast a great trip and I play it safe with chicken and rice. Unfortunately my stomach reminds me it is sick about half way in, which puts a dampener on our celebrations.

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

Slightly apprehensive about our activity today. Last time I went white water rafting my last dunking was not particularly pleasant, but I rationalise that today’s rapids are graded 3&4 so should not be as crazy.   

We pick up our safety gear and set off on a 45 minute drive along the river to our entry point. Our raft has 6 people plus the guide, who all speak English so following commands should be straight forward. I am pleased to be with 4 guys so we should have the muscle to paddle out of trouble. It soon becomes clear that our guide is going to use the muscle to paddle into the rapids. I wedge my feet under the rope, say a prayer and start paddling.  

We are on the river for an hour and travel around 20km through different grades of rapids, all good fun with a few scary sections. I was very pleased that I managed to stay in the raft and a little dissapointed when it ends. We climb out and change al fresco style before climbing back into the van. We arrive back in Baños in the late afternoon following a pit stop for a roast chicken and rice lunch which was included in the day.

Our preferred coffee house is closed but we find a better one near the square and sample a tasty flat white. Tonight is Justin’s choice thus we enjoy a burger and a couple of beers in a brewhouse, mine being a ‘ginger’ beer which was very good.

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

A slow, easy start to today with a trip to the tour agent. We enthusiastically sign up for white water rafting tomorrow and to hire bikes on Wednesday. They suggest a tour up to Casa de Arbol, but I think we can do it ourselves. Sure enough there is a local bus that can take us up for a dollar which is a relief as I think Justin has been contemplating a hike up!

The Casa de Arbol is of course a tree house, but off it hangs simple swings that go out over the edge of the hill, marketed as a ‘swing at the end of the world’. On a clearer day you can see the Tungurahua volcano. We arrive after passing several imitations and pay our entry. It’s not too busy and there are four swings for us to choose from. Whilst this is a simple concept, it is great childlike fun to swing out and back so we have two goes just to make sure we get good pictures…

We have decided to take a scenic hike down via a mirador but manage to miss the badly signposted turn offs. We eventually find a turn that takes us past a huge cross (that is illuminated at night) and downwards to the town. It is pretty steep and slippery but gets us great views and a bit of exercise before finding a coffee shop with hammocks to recover in.

Tonight we visit the ‘healing’ thermal baths that Baños is famous for, La Piscinas de la Virgen. We time our arrival for evening opening when they refresh the water. It is nice but only one bath where I can take the temperature and bobbing in a crowded murky bath whilst wearing the obligatory hired pink hair cap can only be done for so long. We last an hour before hopping out in favour of clean showers at our hotel. A tasty Italian pasta followed by a chocolate fondant rounds off a good first day in Baños. 

Baños, Ecuador 🇪🇨 

The Hilton is so comfy, I could have happily stayed a week but more adventures are beckoning and we decided on Baños for Justin’s last few days. We bid goodbye at breakfast to Colin, Kate, Hayley & Rob as we all go our separate ways. The bus terminal is a 40minute taxi ride away and costs more than the 3hour bus to Baños, which is only $4.50. It’s fairly stress free, if you don’t count the high volume Spanish movie played for our entertainment and impossible to drown out. Scenery is lovely and green with the white capped volcanos appearing along the way. 

We arrive in Baños late afternoon to find a small town with a nice vibe.  Our hotel is good, set close to the hill with a few hammocks for lounging in. It’s a lazy evening for us with a short stroll and dinner.