Baños
2 hours on the local buses got us to the gringo Spa town of Baños. The buses and roads here are loads better than in Costa Rica and the seats are much better than National Express! The best thing about the buses though is that they stop every mile or so and a new food seller gets on with fresh produce (Fish or chicken Kebabs (25p), Satsumas, (25p for 10), ice creams, crisps chocolate, drinks, nuts, cakes and even chicken or sausage and chips) More and better food than your local corner store!
We stayed in a beautiful hotel in Baños and the cheapest so far at only 3.75 a night each! Wide windows opened onto a private view of the garden and avocado trees.
Our first night we visited the hot volcanic springs. The pools range from lobster boiling to arctic freezing but overall a most revitalising experience! We met new friends from Ireland and others from England and also met a couple who we climbed Cotopaxi with. We arranged to meet everyone in the local bar for a pool playing evening which went swimmingly. Two local cocktails were enough to keep us going all night!
The next morning we hired good mountain bikes for the day and set off down and down and down the valley (knowing we could get a bus back up later!) After zooming down the hill for a while we came to a tunnel through the mountain. Becky donned her head torch and bravely zoomed through at full speed. After the tunnel we stopped and everyone said god wasnt it dark in there (Theyd only forgotten to take off their sunglasses!).
We arrived at the first waterfall of the day and got a cable car across the canyon which went directly above the waterfall so you could see straight down. The view was stunning and we hiked down the valley and crossed back across an Indiana Jones style bridge! Getting back on our bikes we continued our downhill zoom(just the kind of biking we like). At the next town there was the biggest waterfall we have ever seen. We parked our bikes at the top, had lunch and set of down into the canyon. Wow! What a waterfall! Blimey! Check out the photos! When we got back to the top our bikes had been chained up by the owner of the restaurant who was disgruntled that we hadnt brought anything from him but after buying a water and a coke we were released and cursing his name we payed some guy with a truck $1.5o each to take us back to Baños. Overall though the best day in Equador so far...
Out on the town that night Becky, tired from the bike ride, went back to the hotel whilst Holland continued on the Tequila cocktails with a load of English guys. After a wild nights partying in the local gringo joint he managed to lose his best fleece jacket and the all important Spanish phrasebook! Doh! The next day was absolutely tipping down with rain and Holland spent the day moping with a hangover and lamenting his losses.
We left Baños under a bit of a cloud after giving up on our lost property. As our bus descended towards Tena the temperature rose and rose as we descended from the Andes to the jungle plain below. The scenery started to change and our mood lightened as we felt the excitement at entering the fringes of the Amazon Jungle, the lungs of the planet! The jungle covers an area the size of Australia and we are setting out on a tour for the next few days at a jungle lodge! Looks amazing at first sights, stay tuned for an update soon!
Holland and Becky
We stayed in a beautiful hotel in Baños and the cheapest so far at only 3.75 a night each! Wide windows opened onto a private view of the garden and avocado trees.
Our first night we visited the hot volcanic springs. The pools range from lobster boiling to arctic freezing but overall a most revitalising experience! We met new friends from Ireland and others from England and also met a couple who we climbed Cotopaxi with. We arranged to meet everyone in the local bar for a pool playing evening which went swimmingly. Two local cocktails were enough to keep us going all night!
The next morning we hired good mountain bikes for the day and set off down and down and down the valley (knowing we could get a bus back up later!) After zooming down the hill for a while we came to a tunnel through the mountain. Becky donned her head torch and bravely zoomed through at full speed. After the tunnel we stopped and everyone said god wasnt it dark in there (Theyd only forgotten to take off their sunglasses!).
We arrived at the first waterfall of the day and got a cable car across the canyon which went directly above the waterfall so you could see straight down. The view was stunning and we hiked down the valley and crossed back across an Indiana Jones style bridge! Getting back on our bikes we continued our downhill zoom(just the kind of biking we like). At the next town there was the biggest waterfall we have ever seen. We parked our bikes at the top, had lunch and set of down into the canyon. Wow! What a waterfall! Blimey! Check out the photos! When we got back to the top our bikes had been chained up by the owner of the restaurant who was disgruntled that we hadnt brought anything from him but after buying a water and a coke we were released and cursing his name we payed some guy with a truck $1.5o each to take us back to Baños. Overall though the best day in Equador so far...
Out on the town that night Becky, tired from the bike ride, went back to the hotel whilst Holland continued on the Tequila cocktails with a load of English guys. After a wild nights partying in the local gringo joint he managed to lose his best fleece jacket and the all important Spanish phrasebook! Doh! The next day was absolutely tipping down with rain and Holland spent the day moping with a hangover and lamenting his losses.
We left Baños under a bit of a cloud after giving up on our lost property. As our bus descended towards Tena the temperature rose and rose as we descended from the Andes to the jungle plain below. The scenery started to change and our mood lightened as we felt the excitement at entering the fringes of the Amazon Jungle, the lungs of the planet! The jungle covers an area the size of Australia and we are setting out on a tour for the next few days at a jungle lodge! Looks amazing at first sights, stay tuned for an update soon!
Holland and Becky
posted by Web Design, Corporate Video Bristol | Mentor Digital at
11:36 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home