Oh Baños....I will miss thee

Well, Baños was a small, quaint little mountain town absolutely saturated in touristy gimicks, shwag, hostels, go carts, tour companies, taffy and most of all gringos. I am really going to miss it. It suprised me how quickly I just enjoyed myself there, though it shouldn´t. The hostel, Platos Y Blanco, was really nice. $5.50 for a bunk bed in a room full of solo travelers. They had a sweet terrace with a self serve coffee/beer bar, a great breakfast and just a great atmosphere. I had been thinking about either doing a short whitewater rafting trip, having never done that, or just riding a mountain bike around town, which there are probably more rental shops then anything else except hostels. Yesterday I wandered around town early, I´ve been waking up about 5:30 - 6am, and not wanting to go back to sleep. Saw a tour company that was next to the restuarant I'd eaten at and ran into a guide for canyoneering who garaunteed this was one the best for rafting. By 9:30am I was packed into a van with an older couple from Seattle with lots of paddle sport experience (as they continually reminded the group) and a quiet bloke from Australia, who was actually British. WOW, HOLY CRAP, Mutha o´God it was beyond fun. Having never rafted before, I have nothing to compare this two by Jim and Helen, from Seattle, said it was one of the best rivers they´d ever rafted. Rapids after Rapids after Rapids! It was supposed to be a half day but the second the guide asked us if we wanted to go on we unanimously, and enthusiastically, pushed forward. Ironically, we were traveling down this amazing rainforest valley with water falls and 1000m walls of rock and forest but all I could do is wait for the next wave of verrrry cold water to hit me, push me, and make me yell and scream. One wave felt like an tidal wave from the ocean. I will do this again but I can´t believe anything in the states can compare.

Turns out the Australian, also Jim, was at the same hostel, so we retired to the balcony for a couple of beers and some conversation. Joined by his girlfriend, Gen, BS'ed the afternoon away. They have been travelling through S America for 11 months, and are going to keep going until April. The jealously and amazement was not hidden from my face and comments. Whew, a year and half is too long for me but darn, you should have seen how absolutely content and inspired the two were. We eventually made our way the public hot pools for an exhilarating experience of jumping in remarkably hot pools to cold pools, my body was kicked after 3 turns. We got dinner and then met up with a couple I´d met on the jungle tour and talked into the late evening about travel and everything else. That was without a doubt a perfect vacation day.

This morning I did stint in the steam bath in the hostel where you sit in a box, head sticking out, getting cooked by steam then a curt by friendly Ecuadorian instructs you to get out, wipe down with a cold towel. Eventually he sits you in a cold bath, following several durations in the steam box/wipe down ending with a hose down of cold water, a great and unique experience. Then a short hike to a spot that over looked Baños, wandered around the town and ate lunch at a great little spot, Casa Hood. On to Riobamba this afternoon, where I´ve booked a mountain bike ride on the highest volcano in Ecuador, Chimborazo, and even convinced the tour guide (for an extra $20) to drop me off at one of the refuges to let me sleep on the volcano and wake up early to see how high up I can stand hiking, the first refuge is at 4800m and the second which must be hiked to (which I hope to make it to tomorrow night) is at 5000m. You all can do the math, consider this, the highest point in CO is about 14, 300 feet.

I will update all when I return to Riobamba on Wed afternoon.

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