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Published: October 7th 2009
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Virgin's Hair Waterfall
Seen from all over Baños. Baños is Ecuador's “adventure central,” and part of that adventure is due to its location, location, location. The famed town is cuddled on the lap of a 16,480-foot volcano called Tungurahua. This Ecuadorian bad boy has been spilling his fiery guts off and on for hundreds of years but — like an exhausted giant, Tungurahua is napping peacefully — for now anyway. "Dormiando," one of the friendly locals explained.
If that takes some of the thrill out of our visit, it also takes out some of the uncertainty. Baños, 6,000 feet, is routinely closed off to visitors when Tungurahua awakens. Jack and I first tried to visit last year, but were told "lo siento, pero Baños es cerrado." A few days later, the volcano erupted, shooting ash six miles into the air.
An even more significant pop though occurred in 2006 when Tungurahua spewed molten rock that wiped out three villages. Twenty-pound cone-shaped chunks of lava are displayed at our hostal as dramatic proof.
But that was nothing compared to the 1999 eruption where seven people were killed and several more mountainside hamlets destroyed. More would have perished if officials hadn’t totally evacuated the area, despite recalcitrant residents
Tungurahua Volcano
(In an earlier published photo). Tungurahua means "Throat of Fire." who didn't want to leave their businesses, homes, and possessions. It's understandable why residents were obdurate though. Four months later they returned to find their homes and businesses stripped bare. About half of the disheartened residents left the area, creating hard times for this popular adventure destination for awhile.
But ten years later, Baños is again booming, with dozens of eager adventure companies willing to take you para-sailing, canyoning (which, the best I can tell, means rapelling down waterfalls), mountain biking, ATV'ing, dune buggying, white water rafting, climbing, horseback riding, and bungi jumping. I've always wanted to zip line through a jungle canopy while doing my best Tarzan yell, but I think we're going to opt for a two-day jungle trek instead. Cool!
We arrived in Baños after a looong 11-hour bus ride from Cuenca — four hours longer than we were told it would be, thanks to road work. There are two kinds of roads in Ecuador — those that have been redone or those that are in the process of being redone. It's a great jobs program that maybe another country to the north might emulate, hmmm?
The ride here was awe inspiring, through towering
Freedom!
Soaring over Baños. mountains with vast vistas extending into forever. Along the way, impoverished-looking villages and towns were in dramatic contrast to beautiful Cuenca. As Ecuador emerges, it almost seems like two different countries, one belonging to the past, and the other to the future.
Extreme Sports Fun
Baños is populated with lots of young people taking advantage of all the extreme sports offerings. We've seen more fit and healthy-looking young North Americans and Europeans here than anywhere else in Ecuador. You never feel so old as when you see gaggles of youth in all their slim and muscled glory. Ah, remember when...
But it's not just foreigners who are drawn to Baños, population 10,500. Ecuadorians come by the busloads, and not just for the sporting activities. As the name implies, Baños is gifted with thermal hot springs, a conciliatory offering from the volatile Tungurahua. On weekends the public pools are crammed with families content to bob up and down in the clean but unappealingly-tinted water, colored by minerals. "Personal space" is a non-issue.
Nuestra Señora del Agua Santa
Another big draw is Nuestra Señora del Agua Santa ("Our Lady of the Holy Water"),
Cajas Peaks
On our way from Cuenca to Baños. who has been credited with countless cures and dramatic rescues over the centuries, saving locals from Tungurahua's eruptions, car crashes, and plunges off the cliffs and into the rivers. She's Ecuador's version of Our Lady of Lourdes — without the apparition apparently. Her museum contains piles of discarded canes and crutches in dramatic testament to her healing powers and her shrine sits by a spring on one side of the Church, the town's centerpiece.
Our Lady even has a waterfall named after her near our hostal, called the "Virgin's Hair." There, you can buy a gallon jug and take some holy water home with you for later use, splash some on you from the fountain, take a family photo by the grotto and... if you're brave, stand under the waterfall for a special blessing.
Room at the Inn?
With all the invading turistas, comes the need for restaurants and lodging, and Baños has risen to the occasion, with some 100 hostals/hotels and almost as many restaurants lining the streets. Thanks to a fellow traveler we met in Vilcabamba, we discovered the Hostal Chiminea (www.hostalchimenea.com). It's run by very sweet Ecuadorians, and is lovely, clean and
A Testament to the Danger
It's a long way down these unforgiving cliffs. And Ecuador has the third highest rate of bus accidents in the world. quiet, with private balconies — for $7.50pp a night. It's also just a block or so from the main plaza. Breakfast isn't included, but they have a lovely enclosed terrace where we had delicious French toast and bananas this morning for $1.70. AND... ta da... they have internet and wifi.
Eating out seems more expensive than in Cuenca if you go to Gringo-ish style restaurants, but there are still plenty of more local places where you can get the menu del dia for $2. Roasted chicken restaurants seem to be a particular favorite.
And where there's tourists, there's vendors. Some line the streets with kitschy trinkets while store owners stuff treasures from Otavalo into their 10x12 store fronts. Sometimes you have to duck to get into the Alice in Wonderland openings to see what's inside their merchandise cave.
Ecuadorian "fast food" carts are grouped according to what they're selling... and the favorites here seem to be roasted corn on the cob, beans with salad topping served in a baggie, and — they were doing so well — what I think is fried stomach lining. Pig or cow, I'm not sure. Outside our hostal is sugar cane row,
with vendors crushing cane into a pure sugar rush for you, or offering a bit to chew on, for a heartier sugar fix.
Taffy is another popular item in Baños with taffy pullers working it in five-foot lengths mounted in store doorways to entertain the tourists. Up to now, smiles in Ecuador have indicated healthy diets and dental visits. But we've noticed several Baños residents with rotting teeth, which may be attributed to the dietary duo of taffy and sugar cane.
Yes, life is sweet in Baños... with endless adventure possibilities, good food, and comfortable and inexpensive lodging. It's is a great place to visit — but I wouldn't want to cook here. (Get it)?
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Gloria Gritz
non-member comment
Another interesting episode
Be safe on your jungle excursion ... I'll be watching for photos of interesting creatures!