Lesson of the day: at the end of downhill there is only uphill...

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I arrived 3 days ago in Baños, which lays at the foot of the Tungurahua volcano, YES the one that erupted about a month ago...

The city itself is said to be breathtakingly beautiful but it's too touristy, everything is overpriced and more or less "gringolandia".

However, the area around Baños is absolutely delightful, it's surrounded by mountains and vulcanos, there are hundreds of waterfalls and the other towns are small and have a village-flair being close to each other and as most places around here are self sustainable.

I decided to rent a bike today at 8am and visit the area up until Puyo, a town 60 kilometres "downhill" from Baños, it started great, with a easy downhill road, however what I had to learn the hard way is that where downhill finishes there is only one way to go... And that's the issue... Back up. The first hill is a nice exercise, the second a challenge and then it's just a pain. The worst part starts after about 3/4 of the road. And then the relieving 12km sign appears. At first I was happy and it felt like an easy finish... And then... About 5km later... Another sign appears... And it says 12km to Puyo. A bad joke. Its tough... Seems never ending. And the trip "downhill bike tour to Puyo" sounds easier than it is... But hey, I made it, I survived and watching the landscape without a single soul around is making up for the pain. That's happiness. The trip took me 4hours in total... The return trip was the first bus that caught my attention :)

Now i can feel every bone in my body and tomorrow I will probably visit the next town hoping to find more tradition and less international influences...

-Diana

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