Going on an adventure

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We piled into a taxi arranged for the purpose of our trip and drove south from Tumbes.

Turning off of the main road, the journey continued along an obscure dirt track for quite a distance until we reached the clearing with the hot spring in it.

Since the oil exploration hit hot water, it was decided to build a nice bath to catch it in and very pleasant it is at that.
Its a bit of a shame its in such an obscure location because it could be a more valuable attraction than it already is with just a little better infrastructure.
This is the only hot bath many residents of Tumbes province are likely to experience.

After playing with the spring for a while we walked up to a lookout and took in the view. As always, a camera never does this kind of view justice. Off in one direction was an army training ground with big X helicopter landing sites on the sides of hills and other difficult places to land, so their guys can get some practice under non ideal landing conditions.

After the hot spring we visited the mud baths, which were not warm at all, and generally a much less inviting prospect. Clean hot water vs cold mud .. no contest really. Supposedly the mud baths treat a rather unlikely number of different disorders and diseases.

From there we went to a nice restaraunt at the beach in Zorrito´s, but the camera was long dead by then.

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Photos

Hot spring and bath
The water makes a nice hot bath and was the result of failed oil exploration.

Swimming in the hot spring
Unlike any hot spring I have visited, the water is clean and there is no sulpherous smell at all.

View above the hot spring
Walked up a nearby hill to take in the view.

Medical? Mud baths
A whole bunch of springs well up here, and they label each resulting mud bath with the disorders it "cures".
Camera went flat, so this is the only photo I have.