http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba-os/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from South America , Ecuador , Baņos en-us Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:55:23 BST Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:55:23 BST Buenos diasNa ons Machu Picchu avontuur weer een nieuwe update Vanuit Cusco hebben we de nachtbus naar Arequipa genomen. De busmaatschappij had ons daarbij nog eens redelijk opgelicht dus ons vehikel zag er enigszins teleurstellend uit voor de prijs.. Een Peruaanse student wist het goed te maken door te vertellen dat hij de helft van onze prijs had betaald.. Ach we waren toch al niet zo enthou http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-310610.html Day 38 Wednesday 6th August Bathing in BanosStill feeling tired after the exertions of Cotopaxi the day before so its going to be an easy day for me. Start by returning to the hot baths at the end of the street for another soak to ease my weary bones. Banos is in a beautiful setting in a valley surrounded by hills and there are numerous adventure sports on offer......cycling to the jungle qua http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-310194.html Baos finally after a 5 hour bus ride not 3.5 Quiero vivir en Baos. si es mejor de mi Guayaquil no puedo decir pero I LOVE IT. Thepeople the places to stay the things to do the prices. LOVE IT. Oh and its really tiny and in my first 2 hours here I had already seen people from the last time like Edison the Bartender of the Leprachaun. Veronica and I ate at some cute little place and th http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-307320.html Sorry NJ I am moving to Baos.There is so much to say about this past weekend I have to be sort of brief because I need to go to lunch and then do a ton of homework and projects but it was definitely my favorite place in all of Ecuador. I was told Guayaquil is the armpit of the country and after this I will agree even though I love my city. Baos is very tourist oriented not just to gringos http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-302813.html Well last weekend was so fun that Im still recovering. Carmens grad was interesting I guess her school in San Lorezo teaches music so there were a few performances by the graduates during the ceremony she specialized in administration though. After the ceremony we went up to the farm in Canduya for the party Manuela and Wilson were throwing. We helped prepare the massive pig they bought and http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-298128.html Well start off by saying banos is an awesome place. sadly when we woke up yesterday for our first full day it was pouring. we had plans to do some hikes and what not but the weather just didnt seem to cooperate. so instead we spent the morning wandering around the town visiting the cathedral and checking out places to eat. we stumbled across a really cool cooky little place called casa hoo http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-294122.html Woke up to clouds so we were very happy that we had seen the Volcan Tungurahua yesterday as it wasn't visible today. Visited several waterfalls and used roads which apparently were in the film Proof of Life with Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe. Will need to watch it again when I get back to look out for the scenery. Three of us decided to go on the cable car ride across the valley to San Pedro Falls http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-293271.html Said goodbye to the rainforest but sadly not the rain. It was sunshine and showers all day but we are hoping that it will improve tomorrow. It was wonderful to have a few hours of freetime as it has been non stop action since we started on our trip with early mornings and late arrivals. Dad and I made the most of Banos by going to the thermal pools and enjoying a nice soak at the Piscinas de la http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-293211.html Though this town is far more touristy than anywhere Ive seen in Ecuador it is a proper place to relax for a few days. The hotel choices are spectacular and all sorts of amenities are right nearby. I came into Banos through Ambato and arrived at around nine at night. Banos is one of those places where fourteen year old kids stand at the bus terminal waiting to bother tourists about rooms. T http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-292796.html As during my last time in Baos I had not had the time to explore the majority of the walks I went back to it again. I was accompanied by Corinna for a couple of days. We did two hikes together the sendero de Sauces and the Sendero al Mirador del Volcan. The first is an easy less than two hour hike which gives a good view on Baos and probably on Tungurahua as well when its not in clouds. T http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-289737.html My second time in Ecuador was unfortunately rushed like the first time. My only objective was to spend my birthday in Banos hopefully rock climbing. So I went straight from the border to Quito arriving late in Quito I found a cheap hotel by the bus terminal and got some rest. The following morning I caught an early bus to Banos and met a group of Americans and a Canadian on the bus to Banos. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-287626.html Well here we are in Ecuador and after a nervous start we are really enjoying it. We flew up from Santiago to Quito carrying U.S 2200 which was a bit nerve wracking We even had money in bandages around our ankles Better to safe then sorry I guess. We stayed in a great hostel near the old part of Quito thanks Mark and Al for the tip and enjoyed wandering around the old city with the great buil http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-285923.html Hello Friends heres another little update from us...Baos is a lovely little town in the middle of the Andes surrounded by beautiful scenery mountains everwhere and lots of waterfalls. We got there on the 3rd of June and stayed just for a few days. When we first arrived it was raining like crazy but luckily it cleared up as some bastard stole Monias rain poncho.There is a huge active Volcan http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-285560.html Greetings from Los AngelesUsually I am preparing my blogs at cybercafes wherever I can find a fast internet connection in Ecuador. This time I am writing from Kelly's apartment in the shade of an LA freeway onramp.What has struck me most about my return to the US this time Traffic the multitude of posh vehicles on the roads and how remarkably lawabiding and courteous most drivers are The r http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-285124.html This is the part that I had been waiting for the jungle trek Very much out of my comfort zone and even more so out of Jarrod's but I figured when in Ecuador...I found our guide in the Lonely Planet his tours were touted as extremely wellrun with a cultural slant. Our email exchanges arranging the trek were pretty interesting and I knew that we were indeed in for an adventure.Luis deposite http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-282621.html From Vilcabamba to BaosRiobamba should have been our next stop after Cuenca as we had planned to travel on the famous Devil's Nose train but other travellers we met in Vilcabamba had recommended against it and more importantly we would have seen very little scenery with all the clouds so we skipped it and continued north to Baos one of Ecuador's most popular towns. That's the great thing http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-282290.html So our first solo trip in South America was an eventful one to say the least After our last night in Lima Paul and I got up early to catch our flight to Quito Ecuador. When we arrived to the airport we found out that our flight was delayed by 2 hours.... the first sign that we were in for an interesting day Once we got on the plane the flight was fine and we landed safely. The next step wa http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-281519.html Cuy pet or dinnergringos people or moneyit's your perspective.That was the haiku I wrote in my haiku journal at the end of our week in Quito. In Quito I felt as if I were cuy. I was prey. I was vulnerable. I was ripe for the poaching. I felt like Quito was hungry and I was on the menu. And I looked delicious.So although I was really sad for our week in Quito to end it meant that it http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-276946.html BaosThis is what the Ecuadorian Mountains should be like. Green warmish tropical and with much diversion around them.WaterfallsNo Iguazu in this mountainous area you could go on a tour of pretty mountainous waterfalls. We paid 6 each for a half day trip which included swimming in some of the waterfalls unfortunately the very next day we passed all of the same waterfalls on a bike ride. http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-275538.html Hey Ya'll Just wanted to say whats up to eveyone Big news for me I will be headed to UC Santa Cruz in late july to begin my masters in education. I am glad to finally be decided and done with the decision. Things are going well here. I only have about four weeks left the time really flew by. I ate Cuy Guinea Pig for the second time yesterday and I think my last still really doesn http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-275438.html Oh my goodness what a weekend it has been The four of us from Mindo decided to take friday off work to take advantage of the free salsa dancing lessons offered at the spanish school in Quito. What they didn't tell us when we signed up is that all of the great free things offered with the program were in the city and not always available at the placement we have chosen. The dancing lesson was gre http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-275274.html We arrived in Banos after another 5 hour bus journey. This time in a private bus. Our guide decided that it was easier with 16 people to go privately rather than losing some of us on the way. More incredible scenery very difficult to do it justice. More horrendous roads too. Rocks from landslides on the roads overtaking with little or no visibility due to the cloud cover but exciting nonet http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-273939.html Last few days we have managed to continue the happy nature vibe in The Amazon Jungle.We left Quito in our little group bus about 15 of us in total in the group everyone is getting on really well and easily big age range and good mix of people.We left the city early for an all day bus ride to get to the Amazon in the East of Ecuadour travelling over a high mountain pass and back down again to t http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-273372.html Gestern Abend sind wir nach einer langen Tagesfahrt in Banos angekommen. Banos heisst nicht etwa Toilette sondern Bad der Name kommt daher weil es hier viele heisse Quellen gibt die an den Wochenenenden rege benutzt werden. Unterwegs besuchten wir in ueber 3'000 m Hoehe noch eine weiter Inkastaette Ingapirca die wichtigste Inkaststeatte Ecuadors die schon vorher von einer Preinkakultur benut http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-273300.html Bumping and grindingIt wasnrsquot fun and it wasnrsquot pleasant but after nigh on 3 days travelling we have made it to Baos Ecuador. It all started with an early bus from La Paz. We were up in plenty of time but went outside to find that there was a marathon going on in the centre of the city and hence no taxirsquos moving anywhere fast. So rucksacks on our backs we joined the joggers a http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-272928.html I got to Quito at friday evening and went to thehouse of Isabel my couchsurfing host who lives inthe north of the city far from the center. After awhile a found out that the Habad house is actuallyquite close to her house actually the only thing inthe city that is close to her house... so I hoppedby. They were at the end of Arvit when I got there soI stayed a while for the Shabbat dinner http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-272102.html Hey its been forever since my last blog. Ill try and keep it more up to date but for starters heres some photos http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-271358.html These are some exerpts from my journal when I was alone in Quito some of it is stream of conciousness so its not all going to make sense...FRAGMENTSThe smell of urine and garbage and rotting things the stench hanging. Dirty clothes out to dry the mysterious breezes of the city. It seems that theres all kinds of people in this park. In the distance I see a red and blue pile that I think i http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-270271.html I cannot explain why life makes sense in some moments and not in others how places so strange can feel eerily familiar or how you stumble upon parts of yourself in people youve never met. I cannot explain what losing oneself feels like dropping pieces along the trail a guide for someone in the future who will need them more then you. Take away all the things that you normally do to keep san http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-270263.html I had a pretty cool weekend I caught a bus after school on Friday and headed to a place called Baos. Its a lot more touristy than Tena is and took about four hours to get there. Its surronded by mountains and a volcano and is very pretty. Baos means baths in spanish and its famous for their natural baths and there are about three altogether in the town. After not having a hot shower for a month http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Ecuador/Ba%F1os/blog-262086.html