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Published: June 28th 2008
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Above Banos
A view (Mirador Run Tun) after climbing part of one of the hills surrounding Banos. Apparently if I had climbed a little higher I would have seen the volcano, Tungurahua, erupting. Though this town is far more touristy than anywhere I've seen in Ecuador, it is a nice spot 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. This is not the sort of town where you need to settle in order to find a good room, though. Walk around for fifteen minutes and you'll see many quality hotels. I chose Planchas y Blancas, and I highly recommend it. It has spotless rooms, hot showers, good food, a rooftop terrace (drinks are on the honor system), and the staff is helpful and friendly. I got a private room for $10.
One of the main things to do here is to ride a bike downhill from Banos past several waterfalls and eventually to Puyo, 64k away, but most stop before getting there. Several people told me about this experience and how much they enjoyed it, but I found it disappointing.
The landscape is admittedly beautiful, but unlike
Near Rio Verde
Mountains near Rio Verde much of the Quilotoa area, it has been reshaped and disrupted by man. The road is busy and dangerous for bikers. While I was there, you had to pedal through a dark, wet 1/8 mile tunnel while worrying about cars coming behind you. Buses sped by the entire way. Telephone wires run along the entire road and ruin many of the views, and a hydroelectric dam limits the water flow. I wouldn't mind these things so much if, say, the ride was a commute to work, but after everyone claimed that it was full of natural wonders, I was unimpressed.
I do regret not riding the cable car to the base of one of the waterfalls. It was only a dollar or two and it looked fun, but I wanted to move on.
Along the way I met two Argentinians who had recently quit their jobs to go through the Americas, along with two Canadian hippies. We enjoyed the easy ride and walked together to the main waterfall (see photo), which was fabulous.
There were a few booths on the way down to the waterfall with handmade jewelry and gifts - they are worth checking out.
Pailon Del Diablo
Pailón Del Diablo (the Devil's Cauldron) -- Waterfall along the Rio Verde. I stopped at the waterfall and decided not to continue to Puyo, which worked out well because it started to rain. There are plenty of people with trucks willing to take you and your bike back to Banos.
I do recommend hiking to several viewpoints above the city. When I first arrived in Banos, it was dark, and at one point I looked up to see a light in the sky - it looked like a spaceship or something. It was a hotel near one of the viewpoints, but the hills are so steep surrounding Banos that at night these lights seem to be right on top of the town.
You definitely want to start the hike and come out of the trail near the hospital. Otherwise, coming down from the hill would be very difficult.
The trail is somewhat difficult, as it is very steep and rocky, but it is also safe and well-marked. There were some disconcerting subterranean rumblings, but that's likely par for the course for a town whose most important attraction is a volcano and the hot springs that come from it. The Run Tun viewpoint is excellent and I turned around there,
but based on others' photos of the volcano erupting, it's probably worth the extra effort to continue to the town of Run Tun.
Now I head to Guayaquil to (hopefully) find a plane to Galapagos.
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