Blogs from Baños, Centre, Ecuador, South America - page 5

Baños - Known for being the place people go for activities in Ecuador. Nearly most travellers we had met had mentioned this place so there was no doubt that it was going to be touristy. To get here from Latacunga we hopped on a 2 hour bus to Ambato then another bus to Baños. Arriving in Baños we guessed it right, this place was all about tourism. It was so strange seeing so many westerners in the same place at once compared to last few places we had visited. There were tour shops with bikes and buggies vying for people's attention, women trying to draw you in with massages and enough eateries & tourist trinket shops to reflect the numbers of tourists here and then some. It always gives you a good feeling when you arrive ... read more

Hola everyone! OK - I know - this time it's been over 2 1/2 months since I last blogged...now what's my excuse? It's hard to type with your fingers on a steering wheel! Here goes with my update of the places I've been and the people I've taken around! I didn't take many photos, but fortunately some of my friends did! Christmas and New Years were chill - hanging out at home, early to bed & early to rise. CiCi usually wakes me as soon as it gets light (around 6:30) and pesters me for her first morning walk. Since my house is set back behind a big metal gate, I can just slip on clogs and go out with her in my pajamas. There's enough room in the driveway and yard area for a short ... read more

Hello Dear Readers of My Blog! I know it's been over two months since my last blog entry -- there are various reasons for the delay -- more on that later. Our fund-raising Garage Sale to benefit the volunteer children's library was a HUGE success. Throughout the week leading up to the Saturday morning sale I coordinated the efforts of a team of volunteers; it's time-consuming work to sort, organize & price all of the donated goods. On the day of our biggest sale yet, friends and former volunteers turned out to help with crowd control and customer service. About three hours of brisk sales brought in $1500 which will really help out with monthly expenses to keep the library open. Over the past seven years hundreds of volunteers from over 35 different countries have worked ... read more

Nachdem wir ein paar schöne Tage in Quito hatten, trafen wir am 02.10. auf unsere Reisegruppe. Wir sind mit Abstand die Ältesten von allen, d.h. die anderen sind zwischen 21 und 27 Jahre alt. Viele kommen aus Australien, es sind aber auch Kanandier, Engländer und eine Holländerin dabei, also ein bunter Mix. Unser Guide, Henry, stimmte uns auf die kommenden Tage ein und erklärte uns die wichtigsten Dinge. Am nächsten Tag starteten wir nach Tena in den Amazonas Dschungel, zu unserer Gastfamilie. Wir fuhren mit einem öffentlichen Bus ca. 7 Stunden, was die Sache ziemlich anstregend machte. Dauernd stiegen Leute in den Bus ein und aus und wir mussten immer schauen, ob unsere Sachen noch vollständig sind. Das letzte Stück wurden wir von den Söhnen mit Trucks abgeholt und zu unserer Unterkunft gebracht. Diese bestand aus ... read more

I arrived in the tourist town of Baños from Quito which could not have been more of a change! How to get there: Caught the Trole bus 25c at Banco central - C4 bus - & rode to the end of the line to get to Quitumbe Bus Terminal. The trole can get very crowded but come often so if the 1st is very busy just get the next one. If heading to somewhere other than Quitumbe on it make sure you stay near the door if you have luggage! Walk into main Quitumbe terminal (this is very smart! Especially after Carcelen in the north) & go upstairs to buy tickets. Quito - Baños $4.50 including 25c platform entrance fee with San Francisco tours buses. Took just under 3.5hrs. Where I stayed: D'Mathias Hostel $6/night for ... read more