Banos - My Adventures into the Orient

My Peace Corps friends and I met for a weekend in Banos- otherwise known as the Adventure and Party Capital of Ecuador.  It is known that if you want to bungee jump, zip line across a gorge, mountain bike, participate in any other kind of extreme support, or stay up all night dancing, go to Banos!  So, I did!  I partied a little and played a lot with Chris (from Buffalo), Elias (Seattle), Megan (Chicago), and Melissa (Miami).

After dark, we lounged in the thermal hot springs at the base of this waterfall.

Banos is on the edge of the Orient, or the Amazon Rainforest. For those of you who know me very well, you won't be surprised to know that before coming to Ecuador, I had decided that I would NOT visit the rainforest.  Why?  Because something lives there and slithers through the brush and dangles from the tree branches above my head. You guessed it... snakes!  No thank you!

However, after much consideration, I decided that I should not let my life-long, heart-stopping, totally irrational phobia prevent me from experiencing this amazing ecological place.  So, before I could stop myself, I signed up for a Jungle Tour the first chance I got.  Agreed, this 12-hour introductory trip into the edge of the rainforest was pretty tame and is more like "Amazon Lite", but it was a big step for me.

First, we visited a village of the Shuar people where our faces were painted and we
participated in a traditional dance. 

Then, they brought out some monkeys (and a huge snake) for us to hold.  No pictures of the snake.  I had been warned and I made sure I was very far away!

Next, we took a canoe ride down the Rio Pastaza in a dug out canoe.

Some typical Shuar houses along the river

Houses are elevated off the ground, but the ground floor has hammocks for relaxing.  With Elias (Seattle), Laura (Salinas, California), and Melissa (Miami)

Gusanos, or worms, are a great protein source when fried.
I didn't get to try them, but I would have!  They gave us some homemade hooch instead. 

Next, we donned our rubber boots and rain ponchos and went for a hike. 

No surprise, it was raining in the rainforest!

We hiked to this beautiful waterfall and swam in the tepid waters of the rainforest.

Finally, we ended our day high above the Pastaza River, which runs east into the Amazon. 

A perfect place to relax in a hammock!

As the sun was setting, our final activity of the day was to swing high above the rainforest.
I really enjoyed the entire tour, but the swing was the most fun of all!

The next day, I went to the famous Pailon del Diablo waterfall. So many bridges and 

walkways make it easy to climb all over this place! 

It was spectacular! I will definitely return in the future to explore more paths in this area.

Throughout Ecuador, it is common to see signs promoting the benefits of nature or reminders to take care of the environment. Throughout this park, there was an inspirational message
on each of the garbage cans.  This was my favorite. 

"The biggest gift that you can give to others, is the example of your own life."

And so, my adventures continue....

Central Sierras of Ecuador

I've been pining to get to to the Central Sierras since I got in the country, and two weeks ago, I finally made it to the highlands of Ecuador.  With general elevations between 9,000 - 12,000 feet, this central part of Ecuador contains many ecological zones with large cities, small towns, farms as far as the eye can see, National Parks, and spectacular scenery!

This is Lago Quilotoa, at 12,841 feet.  It is a crater lake from a collapsed volcano. The locals have many legends about this "bottomless lake".  As I walked around it, watching the light reflect off its waters and changing its colors from minute to minute, I began to imagine how all the stories had taken hold.  It is a very magical place.  

My friends Alex, Kendall and Ava enjoying the scenery with me!

A trail loops the lake, and leads down into the small villages dotting the surrounding countryside.

Many locals use the trails to travel back and forth to town for work, school or shopping. 

Indian Paintbrush and Lupine - it felt like home!

The next morning, I was rewarded with a clear view of the 
snow-capped twin mountains in the distance, Las Ilinizas.  

Heading out into the rural countryside along the Quilotoa Loop will forever be one of my favorite places in Ecuador.  The neat little farms dot the steep hillsides and the variety of produce coming out of this region is astonishing.  You can get around the area by bus, truck-taxis, or by walking through the countryside from village to village.  Hostals abound is this region so it was really easy to stay for a few nights and soak in the scenery. 

The charming central square of Chugchilan

The charming central square of Sigchos.

"The world will save itself if each one does their part"

I also visited the larger cities of Latacunga, Ambato and Riobamba!  These beautiful colonial cities have so much to offer the eyes in their architecture, grand plazas and parks, markets and public art. 

A tremendous amount of produce is grown in greenhouses and in the 
open countryside at this high elevation.

Enjoying a few days of Spanish Language Training in Riobamba with Elias (Seattle), 
Alex (Dallas), Makayla (Cincinnati), and Hannah (New Hampshire).


And looming above this region...

Volcano Chimborazo (20,564 feet) is the highest mountain in Ecuador and can be argued to be the highest point on Earth because it is located at the Equator, and therefore, 
technically closer to the sun than Mt. Everest.

Volcan Tungurahua (16,480 feet) is an active volcano hovering between the cities of 
Riobamba and Banos.  It is so active in fact that local evacuations do occur 
and hiking on this mountain is prohibited. 

Finally, the food....
The cities of the central highlands also boast a different variety of foods than what I get in the north part of the country.  Call me crazy, but I am getting a little tired of rice and potatoes.  Luckily, some frenchman got to Riobamba a long time ago and started a legacy of crepe shops.  Sweet, savory- you name it - this city has a crepe for you!  My personal favorite was titled Puppy Love: Strawberries, Bananas, Chocolate and Chantilly frosting!
Such a nice treat.  Yum!