We had organised transport from Cotopaxi to Banos - roughly a three hour trip which turned into four and a half hours as the bridge about 10 minutes outside Banos was closed for roadworks. Not knowing any of this before setting off the driver (thank goodness he brought a mate along for the ride) had to negotiate a goat track that would never have been allowed to be used by vehicles let alone as a detour back home.
There were sheer drops off the side of a crumbling road which did nothing for Susan who doesn't like heights at the best of times!
There was no way of passing another vehicle, one or other had to back up until a passing spot could be found. The bridges weren't over streams rather over where lava flows had been and there was a lot of volcanic ash around! But never fear we eventually made it to Banos, much to the surprise of the owners of our accommodation - they in fact had sent us an email saying the road was closed and to perhaps delay our trip for a day....we hadn't seen the email.
And once we caught our breath again we were soon mesmerised by the amazing location of La Casa Verde, an Eco lodge situated about 2 kms from town and our home for the next two nights. Doug an Aussie and his Kiwi wife Rebecca have built the lodge over the last four years or so and it was like a home away from home, with some great crafty decorations and vistas to die for. And another great feature of the hotel is that it is in the evacuation area should Tungurahua get a little active again.
Doug helped us sought an action packed day where we got to go into the jungle (well the edge) experiencing canoeing in a dugout,
hiking in mud, climbing hills to see the most amazing views over the jungle, walking to and swimming through waterfalls, visiting a monkey refuge and for me traveling across a gorge in an open cable car to another waterfall.
And that's not to mention the drive down to Puyo and back with Carlos who thought he was racing in the Bathurst 1000 - we haven't struck too many cars with seat belts here although we have been looking!
The next day we went into Banos itself - the town has a really lovely feel even though a lot of tourists pass through and stay as it is the main road beaten Peru and Ecuador and the gateway to the Amazon. Again we had our breath taken away when we stumbled across a mass in the Basilica. The church was full, the singing amazing (I was able to hum along to two of the hymns one using Sounds of Silence and the other Ode to Joy. It turned out they were celebrating the feast day of the holy rosary and after mass, and the blessing of a number of ........a procession around town began led by a band with the woman carrying flowers tottering by in their heels and fhe men carrying what looked like a very heavy Mary behind.
But that wasn't all outside the Basilica a real battle of the bands was taking place! There were 7 small bands playing local folk tunes in battle against one another - at first they played against one another then a sense of politeness took hold and as one band finished the next one started louder and faster. It was something else.
Seeing guinea pigs roasted (a traditional dish) didn't really excite us for lunch but we did eat in the local markets for the pricey amount of $3.50 for a yummy bowl of chicken soup (too much to finish) washed down by a beautiful freshly squeezed juice. You can't beat eating with the locals in
the markets when travelling.
We never actually made it to the hot pools which is one of the things Banos is famous for although we did see at least two cars (yes cars) that had been blessed with the holy waters which perhaps explains why they all drive like maniacs in Ecuador - fast and furious. This vehicle is not a wedding car rather a blessed car!
And thankfully the bridge was open by the time of our departure so our only breathlessness was from laughter at our exploits and a desire to have had more time in Ecuador. I'm sure I'll be back again for another visit....
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe Harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”. Mark Twain
Location:Banos, Ecuador
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