Day 11: arrival in Baños
Our 9:45 pm bus from Canoa arrived in Quito at 3 am. After saying good-bye to another fellow traveller, we then caught a 4 am bus to Baños. The bus rides were comfortable enough to catch a decent amount of sleep. Right now we're staying at Hostel D'Mathias, which is awkwardly right across from Hostel Nomada. The difference is that our hostel charges $6 for a nightly dorm bed and the competition across is $8. This day wasn't eventful other than the kick ass pizza we had from Buona Sera Pizzeria. A familiar pizza, which is the large size, cost $9.99 with 2 toppings and a bottle of soda. So far Hostel D'Mathias is the most comfortable of all hostels in my short Ecuador experience. I don't know if it was the long bus ride or the comfy bed, but I fell asleep around 5 pm and didn't get up until 9 am the next morning.
Day 12: exploring the town and Casa de Árbol
I wouldn't say this day was anything special. I'm still in lazy butt mode. I take my sweet time to get out of bed, and when I do I turn on my MacBook to play Candy Crush. I know this sounds so horrible.
After hearing people rave about la Casa de Árbol and seeing online photos, we caught the crowded 2 pm local bus for $1 to get to the tree house. It's a beautiful place but the crowd of gringos made it a "I can't wait to get out here" experience. The main point of visiting la Casa de Árbol is to get a photo of yourself on the swing. I didn't and now I regret it. There's a donation box by the swing that asks for a modest fee of 50 cents. I don't know exactly why, but I'm still lethargic and unmotivated to take in the activities on my 12th day away from home.
We ended the night with another pizza, ice cream, souvenir browsing and a lame horror movie at the hostel.
Day 13: biking in Baños
It's 3:33 pm as I am writing. We just got back from our wonderful bike ride to the Cascasdas or waterfalls. At first I was intimidated to ride a hard core looking bike on a road with crazy trucks and taxis. Turns out the the drivers are very courteous toward cyclists. I was amazed at the beauty of the mountains. We passed by several waterfalls and stopped for some cheesy photos. Our bike ride ended at the Cascada de Diablo. Overall the bike ride was easy with a few uphills and lots of downhills. If I can do it, anyone can. Riding these inclines proves that my biking skills are nonexistent.
I don't know what is in store for us tonight. I have a feeling that it will consist of pizza. Hopefully if
I have enough energy, I'll go out to the tacky looking Leprechaun Bar.
Final Thoughts...
Baños is the ideal place for outdoor activities such as ziplining, canyoning, biking and hiking. The town itself is nothing impressive. The main attraction of the town is the surrounding green mountains and waterfalls. Only come here if you are seeking activities.
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| Graffiti all over Baños |
Day 12: exploring the town and Casa de Árbol
I wouldn't say this day was anything special. I'm still in lazy butt mode. I take my sweet time to get out of bed, and when I do I turn on my MacBook to play Candy Crush. I know this sounds so horrible.
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| Edge of the world |
We ended the night with another pizza, ice cream, souvenir browsing and a lame horror movie at the hostel.
Day 13: biking in Baños
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| Finally a road w/out cars |
It's 3:33 pm as I am writing. We just got back from our wonderful bike ride to the Cascasdas or waterfalls. At first I was intimidated to ride a hard core looking bike on a road with crazy trucks and taxis. Turns out the the drivers are very courteous toward cyclists. I was amazed at the beauty of the mountains. We passed by several waterfalls and stopped for some cheesy photos. Our bike ride ended at the Cascada de Diablo. Overall the bike ride was easy with a few uphills and lots of downhills. If I can do it, anyone can. Riding these inclines proves that my biking skills are nonexistent.
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| Casadas throughout |
I don't know what is in store for us tonight. I have a feeling that it will consist of pizza. Hopefully if
I have enough energy, I'll go out to the tacky looking Leprechaun Bar.
Final Thoughts...
Baños is the ideal place for outdoor activities such as ziplining, canyoning, biking and hiking. The town itself is nothing impressive. The main attraction of the town is the surrounding green mountains and waterfalls. Only come here if you are seeking activities.
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| Getting a ride back |
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