It's not what you're thinking in Baños

Most people who have picked up a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish probably know the basics, like "cerveza", "si", "no" and Baños? Optionally prefixed by "Donde son los"... Indeed Baños means "toilets", or more correctly "baths" and due to lots of volcanic activity in the neighbourhood and a plethora of water, Baños is the place to do the hot spring thing in Ecuador.

I decided not to immerse myself in the waters as it was school holidays and the idea of trying to relax in hot water with lots of excited kids is right up there with being placed in a padded room and having to listen to Celine Dion's greatest hits played on the pan pipes.

Instead I sauntered round the town, which is very pretty, situated in a valley with steep hills on all sides. Unfortunately due to all its good attributes (location, hot water, activities etc.) Baños has also become a little tourist mecca. Much like Thamel in Kathmandu, Nepal and Cusco, Peru the town is overrun with multi coloured Gore-Tex, hiking boots and hat-even -though-its-fucking-20-degrees-outside wearing, ski pole carrying tourists. The town is also very accommodating in that every second shop offers tours, flights, laundry, internet, mountain bikes, massages, potpourri, pot noodles, pots & pans or just pot.

OK, I made the last one up.

Still it is pleasant enough and the locals are good natured and very friendly. I ate most days at the central market where I could get lunch for 2 dollars. It was always quite depressing walking by the tourist restaurants where heaps of gringos were squashed in, eating mediocre food for at least 5 times the price. I always wonder is it fear of the unknown that stops them eating with the locals? Or that they actively like travelling to another country to eat food from Italy and sit & talk English with people from home?

Some chaps who broke this mould were two Australians I met whilst having a beer on the roof of the hostel. Quiet a first, we did the usual "how long you travelling", "where you been", "where you going" blah blah chit chat. They had been on the road for 14 months, which was rather impressive and had come from Alaska, which was even more so. But it only transpired after about 10 minutes that they were actually CYCLING the whole way, trying to camp in most places. They were headed for Patagonia which they reckoned would take another 8 months. I left them drinking and went to bed quietly in awe.


The next morning I awoke inspired by my two wheeled Aussie heroes, so I hired a mountain bike and descended down the valley towards Rio Negro. Along the way there are 7 waterfalls, one more impressive than the next. The ultimate being the pailon del diablo, an astounding cascade which makes more noise than ten 747s taking off simultaneously. There is also a tiny tunnel they have made which allows you to climb in behind the back of the waterfall. It think it was made for the Smurfs as it was mainly about 3ft high, but I managed to get through and peek out from behind the waterfall. No crock of gold though.

On my way back to Baños (horribly sweat inducing and curse outbreakingly uphill all the way) I bumped/wheezed into my two Aussies mates. They had apparently been drinking until quite late and hadn't managed to surface with giant hangovers until midday.



20000km and still pissheads. Legends. Godspeed gentlemen.