Baños - It's getting scorching hot

10/20/2018

The journey to Baños goes smoothly. After breakfast, we immediately catch every bus. We don't go to the ticket counter anymore, but straight to the buses. There, we are usually put somewhere in and off we go.

We arrive in the early afternoon. The hostel is located in the city center and is cute. Small courtyard with hammocks, a communal kitchen, and a pet turtle. The banana-devouring crawling reptile enjoys some bites from us.

Baños is a backpacker town surrounded by thermal springs and heated by volcanic heat. Many locals also come here for the weekend. The surrounding area has a lot to offer. From mountain biking and canyoning to a leisurely walk over almost 1000 meters in altitude. We opt for the latter.

To end the day in a relaxed way, we go to one of the many thermal baths. As in Iceland before, we are drawn to the outskirts in the hope of finding warm springs. A waterfall falls directly next to the outdoor pool. We choose the one that is more popular among the locals (right next to it, there is also a fancy chlorine-filled outdoor pool). We pay the entrance fee, change clothes in the catacomb-like changing rooms (then thoroughly wash our feet), and dive in. We immediately go to the warmest pool. Luckily, it is cloudy that day and the wind blows over the obligatory swim caps.

Here we also try out our newly acquired snorkeling masks for $5 each. They are watertight, but in the brownish water, you can see very little. But it is nice and warm, and we stay until they close.

In the evening, we get in touch with our Italian friend Massimo, who is also in town. We arrange to go hiking together the next morning. In the evening, music and laughter can be heard from the streets of Baños. We watch the fireworks from the hostel and decide to take a little walk through the town to end the day.

10/21/2018

After breakfast, we meet up with Massimo. He is staying at a nearby campground. We tell him about our experiences and climb up the hill to the 'Virgin Mary'. Along the way, we pass by the cemetery and the winding stairs, seeing joggers effortlessly tackle the incline. But there are also locals who take the path of self-flagellation to be close to Jesus' mother on her special day. One of them collapses on the stairs in front of us, hyperventilating. We offer water and reassuring words. Shortly after, everyone continues on.

The ascent to the Virgin Mary is the least of our worries. The steps are steep but at least secure to step on, unlike the rest of the trail. Dusty, dry, and slightly overgrown, the hiking path stretches out. Annika is looking forward to it because of her open sandals, which soon match the color of the ground. Nevertheless, it is a lot of fun. Several viewpoints offer breathtaking views once again.

Using 'Maps Me' as our offline hiking map, we reach our destination in about 3 hours. A park-like green area with numerous attractions. A pond, picnic areas, an observation deck, and... swings at the 'end of the world'. Let's go

As mentioned before, it was very dry. On the way up, we see more and more smoke rising. No one seems to care. When we look again later, the flames are blazing. Now help is needed. Helicopters are supposed to bring water to extinguish the fire by the next morning. We also notice that this is not the only case. Flames flicker everywhere on the mountains and in channels that don't have any water. The predominant smell in Ecuador is clearly that of burnt land. It's a good thing that the flames mainly rage in uninhabited areas, so there is no real danger to life and limb.

Back in town, the three of us sit down in a café we discovered the day before. They have a 'Freakshake'. An incredibly exaggerated milkshake that seems to be pumped up with steroids, keeping only its name recognizable. This incredibly unnecessary, expensive, and diabetes-inducing meal promises nothing but a sugar rush...

We each have 2.

Simply delicious.  

We wake up from the ensuing food coma with great difficulty. In the evening, we meet up with Massimo again at the park and end the day with good conversations.

10/22/2018

Once again, we spend the whole day on the bus traveling to Guayaquil, where we will take our flight to the Galapagos Islands tomorrow.