Lauriver's Travels: Banos

Relucantly, we said our farewells to the beach and headed inland to the highland town of Banos. Unfortunately, there was no direct route and, after a few hours pouring over maps and talking to other travelers, we figured the best way would be to wing it and rely heavily on the "drovers". Buses in Ecuador work in two man teams, the driver, you can guess what he does, and the "drover", the person who hangs out the door yelling out destinations, herding people onto the bus, collecting fares, etc. Throughout our trip, these helpful daredevils have been indispensable, guiding us to the right bus, the right stop, and generally helping us "gringos" not get too lost. Since getting to Banos from the coast required 4 changes of buses, mostly in small towns, we owe them a debt of gratitude more than the $1/hr that bus travel in Ecuador costs. After 12 hours of traveling we finally made it to Banos but, since it was dark, we would have to wait until morning to be treated to the beautiful scenery this little mountain getaway has to offer. There is something to be said about the size and diversity of Ecuador if, within 12 hours, you can go from balmy Pacific coast to cool Andes mountains.
We got our first glimpse of the beauty of Banos when we went to breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our hostel. Steep volcanic mountains, meandering clouds, and a beautiful waterfall grace this quaint highland village. Since Banos, meaning "baths" due to its ever-popular thermal springs, is tucked away in a small valley with access to volcanos and the nearby Amazon jungle, the number of activities offered is head-spinning. We are not sure whats more ubiquitous, tour companies or massage parlors. We would take advantage of both in the coming days. Oliver would take an unforgettable, though at times frightening, bike ride from town to the Amazon basin. This 61 km ride would take him past soaring mountains, tiny Andean towns, through lush jungle and thick cloud forests, and ultimately end where the Andes meets the Amazon. Meanwhile, Laura, who doesn´t enjoy bicycles, relaxed with a facial in town. We would team up later to take on the Amazon, spending our Thanksgiving hiking through jungle, making friends with monkeys, swimming in a waterfall, visiting a shaman in an indigenous village, canoeing down a river, and feeling grateful that our normal lives do not include mosquitos and hunting with blow-dart guns.