From the beach to the jungle.
I am not sure there is a blog post I will write without telling about the journey it took to get there. Because let me tell you they are all something else. Travel can be long and exhausting and this last month has proven that to be true. All worth it, but a story to tell nonetheless. I took a “direct” bus from Montanita to Baños, at least that is what the kind woman told me when she sold me the ticket. LIES. We stopped probably 26 times. Picking randoms up on the side of the road, which I cant quite figure out if this is just a normal thing or not. The bus left at 8:30pm and was predicted to be about a 10 hour overnight trip, arriving in Baños at 6:30am. The bus did not have a working bathroom…so there’s that. After about a month in South America, the stomach bug finally got me. Perfect timing (sarcastic tone). The driver stopped twice to use a public bathroom, once around 12am and again around 4am and these bathrooms were not pretty. I did not drink any water during the trip to prevent more discomfort than I was already experiencing. But wait, there’s more…the roads in Ecuador are quite rough, speed bumps what feels like every 5 meters to slow drivers down, and because Baños is located in the mountains, the route was incredibly winding with lots of elevation gain (quite rough on my head/ears). AND the women sitting next to me on the bus was a bit on the larger side and passed out immediately snoring the entire time. Just my luck. I arrived in Baños at 6:30am, exhausted and feeling sick from the elevation. I asked someone working at the bus station where my hostel was located as I didn’t have the internet. She directed me to the wrong hotel (about a 15 minute walk) where I woke the poor man up. So, he told me where to go and I walked another 10 minutes until I finally made it after what felt like three days of travel. I waited for my room to be ready with some breakfast at a nearby cafe and once checked in, I immediately napped. Much needed.
Like a kid again.
Baños is known for adventure. It is located on the edge of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador and filled with activities like white water rafting, zip lining, ATVs, mountain biking, and more. There are also hot springs and amazing viewpoints high up in the mountains/volcanoes. I had four days to explore and while I was sad to leave the beach, I was exciting for some excitement and adrenaline. The first night, I splurged a bit (in Ecuadorian fashion – not the US) and went to a nice hotel to use their spa. Thank you Peyton and Myreete for sharing this secret with me. It was worth every penny. For $66 you get to spend three hours in their super hot jacuzzies and pools, enjoy a 40 minute facial and a steak dinner. It was just what I needed after the long haul to get there. I slept like a baby that evening. My next adventure was canyoning. For those of you that don’t know what that is, it is cascading and jumping down waterfalls. I booked with Imagine Ecuador (156% recommend using them if you are going to Baños – https://www.imagineecuador.com/es/ – the guides and staff are wonderful; thank you Juan, Luis, Miguel and Merador for a wonderful experience). The tour lasted about four hours. We suited up, got a quick safety training and started the adventure. After the first jump of about 40 feet, I had a bit more courage. The video I have of me mentally preparing for this will tell you differently. There were several cuss words involved. We proceeded to cascade backwards down different waterfalls, jump, float and zipline across the water. Except for the massive amount of water I inhaled and the bruises on my arms, I made it out safely. If you get the chance, do this tour. It was everything I hoped it would be and more. The next day I spent the day Luis from the tour agency and we rode bikes down la ruta de las cascadas (waterfall route). We stopped along the way to ride in cable cars across ravines and waterfalls, went to a candy making factory, went ziplining superman style (so terrifying, I probably asked the guy suiting us up if it was safe 14 times), walked down to the largest of the waterfalls, and had lunch and a local spot for some fish and beer for $5. I am becoming more accustom to eating whole fish (see pics for example – https://thejenessentials.com/banos-pics/) with eyes and everything. No you don’t eat the eyes. It is an art to eat the fillet and leave the bones but I’m getting better each time. To end this wonderful day, we rode a 4-wheeler to a popular tree house with swings located on the top of a mountain during sunset. In this moment, I honestly felt like a local. It was one of those moments you pinch yourself because you can’t believe this is your life. Baños loves swings, as you can see by my photos. So do I apparently. We swung above the clouds until dark. These adventures honestly made me feel like a kid again and I loved every minute of it.
The REAL amazon.
What made my trip to Baños was the day I spent in the Amazon. I first want to say, THANK YOU Amazon, Inc for funding my Amazon rainforest experience! Let me tell you about it. It was a smaller group of seven from Ecuador, Maryland, and Poland- some interesting characters for sure. The good news is I had several photographers for the day. We started the day at a little adventure spot with swings and bridges at the edge of the rainforest. We continued down the road, entered into the rainforest and hiked about 30 minutes to a giant waterfall. Our guide shared with us information about local indigenous medicines which, of course, I tried. Pieces of bark mixed with water for nose congestion, a natural clay mask for face exfoliation and lemon ants for eating (there is no medicinal benefit to this, just that they taste like lemon, and they really did!). After some swimming in the lagoon of the waterfall for several minutes we made our way to a local spot for a traditional Ecuadorian lunch. You guessed it…I got the whole fish with fried yucca and plantains. So good! Next we stopped by an indigenous community to learn about their traditional dance, makeup and handicraft making. They were so inviting and anxious to share a piece of their heritage with us. I left that village with small earrings, paint on my face, and memories for a lifetime. We headed to the Puyo river for a 20 minute canoe ride, it was so peaceful and surreal to be surrounded by birds, nature and the sound of the swift water. This was no ordinary canoe, it was giant and wooden and normally only one person paddles. Fine by me! We stopped at another lookout with swings (shocking), hammocks, and some interestingly carved rock caves. This swing in particular was something else; almost nothing locking you in and you swing over a giant cliff down the mountain, a glimpse of the end if the swing gave out. And lastly, we headed to a local family chocolate farm as Ecuador is known for it’s delicious chocolate! They showed us how to turn raw cocoa beans into all forms of chocolate. We tried the raw nibs, helped peel the roasted beans, squeezed the beans into a paste and then enjoyed a cup of 100% hot cocoa (option to add sugar as it is quite bitter). This was a great way to end the day. We fit all these AMAZONg activities in 12 hours, beats any work day behind a computer at Amazon.com!
The jen essentials for baños.
- Patience (for the buses as described above)
- Toilet paper (most bathrooms do not have toilet paper so come prepared!)
- Courage (all activities, big or large, require this)
- Gum or candy (the elevation is quite crazy – so if you are like me and your ears pop constantly, you’ll need something to help)
- Wet suit (the water is cold, wet suits are necessary)
- Hiking shoes (things are wet, muddy, and rough so don’t come with white sneakers)
- Travel towel (turns out waterfalls don’t provide towels…)
- Jacket (because Baños is located in the mountains, its chilly)
- A photographer (if traveling solo like me, make friends so you have someone to document the amazingness)
- Portable charger (I take a lot of photos and my phone battery is not what it used to be)
Wrap it up jen.
If you are planning a trip to Ecuador, you must visit the rainforest. Its beauty and variety of things to do is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Even if you don’t love adventure, the beauty is worth the trek. Baños was never part of my travel plans, but after talking to several people during my travels, they advised this is a place you don’t want to miss. So I decided to sWING it (pun intended). I changed my hostel bookings, bought a bus ticket, and regret nothing. I am not sure how my experiences keep getting better, but they do. I can’t wait for the next one.
Next up: I am headed to explore the capital of Quito to see what city life is like in Ecuador.
Signing off for now,
Jennifer