Banos

After about 5 full days in and around Quito, it was time to move on to Banos (there's supposed to be a tilde on the "n" but I'm not sure how to put it in on an iPod). Banos is a picturesque town about 3 hours south of Quito, situated in an Andean valley at a lower elevation. Only an hour away from the amazon rainforest, the lush vegetation and an abundance of rivers, waterfalls, and hot springs make it a perfect getaway for those into adventure sports and relaxation. The only hazard is the very active Tungarahua volcano on the same side of the valley as the town, which just recently saw activity last decade. Brushing aside the possibility that lava might flow again on a full moon night, I ended up staying 4 nights.

First thing I got to do was white water rafting down class 4 rapids, which was fun. After a while, you'll realize that paddling is futile, that focus on staying in the raft is more important, and that having a pair of gills would be nice.

After rafting was canyoning, or rappelling down waterfalls. It may seem like a boring sport, because the adrenaline won't kick in until you're staring down the top of a 100ft cliff, timing how long it takes for a drop of water to fall to the bottom, knowing that you're supposed to lower yourself down.

Last activity in Banos was to hurl ourselves off a perfectly functional bridge, or walk the plank so to speak. The people I was traveling with decided to save swing jumping for last. The bridge connects the center of town to the other side of a deep gorge where high waterfalls feed energy to the rapids below. Standing on the plank, a typical jumper would have a few seconds while the operator preps. Some choose to admire the scenery around, some believe it may be the last they see, some close their eyes and imagine they're on the top of a bunk bed, and some don't really intend to jump after all. I counted to 3, and my legs took over and jumped. The ride down was rather enjoyable, but I was puzzled by how readily I just jumped.

I jumped on a bus to Guayaquil to catch a LAN flight to Peru the next day. The peruvians treat their bus travel very seriously. The bus terminal in Guayaquil could very easily be mistaken for an airport or a shopping mall. Like the trains in India, there'll be loads of vendors boarding the buses with food, drinks and other stuff you might need for your trip.

Next up: Learning to paraglide in Lima, Peru.