Next up was Baños, whose waters are
considered holy by some, or just make for good relaxing for others. The town was a little bit touristy, with agencies strewn downtown renting out treks, canyoning, rafting, quads, bikes, horses, bridge jumping, and more. Above town, smoke rose from the active Volcan Tungurahua, and helpful brochures told us what to do in the case that lava and ash came spilling down into the township. We weren't lucky enough to witness that awesome sight. Still with Ryan and Kate, we did a bike ride one day down the Valley of Waterfalls, ending at the impressive Pailon del Diablo. The other day was spent enjoying coffee and really good milk shakes while relaxing and reading.
L - Woman kneels in prayer; R - Thermal baths
The crawl up to the main fall, which you could then stand beneath
L - Dare me?; R - Pailon del Diablo waterfall
Few things about the town catch your eye, but Baños did have one of the coolest playgrounds I have ever seen. This is one thing I love about Latin America: they don't sanitize everything they set their eyes on. So many experiences I have had just wouldn't have been possible in any Western country; even just that climb up to the waterfall would never fly in the States. In this case, rather than thinking about putting their kids in a round, padded room to play, they have stayed true the spirit of children everywhere. The result is an awesome complex where you might just scrape a knee, may bruise an arm, or could even break something in that one extreme case, but without fail you will hear shouts of glee come forth from the grinning kids who are absolutely enjoying themselves. Look hard enough, and you may even spot an envious American looking on in the background.
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