It has been an action packed final week in Ecuador to say the least! I spent an amazing 3 days in Banos-- hiking, checking out the many gorgeous waterfalls (via party bus with blaring music), taking sketchy cable car rides over canyons and of course soaking in the thermal baths that Banos is so famous for! I met some amazing people along the way, which all started with a long hike and a miniature Jeep ride in the mountains that surround Banos...
I was finishing up my hike with a friend from the hostel and we ended up not exactly getting lost, but rather believing misguiding signs-- a very common predicament in South America! As it was starting to get late, we were getting tired and the thought of finding our way back down to town was somewhat worrisome. And then, along came a speeding miniature Jeep packed with other tourists who asked if we wanted a ride-- to which we responded HELL YES! We ended up cruising around for over an hour in the mini Jeep up high on the mountain roads and then I ended up kicking it with the Jeep crew for the rest of my time in Banos! Fortunate and random things like this happen all the time while traveling-- but it never loses it`s awesomeness!
After a great stay in Banos, I headed to the secluded and gorgeous Secret Garden Hostel near Volcan Cotopaxi at an awesome 3,500 meters. A true gem, the Secret Garden is surrounded by multiple snow-capped volcanos, amazingly beautiful farmland, waterfalls and many trails and open green spaces to explore by foot or by bike. The hostel itself is heaven: hammocks, a hot tub, fireplaces galore (including in the dorm room), 3 delicious homecooked meals a day and lots of wine, beer and hot beverages! I spent my time there hiking (we had an epic adventure pictured above where we got lost in extreme fog on our way to Volcan Pasochoa) and basically soaking in the amazing views and enjoying the incredibly relaxing environment. It was nothing short of amazing!
This afternoon I arrived to Quito, where I will spend my final days of my journey. Tomorrow I will be taking a little day trip to the equator (Mitad Del Mundo) and the rest of my time here will be spent exploring the colorful colonial streets of the Old Town of Quito and a little bit of time on the new side. It is also important to note that it is now Carnaval, which is celebrated in Ecuador with crazy waterfights, intensified by the inclusion of eggs and flour in the celebrations. People walk down the streets dripping wet and covered in eggs and flour-- it is quite the sight to see! So far I haven`t been attacked (Gringos are far from exempt from the festivities)... but I don`t think I will stay this lucky!
The days left of my trip are numbered-- but they will be amazing until the end!
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