The Return To Baños

Monday morning and we make a quick exit from Riobamba. We plan to go back to Baños to enjoy the activities that we didn't participate in or get around to last week. The weather when we arrive is gorgeous and our spirits are really lifted. We go for a cheap lunch - $1.75 for 2 courses - and by the time we finish it's pissing down with rain again!!! The last week has been a real trial, we are in one of the most beautiful surroundings that you could wish to be but the weather is so unpredictable, cloudy and gloomy that it is affecting our moods. We are both suffering Seasonal Adjustment Disorder. We are in a downward spiral. We go back to our hostal and the air is full of tension. Ad is getting really pissed off that we are not having the time that we had hoped we would have. We sit down to chat. There are two ways forward; we can either wallow in our own shit and keep going further downhill or we give ourselves a kick up the arse and appreciate where we are and take enjoyment from the very fact that we are in a fantastic country, surrounded by unbelievable scenery (even if we can't see it all the time) and that this vacation whilst not being perfect every day has still given us so many brilliant times and memories already and we will have many more to come. Our little pep talk lifts us up and we decide to take a hike up one of the surrounding hills in the hope of seeing the massive volcano that should dominate the skyline but as yet has eluded us.

The hike is quite easy as they have paved the way and built steps up to the vista. However after 650 steps my legs are bleeding killing me, I'm starting to think that I'm not very fit. However three quarters of the way up we are rewarded with a glimpse of the volcano. Whilst still very cloudy this colossal mountain slowly reveals its true humongousness - as I said before this volcano is still active with smoke still pouring from the crater after it's last eruption in 2006 - although we don't actually see this. As you probably know Ad is a complete volcano addict and the sight that we see jolts us both into the realisation that we cannot just sit around moping we have to get out and about in order to reap the rewards of spectacular sights and experiences. Our mood soars. We have turned a corner. Hooray!!

Next morning we are up at 6.30am. We go to to the local attraction which Baños is named after - the outdoor thermal baths. The baths have three pools, we go to the first one and dip a foot in; it is so hot that we have to make a rapid exit. We go to the second one and that one is freezing cold, fed from a massive waterfall that is just outside the establishment. The third one is just right, nice and warm like a good relaxing bath. We get in feeling a bit like Goldilocks after finding the perfect porridge. The colour of the water looks like every one in the town has taken a piss in it, but we are assured that it's this colour due to the amount of minerals and other sciencey type stuff that the water contains. We spend a good hour going between pools; once you have dipped into the freezing pool the extra hot chilly sauce one doesn't feel so extreme, but even so you can't spend to much time in there as I'm sure you'd end up with feet like Princess Margaret's after her little bathing accident. As we leave we both feel really invigorated, clean and rejuvenated.

After breakfast we decide to go see some of the surrounding countryside which is interspersed with loads of waterfalls. They are all a long way out of town so getting there involves hiring some sort of transport. All around the town are shops with quad-bikes, buggies and bicycles. Ad wants to get a buggy but I'm ,as usual, scared and come up with a million reasons why they are dangerous and how we are bound to be squidged by a huge lorry and if we are how it would be his fault!! However he's not silly my Adrian: he understands what I'm saying and then suggests that we should get bicycles!! Crafty sod, he knows that I'm more scared of cycling on a busy main road than I am of getting in a buggy. I capitulate and we hire a buggy for three hours.

We set off and I'm surprised by how comfortable they are and how not too scary they seem to be; all other traffic, when over taking, give us a wide berth and I'm starting to think that this will be quite pleasant. Then we come to a tunnel. It's pitch black with no lights or road marking. We don't know where the buggy's light are and we can't see a fucking thing. I'm having a heart attack. It´s like someone has put a bag over our heads, we can see nothing. I'm panicking and Ad is desperately feeling around the dash board to find the light switch. Fortunately a car pulls up behind us with his lights full on and we can see enough to navigate our way out of the tunnel. We quickly look at the dashboard and find the lights, another tunnel is coming up! We plunge into the darkness and the buggy lights illuminate the tunnel about as good as a one watt bulb in the Albert Hall. Luckily there are cats-eyes in this tunnel so we can just about make out where the road is as a huge lorry thunders past over-taking us: my pants are filling up. On the other side we pull over and check out the buggy lights - we only had them on half beam. We set off and another tunnel approaches. With full beam on we should be ok. Full beam, my arse; the lights are about as good as having a couple of glow worms stuck to the front of your car!!! I just close my eyes and hope we'll pull through this.

We arrive at the first point of call, obviously fully relaxed and refreshed from our tranquil journey. We have a quick coffee and I ask for some oxygen and Prosac to calm me down. We have a 20 minute hike to the first waterfall. The going is quite steep and a bit slippery. Ad worries (or is it wishes?) that I'm going to slip and break my neck, but although a bit puffed out we arrive at the bottom safe and sound. We can hear the roar of the waterfall but can't see it. We turn a corner and the roar becomes louder as it suddenly appears. It is magnificent, at least 150 foot, cascading vertically downwards into a boulder bordered pool before churning away into the river below. Why are waterfalls so fascinating? The ever changing patterns and shapes that the water makes and the constant-ness of the 100's of gallons that continually pour over the edge have a certain beauty that is hard to define but certainly make you feel alive and happy. We is well pleased man!!

We get back to the buggy and drive off to the second waterfall. This again takes a 20 minute hike from the car park although this time a bit easier on the old legs. When we arrive at the bottom again we can hear the waterfall but not see it. To get a view you have to cross a rickety old wooden rope bridge that is suspended 50 foot over a crashing, smashing, violent river below. My valve goes again as we edge our way out onto the bridge. I get a quick glimpse of the cascade before I clamber back to safer ground but again the sight is fantastic - so much energy, so much power and so much destructive potential. We head home.

We have both had the best day since the robbery. We are feeling great, and despite another near death experience with the tunnels we have really enjoyed the whole day.

In the morning we leave for Cuenca: hopefully to meet the camera delivery!!!