“Baños, when you just can’t cut it."

Being sick for 3 weeks while traveling alone was more than challenging, and honestly, just before Christmas, I considered flying home so my momma could take care of me. (Tickets were amazingly cheap, even on Christmas Eve.) Staying with the family in Quito, that incidentally I found through CraigsList, was a blessing, because on the days I didn’t feel like leaving my room, they fed me and shared lots of healthy, hot tea.  I am so grateful to Telmo, Diana, Cindy and Kevin for their kindness.

Two days before Christmas, I decided to leave the cold, rain and smog of Quito for the warm climate of Baños de Ambato, and vowed stay there until I was well. The first hostel I stayed in was located at a major intersection of activity in the town, and my room was on the 4^th (top) floor. This was good, because even when I was not feeling well enough to leave my room, I still felt like part of the action, being able to see children’s parades and lots of city life, peering out from the giant window at the head of my bed. Baños is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains and situated at the foot of a large, active volcano. There are evacuation route signs everywhere. This hostel I stayed in for the first 5 nights is called “Hostel Eruption!”

Christmas Eve is when I first met Clayann and Colin of Washington state. They were eating in my hostel’s restaurant. They kindly invited me to their hostel family’s Christmas Party, which unfortunately I was unable to attend. Christmas day, for me, was spent in bed. I only left to go to my favorite family owned restaurant right next door for some vegetable soup and then a sandwich to-go.

I consider Christmas Eve my Christmas this year. 

Excerpt from my journal:

What I really want to write about now is that it is Christmas Eve. I have been sick for nearly 3 weeks, and forced myself out of my hostel bed here in Baños, because I needed to eat. I walked into this candlelit restaurant (because they have some vegetarian food) and was asked, in Spanish of course, “One or two? Two?” with the unnecessarily added inflection of “of course two, no?”

“Just one,” I replied.

“All alone, really, on Christmas Eve?” said he.

“Sad, no?” said me. But really I am not that sad. I only want to feel better. I am splurging on a half vase of hot wine with cinnamon now. It is delicious! I wish I had a green Santa hat like of the girls working here.

This hot wine is yummy! . . . Chirstmas in BaNos!

Recipe for the hot wine:

Add wine, sugar and spices into a pot and boil it. Spices to add are clavo de olor, cinnamon, pimiento dulce and smashed anise.

“How many people work here?” I inquired.

“Five.”

“I would like to buy a liter of this hot wine for us all to share.”

We raised our glasses to the entire restaurant, “Salud! Feliz Navidad!”

Afterwards, my waiter and his wife invited me to a local bar and treated me to more hot wine and a game of foozball.

I spent all of Christmas Day in bed. Though I did end up with a green Santa Claus hat!

Note to You

Hello lovelies!
This is just a quick note to let you know that I just added 2 new posts, but the dates show as several weeks ago. I am publishing with altered dates to reflect when I was actually there, as opposed to the date I finally get around to posting. I hope this is not too confusing.
Also, in case you didn't know, you can click on individual pictures to see an enlarged view. Most of these pictures look much better when you click on them (I hope.)
Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my blog. My hope is that it will get better and better over time as I learn how to go about it. Feedback is welcome.
You are loved and appreciated my dear ones. Happy Holidays!
Shine on,
Bethany

Road Trip!

The ever-welcoming and wonderful Telmo and Diana invited me along on yet another vacation of theirs. This time we were joined by Jerry, a semi-retired gentleman from the U.S. now living in Ecuador. Telmo drove his car, and the four of us took a fun road trip from Quito, ending up in the jungle somewhere between Puyo and Tena. 

The first incredible thing we saw on our trip was the The Avenue of Volcanos. While driving, and often stopping for pictures, we could see many of Ecuador’s volcanos along this stretch of road. Among others, we could see Volcano Cotopaxi, Volcano Corozon, Volcano Illinizas and the active Volcano Tunguragua. This part of our road trip was breathtakingly beautiful! We watched smoke billow out of Tunguragua most of the day, as we were lucky that the normally clouded sky was clear.

Later, we stopped in Baños for the night, and coincidentally it was Canton Founding Day there! We were greeted by parades, and in the evening, from the main park, saw the most amazing fireworks display that I may have ever seen. The fireworks continued exploding, on and on and on, long after we were impressed. The four of us talked late into the night. They happily shared shots of scotch, as I only tried to, for I was still quite ill and didn’t feel up to it. Stories were exchanged and friendships formed, as I learned of their incredible lives. Did you know that Telmo was in the Special Forces? I didn’t either! He had jaw-dropping stories to share. 

The next day we drove La Ruta de Las Cascadas, “Highway of the Waterfalls” on the road from BaNos to Puyo, stopping in Salcero for a taste of this town famous for its’ homemade ice cream. This route was incredible, as we passed more than a dozen waterfalls along the way, stopping to enjoy many of them, including the hike to El Pailón del Diablo (The Devil’s Cauldron.) This waterfall is immense, and is so powerful that when the waterfall hits the river below, it creates a giant swirl in the river that one would be wise to not go near. At the top of this hike, one may continue by crouching into a wet cave, and somewhat crawling through the passage, arriving behind the dominant waterfall. Standing in this place, behind the falls, for only 30 seconds and you are wet! Of course I had to do it.

Jerry the photographer. Thank you Jerry for recording this trip. You are appreciated!

Soon, we were passing through Río Negro, a small town of less than 500 people, located in cloud forest, with beautiful, crystal-clear rivers. Driving through a side road, we discovered a big, empty house for sale. The house was made of all wood and was moist throughout. We explored this giant house, each taking a different path, accidentally imitating a typical episode of Scooby-Doo, opening and closing doors, meeting comically in different locales, over and over again. Behind, the house was lush with plant-life, and the most crystalline river I have ever seen. Suddenly, Diana portrayed a look of shock and quickly said to me, “Look!” As I turned my head I saw a large lion facing me, and nearly tumbled over a boulder from backing away so fast. The group howled with laughter, as it was in fact only a giant lion sculpted from concrete, hiding among the vegetation.

This same day, we made our way to the Jungle somewhere past Puyo but before Tena. We stayed at Al Centro Zanjarajuno, the owner being a friend of Telmo’s. This place is a sanctuary and rehabilitation center for wildlife, preserves jungle land, and also educates people. It was beautiful, and the owner is a kindred spirit. He even loaned me jungle boots, a requisite for exploring.

There was only thing that I did not enjoy one bit. It was the crazy, co-dependent monkey that jumped onto my head after dinner, and would not let go, even for the efforts of a group of 6. The two volunteers living at the center said that they have never seen this monkey be so stubborn, though he is often a problem. His parents died when he was very young, thus, he likes to cling to humans. He pulled and pulled my hair as we tried in vain to remove him. He even bit me a few times as I reached up to try to get him off of me. Luckily he is missing his front teeth, so he did not draw blood. Also, he may not have been biting very hard, but simply warning me that he had no intention of leaving his new, comfy, though entirely panicked home. Finally, after much freaking out, I stuck my head under a water faucet outside, and with three people pulling at the same time, he finally had to let go. This was a traumatic experience that I care never to repeat.

I am not as happy as I look

In the jungle I saw wildlife that I had never even heard of before. I was even able to feed some porcupine-looking pig animals, as this refuge rescues and rehabilitates jungle creatures.

either very full or very pregnant

one of many fuchsia dragonflies

a cutie in the road that we encouraged to save itself

My favorite part of the trip, was on the way back home to Quito. We stopped again at the old, wood house for sale in Río Negro. There, Telmo, Diana and I swam in the river behind the house. It was invigorating! Jerry, a professional photographer, snapped some pictures of us in the cold, mountain water. This was a reminder to renew my vow to swim in mountain rivers whenever possible. 

1, 2, 3 dunk!

Cold mountain water!

A big thanks to Jerry for these photos!

Floating down the river from the cascade

Swimming back up the river

So happy

Saving the Casa del Árbol (Tree House) story for last. Somewhere along the journey, we parked and hiked up to this place. There we found old equipment used for measuring volcanic activity, a refuge potentially for hikers, and a house in a tree! Tied to this tree was a swing from which I daringly swung. When swinging out, the ground dropped off suddenly and drastically. Had the swing or tree branch decided to break, there would have been no hope. (It reminded me of the swing I had when I was very little at my family’s house on the hill in Kingston, Tennessee.) At first, I was swinging facing away from the extreme drop-off, as Jerry kindly took pictures. After I turned around and faced the alarming height over which my body was precariously dangling with each swing out, my stomach lurched and simultaneously, my heart flew into my throat. Scary! Here are some pictures.

Here are some more photos that I did not fit within my story:

Río Verde

Telmo, smiling in the rain

I always have to touch the water

Subdivision being built in Río Negro

Pedernales, Canoa, San Vicente, Ecuador

Diana and Telmo

Telmo and Diana very kindly invited me to go to the beach with them. We took the overnight bus from Quito to Pedernales, arriving around 4:30 in the morning. As we walked around looking for a hostel, the only people we passed and talked to were individual men standing guard, each with a machete and a rifle. They were hired locals standing watch during the night. After finding a room, we slept for several hours and then went to the beach. 

I had had a cold for days, but thought I would be feeling better at the warm beach, out of rainy and cold Quito. Unfortunately, the cold had already moved to my lungs, and my health got worse quickly. That very night of our arrival, I was having trouble breathing. Thus, my beach trip partially consisted of hunting down doctors in Pedernales, Canoa and San Vicente to get medicine and breathing treatments. However, before the doctors told me not to, I did swim in the ocean thrice. It was beautiful and fun! Telmo and Diana were with me for the first 2 days, and I stayed alone for 3 more. Thank goodness I speak Spanish!

Telmo and I

Apparently surfing is good in both Pedernales and Canoa, evidenced by the large number of surfers riding the waves. I was told that Pedernales is good for the “fat and lazy” surfer, because you can ride the rip tide out and surf back in without having to paddle. Simply walk back up the beach. I saw almost no tourists in Pedernales on those two weekdays, only locals. It was wonderful.

The first day in Pedernales, Telmo, Diana and I walked down the beach until it felt like our own private getaway, with a mule grazing nearby on the steep hill beside the dirt road leading up, up, up.  While walking back, we happened upon some fishermen and women. They were fishing with a mile long net, or so I’ve been told, as it takes 2 ½ to 3 hours to pull it in. They were all lined up, from in the water out onto the beach, and they worked steadily, pulling in the line. Telmo and Diana both helped. (I couldn’t breathe well enough, so I simply watched.) Some kids even joined in! A local teacher had brought her class out to the beach for a swim. That sure looked like a fun recess! Telmo pulled for more than an hour, and was rewarded with 5 fresh fish, which we took to a local restaurant to have for dinner. It was among the best fish I have ever eaten because it was deliciously fresh. As the net was finally pulled to shore, the birds attacked, swooping in for an easy meal. One of them knocked hard into my shoulder. What an experience!

The second night there, I moved to a hostel on the beach for $6 a night! There were two near life-sized icy white colored naked woman on my shower doors. How could you not love this place? I could hear the beach all night with my window open. “Be sure to close it before you go to sleep because someone could shimmy up onto that neighboring roof and then it’s like you’re nearly on the first floor.” I slept with my whistle that night.

The view from my hostel door in Pedernales

Quote I read on my tea bag that summarized Canoa for me: "Socialize with compassion, kindness and grace.” Very important advice for stopping in a small town where everybody knows each other, and you are sure to see the same people over and over again. Don’t be a jerk or it will come back to haunt you.

View from my hostel in Canoa

Diana and Telmo in Canoa

Diana and a sunburned Bethany