Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Day 56/57 - Cuenca - Banos/Banos

Day 54 - Cuenca - Banos

Distance travelled (by bike): 7545

After navigating the amazingly complicated one way system of Cuenca i  managed to get back onto route 35 heading north through the hills. The further north i drive the crazier the drivers seem to get, the current trend in Equator is waiting until a blind corner to overtake. Stopping for fuel i met a german couple travelling north on motorbikes. They were heading to Quito and doing some serious speed. Cutting off the main road onto gravel roads i headed for Banos. 
Banos is in the bottom of a valley, on one side a river, the other a volcano, the crater is 7km from the town and after 80 years of inactivity has started to vent steams. The town has a subtropical climate and natural hot springs that apparently very health and  speed up healing, based on this assumption the Ecuadorians flock here every weekend.

views from the roads through the mountian









Day 55 - Banos

Getting up at 5am to get to the hot springs early Ii was told to go early as they only change the water in the pools once a day and the earlier you are the cleaner the water) The water was hot and brown (due to the minerals, reminding me of Derculich). For 5.30am there were quite a few people, mostly old men. 
Following the relaxing soak I went on a walk, up the hill, 1400 steps later decided i am unfit,   all this before breakfast! While i was on a charge i signed up for a 1 day sightseeing excursion around Banos. 
I later regretted this decision as my body detested the amount of exercise and heat. Later that night in my worn out fragile state i decided brave it and get a haircut, for $1 you get what you pay for! 
Was invited by some american volunteers to a charity open air screening of the motorcycle diaries, how apt, had to go. About 100 people turned up, but unfortunately half way through the weather change and the rain began!



one of the many waterfalls around Banos, this one provides the cold water to the plunge pools at the hot springs

looking down into one of the gorges

the volacano




more waterfalls from the mountain path





Banos




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