Adrenaline rushes and relaxing baths

Baños – January 2019

Michelle, Ellie and I have enjoyed every little bit of Quito’s big city life. But now we are ready for nature and the thrills roaring rivers and steep hills throw at us. First on the schedule is a zipline tour. After walking up a small hill, the first 100m long wire rope spanned across a wide gorge awaits us. The 2 instructors show us the different ways to hang from the rope. Michelle and I choose the flying superman pose and Ellie opts for the classic seated position. Once we make it to the other side alive, there is no stopping us. 5 ziplines later, all of us face the last descend dangling upside down like bats, with our feet crossed just below the rope.

Located on the foot of the very active volcanoe “Tungurahua”, Baños is named after the hot springs occurring in the valley. Michelle and I decide to check out to public bath which takes advantage of the naturally heated water. Ellie didn’t bring a swimsuit and waits for us at KFC where she runs into Takuya, whom she shared a dorm with us at our hostel in Quito. When Michelle and I join them later, we move to another burger restaurant and the 4 of us spend an evening exchanging travel stories and must sees around the world. We invite Takuya to join us for river rafting the next day, but he declines, as he must prepare for his climb up the volcano.

The next days starts early. A minibus with 6 sleepy tourists and 2 smiling guides and 1 driver awaits us in front of our hostel. 30 minutes later we stop to change into the neoprene suits required for the wild ride down the river. We leave our bags in the van, with which the driver will pick us up a few kilometers downstream. With everyone more or less awake by now, the guides show us how to put on the inflatable vests and explains all the safety measures in case someone falls over bord. Knowing how clumsy I am, I listen to this part carefully. We take a couple of funny group pictures and then it’s finally time to carry the boats to the spot where we enter the river.

Everyone takes their designated seat and off we are. It takes more than one rapid until we work together as the guide wants us to. But once we get the hang of it, people even take turns sitting on the very front of the boat absorbing most of the spray when we rush down a rapid. At an especially steep descent, the French girl in front of me and I take a dip in the refreshing river. The water snatches the paddle from my hands and pulls me under. I do as I learned before; turn on my back, cross the arms on my chest and flow down the river with my feet facing downstream. The others have stopped the boat at a calm riverbank, and I catch the rope surrounding it. The Arab guy sitting across from me helps me to climb back into the boat. Reminding everyone that the two of us now owe the whole group a beer, the guide paddles us into the next rapid and we continue the wild ride.

Exhausted from the morning’s adventure we decide to take it a bit slower in the afternoon. A massage brings relaxation for Michelle and an excursion to the local cake & crepe shop satisfaction for Ellie and me. Later we take one of the loud and colorful party busses to go up to the famous “Casa de Arbol”. With us on the bus is Turki – the Arab guy from our river rafting group – and 15 excited Chilean girls. The bus first stops ¾ of the way up hill. The drivers says he’ll wait for 30 minutes in case any of us want to have a go on the huge metal swing carrying people over the edge of the steep mountain and back. The people on the swing seem to have the time of their lives and Turki, Michelle and I can’t wait to try it too. As the swing fits 3 people at the time and Ellie is afraid of heights, she happily proposes to film the whole thing. We put on the safety gear, take our seats, and swing out into the evening air, first screaming on the top of our lungs, then laughing.

Still on an adrenaline high, we get back on the colorful bus and we drive up the last bends of the steep road. When we arrive at the top, there are around 100 people waiting for their turn on the pretty, but much smaller, wooden swing hanging from a tree. Here people are not looking for the rush of adrenaline, but rather a beautiful picture. We decide to first help ourselves to a couple of Empanadas a short lady is selling on the street. Then we join the queue and snap away with our phone cameras.

On the way back to the village the Chilean girls ask the driver to play their favorite band: Calle 13. To the sound of “Atrévete-Te-Te” we roar down the hairpin bends and watch the sun set over the Ecuadorian countryside. What an end to this day.

If you want to find out more about how I met Michelle & Ellie in Quito, check out the story about Making friends while traveling solo.