Banos

At night we arrived at an Israeli hostel in Banos. The hostel is great! It includes a good breakfast with 3 choices which were never provided before, a free internet, a bunch of good movies, a pool table, tv in the room and private bathrooms with hot water ! What more can we ask for? And because we have a card of minihostel network, we get 10% discount on top !

Banos is nice ! It's a little 12,000 people town situated between tall mountains and beside an active volcano. It's an extreme sports town, and so it's always boiling with tourists. There are not that many tourists now however because apparently the volcano is not considered to be safe. A few times we saw an eruption but through the clouds, and a few times at night I heard the windows shake. In 2008 the city won the best evacuation and safety award from all the cities in the world beside the volcanoes. They have 3 safety zones, warehouses with enough food for 4 days, 12 different alarm systems, different signs on the roads, some for traffic and some for evacuation routes. The people don't want to evacuate more though, because in 1999 there was a 3 month evacuation and the military was in town securing it, but instead of securing it, they started to rob all the houses. We heard some stories of people who were there. One guy went up on another mountain and lived there for 3 months in a tent. He has amazing pictures of the volcano erupting. He said he saw some 40 by 40 meter rock which flew vertically up, and then back into the crater splashing lava all around it. The volcanologists (or whatever they're called) said that the rocks flew up 5 kms up from the crater. There was not much lava though, just rocks, and the guy said that 4 months later they were still hot. He also said that there were some electric storms and the whole place was like one big discotheque :) And that the biggest danger is not the lava or rocks, it's some fumes that go down a 5000 meter mountain in 3.5 seconds that are 700 degree Celsius, and they just destroys everything they touch.

So after 5 hours in the bus, we were told that in 10 minutes there is a bus that goes to the view point from where we can see the volcano and it's eruptions! Of course we go ! Midway there, we start asking ourselves, why after spending the whole day in the bus we voluntarily agreed to get on the bus again?!? Anyway, got there, it's cold !!! It's dark, and can't see anything. I asked the guide where to look to, he pointed a direction, and there is nothing there. Everything is hidden in clouds, so we stood there for an hour, and saw 1 red dot go up and down!!! Got back to the hostel and asked the owner "what's up with that trip recommendation, and that we only saw 1 dot", and he said that it's more than most people see ! Great! what a rip off !!!

In the morning we went to hire a motorcycle for Rico and ATV for Eva and me. Going off to the waterfall road tour. There is a pictorial road on which we drive surrounded by mountains, forests and waterfalls. We drive on it, and on the way stop at 5 different places to watch or to hike to the waterfalls. We just started driving, and I couldn't feel my thumb (that's the way to press the accelerator). There were times where I turned my hand upside down and pressed it with the palm, or even stirred the ATV with the right hand and pushed the accelerator with the left :) So we're driving, and we get into the tunnel, we have lights, but lights or no lights, there is no difference, they don't help ! The tunnel is short and there is enough light to pass it. Arrive at the next tunnel, and I forgot that we're supposed to take a side road around it, and went into it. Um .... it's pitch black! I can't see at all where I'm driving. Sometimes I get a glimpse of the wall, and it feels good because I know that I'm not going in it. Driving super slow, trying to guess the direction in which I'm going. Oh, I see the light approaching, it's a truck. BEEEEPPPPPP !!!!! OOpppssss, I'm driving on the wrong side of the road! But there is light right now, so push the accelerator till maximum speed to get maximum distance with the light of the truck. It was fun ! Although later I heard from a crazy guy who does crazy stuff all the time, that I was crazy to get into the tunnel! :)) We just passed the tunnel and there was a bridge, with people jumping off the bridge !! Whoohooo a swing jump !!!! Rico and me right away got super excited and decided to jump. It's a 35 meter fall, and at the bottom there is a river with trees. I looked down and my heart just stopped, OMG !!!! Huge adrenaline rush ! Rico jumped first. When it was my turn, the guy hooks you up and I'm supposed to stand on the railing. I get up and my legs get numb. The guy says, don't think, just jump. I will count to 3 and jump, if you'll keep on waiting it will get scarier and scarier. I'm holding on to him breathing very deeply trying to relax. Trying to listen to him, let go, don't think. Ok, arms up. 1 ... 2 ... my legs are getting more numb, 3 !!! OMG !!! what am I thinking that I'm doing???? But bent the legs to push off and just did it ! WOOOWWWW !!!!! Laughing, smiling, swinging !!! Can I do it again? Can I, can I !!??!!!! :)))))) I couldn't stop smiling for an hour later :))) Eva didn't jump, she said that she had enough adrenaline just by watching us jump :))) haha :)) Continued driving. Stopped at the waterfall for which we had to take a cable car, then cross a hanging bridge and go through a beautiful garden/restaurant to the waterfall. Another waterfall was a hike down for 10 minutes, and then we crawl through a set of caves and holes to get to the big devil waterfall, and they even built a stand to stand behind it. It wasn't too warm, so we didn't stand there for a long time :)I really enjoyed that day. It was fun driving around, beautiful scenery, hikes, caves. A complete day !
The next day we went rock climbing ! There are 4 routes to climb, so an hour for each one. I started climbing first. The first step was already to put one foot above the hip line. That route was supposed to be very easy. But there were a few times where I was shaking, standing on tiptoes trying to pull myself up, with no good rocks to hold on to, and 20 meters below of free fall ... Well with safety it's not really a fall, but still it's scary. A few times I was shouting to the guide to ask where to put my arms or my legs. 35 meters later, my arms and hands are too tired to do anything else. Good, now Eva and Rico are climbing so I have some time to relax... 2nd route is supposed to be a little bit more difficult, not too difficult. Alrighty then, I climb 2 meters up, and there is a completely smooth rock about 1 meter tall, 2 meters wide, with 1 cm of space to put the toe in, and almost a vertical wall on one side to put the other foot on, and push up, meanwhile have almost nothing to hold on to with the arms ... 10 minutes later, and I'm still struggling to get over it. Arms are not working anymore, I'm swinging side to side, everything slips, barely have any energy to push. Thinking just a little bit more and a bit higher, and I fall down :((( again and again and again, and each time it takes more energy because I have to grab to the rocks and pull myself closer to the wall... 10 minutes later, I asked the guide to take me down, very very disappointed :(((
Eva goes next, same thing. Just a bit more, just a bit more, swinging, trying, and nothing, she comes down :( Rico goes next, he got over it very easily ... I'm saying because he's taller he had more choices of rocks to grab :) But ! He got stuck just a few meters higher, struggling and struggling, and I remembered that our guide Paulo jumped at that place up and pulled himself up by the arms. Rico came down :( I'm next, I tried the same wall one more time unsuccessfully :( Then had a rest and decided to do the first wall again. But the problem with that, that there are 2 safeties connected to the wall. One on the left (for the 1st wall), and one higher more to the right (for the 2nd wall), and because I decided to do the 1st wall again, the left safety was already removed and only the one on the right securing me, that means that if I slip, I'm gonna fly very very far to the right. So Paulo warned me to be very careful, and if I fall then to be very alert and push with both arms and legs against the wall which I'll be flying at. So I'm too tired trying and trying to climb and bam I slip at the 2nd meter and flyyyy woooppyyyyy ... nothing happened, and it was fun ! :) Now I'm really upset. I just did 1 wall, 2nd not even, and don't have enough energy to do the most basic one :( And that's the last time ... soooo ... the rope stopped me right in front of the 2nd wall (because of the safety), and I asked Paulo to take me down. He asked "are you sure?" And NO, I'm not sure !!! I want to get over that wall !!! So assembling my last energy, I try again and again, slip and fall, again and again, and then I move my foot even more to the left (practically on a shpagat), and there are a few more rough rocks in there, but enough to give me good friction, and I pull myself up almost with a growl and getting over the damn rock !!!! YEEEAHHHH !!!!!!!!!!! Now, I saw Rico getting stuck in the middle, so I didn't even wanted to try that, I went to the left to finish the 1st wall. Paulo said that now it's more dangerous because of the safety, and climbed up to be beside me and help me with my moves. He said that he was so scared looking at me from above because he could see me shaking, and sometimes not holding the most stable or best rocks, and he thought that any minute I would fall and do that huge swing again ... but nope, no fall, made it all the way to the top !!! He said that I have a very strong head because I couldn't do the easy wall due to tiredness, and I overcame the second one ! That's the 2nd time I hear it (first time on the volcano), so I was very happy about that :) After the rock climbing it was again a problem to tie the shoes, in the office Eva wanted to write something, and the hands can't hold the pen :)) So in the evening we decided to go to the hot springs to calm our muscles. It was cool. 3 pools with cold, warm and very hot water, right beside a waterfall.

Next day we didn't want to do anything, so we went and all 3 of us got a massage :) In the evening we went with Paulo to a club. Every day he invited us to go see the volcano, but everyday it was cloudy :((

Next day it was raining, and we just went to the zoo. Walking in the rain, it wasn't too much fun, and most of the animals were hidden, but the coolest thing were some birds that were so colorful it was amazing ! I was never excited about seeing birds, and I never saw them, not on TV, not in movies, not on internet anywhere ! Also there was a cage with 2 big snakes, and we look at it, and there is a mouse running around ... oh oh ... dinner is served ! We stood beside that cage for like half an hour. It was so funny and scary at the same time. That mouse is so active, never stops running, and pushing the snake around. Then in climbed on top of it disturbing it, and the snake moved up annoyed, and all 3 of us started screaming !!! :)))) but nope, he didn't eat the mouse. Those are the laziest snakes I've ever seen. The mouse was practically at their mouths, and nothing :)

The next day Rico left :(( And Paulo invited us to go to some river. We went there on the bus, and a bus stopped by the waterfall with the beautiful garden. No garden and half the bridge is missing! :(( There is military all around, and people taking pictures. Apparently it rained so hard that the water lever rose and washed some of the houses on the top of the waterfall, and destroyed the whole bottom of it as well, 4 people have died :(((On the way, one of the tunnels was getting repaired so the bus took a side road. Holy it was scary, it can barely fit a whole bus, and there is no railing, and a 200 meter drop down. I looked down and I couldn't see the road :S

Oh, BANG !!! Sounds like thunder but it's not raining, oh ... it's the volcano erupting!

The restaurant was cool. From above you could see like 10 pools, and there is trout swimming there of different sizes. We were given a stick with a line and a hook and went to catch our own fish :) I didn't catch any :( Anyway, while the fish was cooking, we went to the river with small waterfalls. While there, such a strong rain started, it was so strong that all we could see is white and when we got to the restaurant, could barely hear each other from all the sound it made.In the evening we met Paulo in a bar which apparently his family owns. So drinks are free !! :)) We were constantly occupied with different games and different relatives :) That night we were invited to go canyoning, and possible bridge jump! Free of course ! :))

The next day we barely had anything to do in Banos, so we went to a town 1.5 hours away to watch some monkeys. We got there, and right away got attacked by monkeys. They jump on the head, stealing glasses, and trying to get the camera, chock you with their tails ! :))) So much activity, jumping from all the places :) There are 65 monkeys in there, they're so interactive, and so cute, so smart :) And then it started to rain, we sat down, and like 7 monkeys came to us, and hugged us, and crawled on our legs and arms and head and went to sleep. We were sitting there with smiles not coming out of our faces :) So we asked about volunteering opportunities, and they have them! So on Monday for 1 week we're gonna live with 65 monkeys in 1 house (since they're not allowed outside after 5), and the only place they're not allowed to be in are the bedrooms :)
In the evening, bar and free drinks again :)

The next day we went to a higher 100 meter tall bridge. Paulo asked me if I want to jump. Is that a question??? Of course I want to jump !!! :))) This time is was 3 times as high, but less scary, now I know that I just need to jump and not think :) Half an hour later a big group of tourists came ... YANNAAA !!! Go show them how to jump ! Oh again ?? I'm there !!! :))) When a big group comes, either one of the guides or somebody else jumps to show that it's safe :) They said that when they just built it, one of the guides was supposed to jump for other people, and he just stood there and stood there for like 10 minutes, oh shit, nope, can't do it ... again and again, and no, he didn't jump ! :)) After the bridge, Paulo took us canyoning. It was fun ! We got wetsuits, and jackets and shoes, and went down 5 waterfalls. In some of them we went beside them, and in some, right in them :) There was one where we were supposed to slide, and 1 where we just hang by the rope which is attached in the back, and Paulo takes us down a 85 degree hill :))At night we went to see the volcano again, but didn't see or hear anything :( There was some geeky guy there, who said that he did bungee jumping, and it was lovely ! "lovely" is that how you describe the most awesome, scary, adrenaline pumping feeling???? Well ... figures ... he's a programmer ! :))))

pix at http://picasaweb.google.com/ed4330/EcuadorBanos#