Do you ever feel that your life has become a little stale? Like your soul is crying out for a breath of fresh air? For me, the confines of city life and public transportation make me feel this way. Until I got out of town this weekend, I didn’t realize how much I missed being surrounded by the beauty of the countryside- God’s love letter to me.
I had the opportunity to travel to Baños this weekend with a group of volunteers from WorldTeach (funny how the world works, eh?). Nestled in a valley just a few hours south of Quito in the province of Tungurahua, I was instantly captivated by the stellar views and charm of this “small” town. Baños is well known for it’s adventure sports and tourist opportunities. It was also my breath of fresh air.
On Saturday, we biked 12 miles along a scenic route through the beautiful mountains. We made a few stops along the way to ride a cable car over a beautiful waterfall, eat some ice-cream, and jump off of a bridge (okay, so only one person actually jumped off the bridge, but still). At the end of our ride, we hiked down to El Pailo del Diablo- the most powerful waterfall I’ve ever seen. As we crawled through the narrow tunnel to get a closer look at the waterfall, we met some Ecuadorians who informed us the water from the fall is clean enough to drink (they were bottling it). I found this to be a little off-putting (haven’t they heard of acid rain?), but still interesting. We also discovered a place where we could stand behind the water… and also become completely soaked.
After we hiked back from the fall, we caught a ride back into town and headed to dinner at an Italian restaurant. I have to say, I was skeptical because food here is so different from what we have in the US, but this place was delicious! We were all well satisfied. Once we figured out our sueltitos (maybe the number one rule in Ecuador: Always carry small bills and change!), we changed into our bathing suits and set off for “las piscinas” for a swim. The water comes from a natural spring and is heated by the volcano there.
Sunday we headed out for La Casa del Arbol after breakfast and got to “swing at the end of the world.” This was something I was really looking forward to and was not disappointed. The views were amazing and the experience was well worth it. When we finally felt ready to move on, we hiked (for about an hour) down the mountain to a cafe that overlooks the town of Baños. Talk about breathtaking. We caught a taxi back to town and prepared ourselves to journey back home.
Within these bigger adventures were smaller adventures. We made new friends, we danced, we got “lost,” and given misdirections. We experienced the kindness of strangers and the indifference of strangers as well. I think this is what traveling is about. Experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, taking everything in and discovering part of yourself in the process. I look forward to many more discoveries in the future!
Live and love,
Katey <3
Nehemiah 9:6
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