Banos

Francia & me in her living room

Last weekend, the CFHI crew and I hopped on a bus & headed south of Quito to the quaint town of Banos. It's  at a much lower elevation than Quito but still has lush green mountains, waterfalls, & thermal springs heated by Volcan Tungurahua. There is plenty of charm, beauty and fresh air to be consumed and get lost in. Our group couldn't get enough of the action so we pursued a range of activities, including horseback riding, quad-runner buggy racing, mountain biking, salsatecas at night and---a personal choice--- a 70-minute massage including free facial. It was simply divine and suprisingly relaxing, despite the active pace we maintained. This town has the best espresso and coffee yet! sure isn't Nescafe. the food was pretty delicious too, the highlight being our dinner at Cafe Mariane, where I ate baked macaroni n' cheese con jamon (with ham.) For dessert, crepes and mochas followed. That meal was TO DIE FOR, and to be truthful it helped soak up some of the liquor in my system before 3 hours of hot sweaty dancing ensued. Here are some pics to explain the story, the first being one of my host mom before I said goodbye for the weekend. :-)

an adorable indigenous (Andean) child about to nap on the mountain.

The amazing dinner & my enthusiastic flexing of muscles

Nightlife at the salsateca! Cumbia, reggaton, electronic and old school hip hop.

Gerrardo, our guide whilst riding horses

A gorgeous view of the mountains engulfing Banos, and our horses on the left

Us ladies

my horse Champingon, and me!

The horse ranch

Our sweet hostel in Banos

Cuy (guinea pig) before being BBQ'd. No i haven't tried it yet :-)