Baňos

One of Ecuador’s biggest claims to fame is its location on the equator and thus we stop off at Mitad del Mundo (Middle of the World) to straddle the physical line that divides the northern and southern hemispheres. We listen hard to the guy from National Geographic who explains why this particular spot is considered to be the very Middle of the World, but both Will and I are baffled by his explanation. As far as we’re concerned, it’s on the equator that runs around the middle of the world and that’s good enough for us. I think it’s something to do with the height we’re at and how this makes us at the closest point to the stars than at any other point on the equator, or something like that.

Past Volcan Cotopaxi (5897m) but it’s too cloudy to see the peak, something which we will come to realise is a bit of a recurring problem where volcanoes are concerned. Will’s Spanish has now picked up to such an extent that he’s sitting in the front chatting away to the taxi driver and I’m only catching every other word. How did this happen?

By late afternoon, we’re approaching Banos, which means Baths in Spanish, and peering out for sight of the active Volcan Tungurahua which last erupted in 2006. Long before the volcano springs into view, we can see thick grey smoke high in the sky and realise that this is the smoke from the volcano which is hidden behind the clouds. A little further along the road and we see volcanic ash pilled high to one side whilst on the other deep cracks in the earth and wide runs of lava flow which have destroyed everything in their path, including the road we’re driving on which has had to be rebuilt. Weird to think this was only 2 years ago.

As a result of the active volcano, there are lots of hot springs in the area and thus the place was named Bathroom. We’re booked into the grand sounding Palace hotel located beside some hot springs and gushing waterfall. Sadly, the location is much better than the inside of the hotel which looks as though it hasn’t been updated since its 1950s heyday.

Will takes the kids to check out our very own onsite hot springs but, judging by the state of the hotel, I’m not holding out very much hope of them being very nice, but I go anyway to appease him. I walk in and then walk straight out again. He’s not such a fusspot as me and they all go to wallow in someone else’s dead skin whilst I try to get some fresh air into our mildew smelling bathroom.

A taxi takes us to the top of a mountain opposite the volcano (since you can’t drive up the actual volcano itself as it’s not known when the next eruption with be) for a better look at the peak, but despite hiking up a very steep incline at the top, the sight eludes as once more due to the cloud cover.

I’ve read that the hot springs next to our hotel only change their water every three days and I really don’t fancy other people’s 3 day old dead skin sneaking inside my bikini so we head instead to the Piscina El Salado just out of town and located alongside a river and next to a waterfall. The setting is perfect but the place itself is a bit ancient and rundown, which also describes the old lady heading towards us with her 2 feet long empty breasts hanging out of her swimming costume. And my stomach does a triple summersault when we take a pre-plunge shower and discover a man sitting on the floors of the showers scrubby particularly manky-looking scabby feet with gusto. Just as well they do a daily water change here although it’s a shame I didn’t manage to make it in ahead of this guy.

The town of Banos itself is a small place and we find a place for dinner at Le Jardin that also happens to have free WiFi so it’s here that I find myself one evening looking for accommodation at our next location. After an hour or so of fruitless searching, I ask the lady who owns the place if she knows of anywhere to stay in Puyo. Yes, she says, my sister owns a hotel there. And it happens to be the very first hotel on my list of half a dozen that I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to get hold of. Yes, she says, they have a room for 4 people for tomorrow night. Fantastic, now I can have two more of those happy hour Cuba Libra’s whilst Will gets the kids in bed.