On Day 19 of my trip to Ecuador, Sierra and I traveled from Quito to Baños.
Quito to Baños
After a great breakfast buffet at our hotel in Quito, Sierra and I took an Uber from our hotel to the South Bus Terminal. The Uber ride was about 45 minutes but only cost $6. From the bus terminal, we took a comfortable coach bus to Baños for $5.50 each. The bus only stopped a few times. But, because of the curvy mountain terrain, the drive took about 4 hours. The scenery was breathtaking as we drove along the foothills of the Andes mountains.
Baños
The city's official name, Baños de Agua Santa, means "holy water baths". It was named for the natural hot springs resulting from the active Tungurahua volcano. Sitting at the base of the Tungurahua volcano, Baños is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Running through Baños is Rio Pastaza. The combination of hot springs, mountains and river makes Baños one of Ecuador's most popular destinations for outdoor activities. And that's why Sierra and I traveled 4 hours to visit it!
By the time we reached Baños, it was mid-afternoon and we were starving. We ate a great Indian meal at Sher E Punjab then stopped by Geotours, one of several tour companies in Baños. Sierra and I signed up for two excursions the following day then set off to explore Baños. We climbed the steep steps and trail to Mirador La Virgen with beautiful views of Baños below.
After our descent from Mirador La Virgen, we visited Cascada de La Virgin. Along the way, a dog spotted Sierra and I from far across an empty lot and came running toward us. It's not unusual to see dogs running free in Ecuador but most are uninterested in tourists. This one came running (limping) right up to us, even with lots of other people around. It's feet and legs had fresh, bright red, wounds. She was extremely sweet and friendly so we assumed she had a home.
Sierra and I continued our walk to the waterfall and hot springs. The dog, with her injured legs, couldn't keep up with us and we assumed she limped her way home. Sadly, she kept reappearing a block or so behind us as we walked farther into the center of town. We were worried about the traffic, especially with her injuries. We decided if she kept following, we'd lead her to a veterinarian, assuming we could find one.
After some difficulty communicating with the wonderful people at a local vet office, we determined the dog was a few years old, probably didn't have a home, and had most likely been hit by a car a few days earlier. They could treat her open wounds and keep her for two days for $60. But she also should get X-rays. They gave us a phone number for a foster shelter. We were happy to pay the $60 for this sweet girl to be safe, treated and fed. Sierra messaged the foster shelter and we went to bed unsure of anything else we could do.
Slideshow
Here are pictures from Day 19 of our trip to Ecuador.
Expenses
I'm doing my best to track expenses in this spreadsheet for anyone that's interested in a similar, relatively low-budget trip.
Ecuador Fun Fact
Mount Chimborazo is the tallest mountain in Ecuador and the 39th tallest in the world. The peak is at an elevation of 20,549 ft (6,263 m). Because of its location near the equator and because the earth has a slight bulge at the equator, the summit of Mount Chimborazo is the farthest point in the world from the center of earth. And, at some time during the earth's orbit around the sun, Mount Chimborazo is the closest point on earth to the sun.
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