On Day 21 of my trip to Ecuador, Sierra and I biked from Baños to Cascada el Pailon del Diablo.
Baños
It was poring rain when Sierra and I woke up... appropriate for the gloomy day we anticipated.
We had planned to stay another night and we had already reserved bicycles so we could bike to some of the many waterfalls near Banos. But, given the weather, we decided to eat breakfast then head out for the long bus ride to our next destination. But, before leaving town, we had something important and heartbreaking to do.
When we found an injured dog on the streets a few days earlier, we took her to a vet and tried, unsuccessfully, to find a dog shelter that could take her. She still had a lot of healing to do but Ecuador is full of dogs running the streets and, undoubtedly, getting injured. This one was special to us and we didn't want her back on the streets. We couldn't take her with us because the process to bring a dog into the US could take months. With no other solution, we went to pick her up from the vet and release her back to the streets.
Sierra and I were choked up as we used Google Translate to explain the situation to the vet. They told us she needs X-rays and probably surgery. We told them that we'd be willing to pay for her $30 X-rays and $300 surgery but the shelter won't take her and we can't take her with us. After much discussion between us, the vet and his tech, I agreed to pay for X-rays and surgery, Sierra and her dad agreed to adopt her, and the vet agreed to care for her until they can find a foster home or send her to us. An hour later, X-rays showed her leg broken in three places and she was scheduled for surgery the following morning.
The rain stopped and Sierra and I decided to stay another night. We headed out on our bike tour of the waterfalls. When we returned to Banos, we stopped by the vet to check on the dog then went out to celebrate the team effort to save her... and brainstorm on names for the lucky little girl.
Waterfall Bike Route
If I thought canyoning and rafting the previous day was scary, riding our bikes along the highway to visit waterfalls was terrifying! I'm not a confident bicyclist to begin with. Now you want me to ride 10 miles on a slippery, bumpy, highway with huge trucks and buses whizzing by? I found it ironic that we were doing this while waiting for the dog to have surgery after being hit by a car.
I honestly don't understand why this waterfall bike ride is a popular tourist activity and I wouldn't do it again. The waterfalls along the way were pretty but the most spectacular one, del Diablo, was a hike at the end of the route. For a few dollars we could have taken a taxi and skipped the death defying bike ride along the highway.
Cascada el Pailon del Diablo
Cascada el Pailon del Diablo roughly translates to the Devils Cauldron Waterfall. To describe it with words and photos doesn't do justice. You also have have to hear it, and feel it.
Two paths lead to bridges and viewpoints where you can see del Diablo. One bridge is above the falls and the other is below them. Unfortunately, given our late start that day, Sierra and I only had time to choose one of the paths. We chose the longer one that led us to the bridge below then alongside the raging caldron. We crawled on hands and knees through smal caves to get as close as we could. By the time we returned to our bikes above, we were soaked from head to toe and abother storm had moved in. We loaded our bikes in a truck taxi for our trip back to Banos.
Slideshow
Here are pictures from Day 21 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
The tallest waterfall in Ecuador, Cascada San Rafael, suddenly disappeared in February 2020 when a riverbed upstream collapsed and water was diverted underground.
I haven't found confirmation of which waterfall is now the tallest. An internet search points to Cascada el Pailon del Diablo as the most popular, if not the tallest.
Comments