For our holiday weekend celebrating the Battle of Pichincha when Quito won its independence (also known as Laurene’s last weekend before she started her 6-day-a-week job), a few of us fled the mean streets of Quito for some fresh air, hot springs, and adventure. And how could that be bad?

Poor Ryan was sick with what looked like the flu and wasn’t able to make it. That’s okay, because there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy in Baños that we’re all more than happy to go back. Yes, baños is the Spanish word for bathroom, but the town is named after its restorative hot springs (or baths).

We soaked in some hot springs set at the base of a volcano for a mere $3; at dusk we watched a waterfall trickle down the mountain as we lounged in the mineral pools. Then we worked up a sweat dancing at a club called Son Cubanos, where the happy hour was whenever the DJ said it was.

We came to Baños in search of an adrenaline rush -  our next mission was choosing between bungee jumping, river rafting, waterfall rappelling, horseback riding, and hiking.

(Version française plus bas)

In his last post Freddie described our weekend at Mount Puñay. And yes, the hike was a little challenging but definitely feasible, the sunset beautiful, the sea of clouds a breathtaking sight.

BUT, and this is a big ”but”, this is not the trip we paid for.

The man we all know as "Evan-the-cameraman, at sunset."

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One of my biggest goals this year was to explore the Andes mountains. This past weekend Laurene and I with the help of our trusty guide, Mauri and a burro made the ascent to the top of Mount Puñay which is about a 6 hour bus ride from Quito. Puñay is over 3 km above sea level and a hell of a hike if you haven’t hit the gym in a few months as was the case for me. The reason we chose this mountain was that at the summit was a long forgotten temple that only recently was rediscovered by surveyors flying over the area. Mauri, a university student majoring in Ecotourism was a wealth of knowledge on this trip and gave us a great deal of insight and perspective. We were told that the temple, known as Huacacñay, was built some 3,500 years BC as an observatory to study the stars and skies. At the top we were welcomed by clouds everywhere we looked. The views from the peak are simply breathtaking and rewarding after climbing for hours in the blazing Andean sun. We ended up camping on Puñay and setting up our tent behind a wall of the temple to avoid having the winds carry us away in the void while we slept. The views at sunset were among the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Can’t wait for Machu Picchu later this year.

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