With Pocahontas lyrics ringing in my head- “To be safe we lose our chance of knowing – what’s around the riverbend!”- the next day we set off on a river rafting adventure.

We started the hour-long drive from Baños to the spot where we’d launch the raft. The scenery alone was worth the trip. We drove a narrow, windy, two-lane road atop a massive cliff, with only the river below us. The mountain side of the road stretched above us forever.

At times we’d pass through one-lane(!) tunnels carved through the mountain. Leave your notions of giant, modern cement tunnels at home. This tunnel was just a hole carved into a mountain, and groundwater was dripping through the tunnel in steady streams onto the cars below.

We all piled into a large raft after carrying it on our heads to the river – no one told us about that part when we signed up (or the purple leotard-like wetsuits we had to wear). Then our guide made us run and jump off a tall rock into the rushing river and swim back to shore, just to get our blood pumping. Once on the river, it was pure bliss. The scenery was straight out of National Geographic and with no one in sight for miles, we were like pioneers.

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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.