Yesterday I got back from Baños, a town tucked into the mountains right alongside the volcano Tungurahua. Baños has 2 reputations: Extreme Sports (bridge jumping, rock climbing, rafting, etc.), and Tourist Party Town. Neither of those really interest me. But it's also supposed to be a pretty area, and it's at the base of a volcano that's currently starting to erupt, so I thought it could be interesting for a day. I got on the bus at 4:15am because Luke and I were both going the same direction and figured we could keep each other company on the 7-hour ride. Everything went smoothly and I stepped off into a rainstorm in the early afternoon. I decided to stop for some food and found a cute and funky little place with a sweet owner who gave me all sorts of tips for what to do in the town and how to do it. She also made a fruit salad with all natural ice cream and little colored tube cookies on top, so that certainly helped! I walked up the hill to a hostel she had recommended, where I got a room and took a 3-hour nap. In my defense, I had practically not slept the week before. But yes, 3 hours was probably a bit excessive...
One of the "activities" the hotel offered, like most of the hotels in Baños, was a nighttime bus tour on a chiva, basically an open-air party bus. I had mentally declined when the lady at reception mentioned it to me, but when I finally got up from my nap I decided to stop being antisocial and give it a try. Worst case scenario, it would only last 2 hours. I had 2 more hours to kill before the bus would leave, so I decided to go find some dinner. Now, a little backstory: while watching a video about Ecuador last spring with my mom, who was pre-screening it for her class, I learned, to my horror and dismay, that they eat guinea pig! I was disgusted. But the more I got to thinking about it, the more I was intrigued as well. After I had been here for awhile, I had reached the point where I sort of wanted to try it, just to say that I did. However, they don't eat it in the coastal region; we didn't have a chance to find it in Riobamba; I was in a group and we were all sick in Cuenca; and there was even a place in Galapagos, but the 1 night it was open when I was on that island, I had been invited to tag along for dinner with some new friends! So, this was just about my last chance.
I asked the hotel lady if there was a place that served it, and she said yes! But it was probably out by now; I could try earlier in the day tomorrow. Another guy staying at the hotel was on his way into the center of town, so he offered to show me where it was, and we were surprised to see that there were about 1 1/2 of them on the grill! (just don't ask how I estimated "1 1/2.") I ordered a portion - I wasn't ready for a whole one. For one thing, I wasn't that hungry, and for another, I don't think I could have handled it mentally. But I was game for a piece. I think it was a back leg, served over rice and potato with a little salad. So I tried it. And it was weird. Not bad, though. Salty, very flavorful. The texture of chicken, but really fatty and greasy like pork. And there's this extremely tough leathery skin that you have to attempt to remove without shooting clumps of rice across the table (something at which I failed). It was also kind of funny explaining to this guy that yes, I'm technically a vegetarian, but it's out of preference more than anything else, so this was still okay and I wasn't going to be smited or anything. But I'm proud of myself for trying it, and delighted at the horror and disgust of the people I've told about it. (Comments are welcome below!)
I went back and hopped on the Chiva tour, which blasted club music as it drove us up into the mountains. We went to a lookout point where you can see the volcano when it's not cloudy, but it was cloudy and drizzling. Which also meant the bonfire was a no-go. So instead, they had a duo perform a little comedy routine, which was rather funny. And I was tickled that I understood so much of it! We came back and I met up with the guy from the hotel, his girlfriend, and a group of her friends. Later on, I met a group from California who said they were planning to go biking along the Ruta de Las Cascadas the next morning, which had been my plan, so they invited me along. I figured it couldn't hurt. Well, I woke up feeling the effects of the puro, which just doesn't agree with me, even in small amounts. I was going to find them and say I'd probably run into them later on along the route, but then I decided to suck it up and go. So I waited around for them... a little after 9:30 i told the hotel lady I was going to find some breakfast and to please relay the message if they appeared. My "20 minute" breakfast that I'd promised the lady turned into almost an hour (I totally dig the Ecuadorian sense of time! It's so relaxing, and she didn't think anything of it), and they still hadn't emerged. So I decided it was for the best, and I'd go alone, like I'd wanted to originally. On my way out the door, I ran into them again and they explained. I felt like I was an extra in Dude, Where's My Car?! 2. "You know our friend Travis, who we mentioned?" he started, in stereotypical California surferdude accent. "Well, we lost him last night..." "What?!?!" "Yeah, he never came back to the hotel. But he does this sort of thing a lot... He probably just got lost and found another hotel. But, we sorta have to go find him, so I don't think we're biking today." After the concern wore off, it was really kinda funny. And Baños is a small enough place that I'm sure they found him.
I went about halfway through the entire route - it's long and tough at times - but it was enough. It's mostly biking along the interstate, with a waterfall and a viewing point every few kilometers. But it's gorgeous along the bike path, winding through teeny towns that lie alongside the busy road, gazing up into green, majestic mountains. I was starting to feel pressed for time, though, so I headed back, returned the gear, and made my way to the bus station. On the way, I stopped and picked up some gooey fruit stuff (I have to ask what fruit it is) that's like a brick of fruit leather and really tasty, and a bag full of pieces of sugarcane. I especially like the sugarcane. It's great toy food! The pieces are 1-2 inches long, and you chew and suck on it to extract the sweet, fresh-tasting juice from the tough, fibrous stalk. And on the loooooong ride back home, it was a good way to pass the time.
Today was my last Sunday Lunch with the family! It was a smallish affair, but a very nice time. They made a vegetarian Christmas dish in my honor - a pasta casserole with a stripe each of red, white, and green sauce (tomato, ricotta cheese, and pesto). And this morning, Pilar showed me how to make her version of tres leches cake. The way she makes it, it's more like Cinco Leches con Durazno cake! It was AMAZING!!! I'm looking forward to making it at home, so all of you can feel free to invite yourselves over!
Tomorrow, after a couple of errands and prep-type things, I'm headed to the coast to go to Machalilla National Park. I found a quote that seems to sum up one of the recurring themes of this whole trip, and one which I hope to carry with me now that I've begun to learn it: “A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” It's the journey, not the destination, that we remember and that leaves its mark on us. It's time we all learned to cherish it and ourselves as we navigate through it.
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