Weekend in Banos!

Right now I'm sitting at Coffee & Toffee- a cafe in "Gringolandia" sipping a cappuccino, utilizing the free wi-fi, and listening to really bad American songs covered in Spanish. This is the first free afternoon we've had since arriving in Quito, and it's really nice to be able to relax and reflect on the weekend we just spent in Banos!

Last Friday after spanish school Mark, Serena, Holly, Dunc, Annie, and I hopped on a 4 hour bus ride to Banos, a city south of Quito frequented by tourists for its fun outdoor activities and beautiful mountain views. By the time we arrived and checked into our hostel, it was time for dinner at Casa Hood- a cute little restaurant that caters to travelers with a plethora of cheap food options, a colorful decor, and a wall of bookshelves set up for book exchanges

 in different languages. After dinner we retired to the hostel rooms where we spent a few hours playing double decker Cuarenta, quoting YouTube videos, and acting like giddy 5 year olds.  : )

The next day we arose early to grab some desayuno and head out on a bike ride through the Andes! The ride itself was a few hours, and almost completely downhill (with only a few exceptions). It was raining/sprinkling almost the whole time, which made the ride all the more adventurous with muddy potholes and "puddles" that came up past our pedals (we were all completely soaked from the knees down). The end result was our arrival at la Cascada el P

ailon del Diablo- a giant waterfall that we hiked to through a

 path in a mini-jungle a little ways from the main road. We had some lunch at the only cafe by the massive waterfall that was made up of a collection of huts built up the side of the mountain. For the record, empanadas de choclo, hummus, chocolate-banana bread, and a stunning jungle view following an exhilarating mountain bike ride = an amazing afternoon. 

The next morning we were all hurting a bit from our tour through the Andes, so Serena, Annie, and I treated ourselves to a cheap yet effective hot stones massage. MMMmmm... After that, we hopped back on a bus to San Golqui where we joined the rest of the group to see the newest Batman movie! We had to wait around the mall for a few hours to see the un-dubbed version, which allowed us plenty of time to dine on turkey and mozzarella sandwiches and a 3 liter bottle of orange fanta (that almost exceeded our limited budget). The movie was amazing and we all headed back to Quito content and cansados. Check out the pics on my other website! Miss you all!