Ecuador, Baños: Literally translated as toilet....

It's hard for me to not judge Baños too harshly considering it was on arrival that I realised the inevitable had happened... My laptop had been stolen out of my backpack on the bus journey. All my music written, the essay due in 3 days that had taken 2 weeks to write, and all my music, pictures etc - gone.

I arrived tired, sad and lonely. So in true boozy Brit style I bought a bottle of rum and drank a majority of it on an empty stomach-can't say I slept much that night. I did however meet some wicked people, who really were the saving grace of the trip. And the hostel I was in (D'Mathias) was so good. Really friendly atmosphere, $6 a night for dorms that were cleaned everyday. A roof terrace, pool table, and living room with an impressive collection of DVD's and a communal computer with internet and wifi on every floor.

I have to say I spent most of my 5 nights there in the hostel licking my wounds, re-writing my essay and trying to find the police station to report my laptop theft.

Whilst I was there it turned out to be the Baños fiesta of independence which was great. A four hour carnival procession outside the hostel and down the Main Street followed by 2 days of celebration. 

That night we went to the 'Why Not?' Bar because well...why not?! Followed by the Leprachaun bar which was more gringo heavy, and lively. We entered to "Get Lucky", so clearly an instant winner. Due to it being a small town everything was done by 2am  and after following someone promising cheap drink and smoke we realised we'd become somewhat surrounded by strangers so retreated back to our hostel.

All in all I enjoyed Baños, though I do miss my laptop and all the programs that I lost with it. Just another lesson on how little we need material things, and to never leave a bag overhead on the bus. And that in the aftermath of a less favourable experience, you can be rewarded with finding new friends. My last night transpired into an engagement party for a lovely German couple who plied us with beer while we made sweet sweet music on the rooftop overlooking the town, lovely.

Cuenca; the most beautiful city in Ecuador

Cuenca was definitely worth a visit. There is a river that runs through the city and separates uptown from downtown. The hostel I stayed, La Casa Cuencana, was $8 a night and for a 4 bed dorm was very spacious and clean - even had a balcony. Well equipped kitchen and run by a friendly family.

The streets in uptown are all very well marked and easy to navigate with a map. My day out went as thus;

1st: The Museum of Modern Art-downright weird although the building was interesting. Lots of different rooms with connecting exhibitions, I probably would have 'got' it a bit more had I been able to read the signs but lots of the rooms looked like year 9 light experiments...lamps hanging at different levels and electricity models behind black out curtains and wailing music in the background. The stone carvings in the garden were cool though.

2nd: The Banc Museum, which showed the beginnings of each culture in different parts of Ecuador. Homes had been reimagined and you had to walk through them to get to the information which gave it a personal feel. No pictures allowed though.

3rd: A Museum which, from what I got via the fast speaking guide, was started as a base to educate people about Inca ruins and indigenous people. I believe it was started by a famous writer and the museum was his converted home with ruins in the back garden! And main road running next to them... 

Last but definitely not least was the ethnographic museum which went through development over the ages based on the materials that were used by different cultures. Fascinating and had an accompanying book in English-muy bein. Definitely my favourite of all the museums visited. Had to pay, but had my student card - booya! So glad I bought this baby with me, getting discounts everywhere!

On my travels I also passed some amazing churches. The woodwork and general detail was amazing. There are so many churches in South America and everyone of them is beautiful. 

 

So yes, I liked Cuenca. I felt safe everywhere and the atmosphere was chilled without feeling boring. However, I did feel as if I'd seen everything I needed to within a day. Onto Baños!

Vilcabamba: Loja, Ecuador

Vilcabamba.... What a beautiful town. Located an hour away from Loja in the mountains it's known for a laid back lifestyle and living healthy atmosphere being home to worlds largest population of elderly people....which is reflected in the nightlife...

I went out once for my birthday to a place called Breakys and it was very bizarre. Harlem Shake and Britney Spears techno remixes where dropped after a Michael Jackson medley followed by some 'salsa on speed' and then some more techno. Of the 25 people that were there I'd say 6 of us were under 35. Very bizarre.



What I found with Vilcabamba was that it is beautiful, and for a 2 day visit getting massages after a hike it would be perfect. I stayed for 9 days due to illness and funds in my Eco lodge and had a great time but the town is full of tourists who have migrated there to set up base for a Nazi apocalypse (no I'm not joking). A lot of them are self proclaimed healers who drink a lot and talk at you about conspiracy theories. 

Rumi Wilco

Luckily I only met a couple of these but they are everywhere, huge characters living in this town together talking living off coke and tequila and buying land which they'll 'get the locals to build up' very strange. It's what I'd picture a town full of mid life crisis'ers to look like. 

For me, this made the overall feel of the town less 'authentic Ecuadorian place of healing' and more 'eccentric Gringos proving how spiritual they are living among local Ecuadorians'.

That being said, I had the most relaxing week up in my Eco lodge (picture to the right...) and would reccomend it to everyone. The Rumi Wilco, a short walk out of town and much nicer/well equipped than the hostels in town. I found my birthday buddy to hang out with and the cutest kitten in the world...


Most of the people I did meet were 90% lovely bar a few oddballs. The views are spectacular at Rumi Wilco and due to volunteering a couple of hours a day-super cheap If I was to visit again however, I would go with someone I could get massages and speak Spanish with!