After Ingapirca we headed for the resort town of Baños, arriving a few hours after a most impressive sunset with the snow-capped volcanoes clearly visible. At night we took a chiva (a doorless bus of sorts) tour up the volcano Tunguragua, but it was started raining so we didn't see anything and we didn't make a bonfire, and we were pretty glad to just get back to the hostal!
In the morning we rented mountain bikes and set off for the 17 km trip to see plenty of waterfalls. We stopped a lot for pictures, we crossed the gorge in a cable basket at the cascada Manta de la Novia (Bride's Veil) and walked back down and up to get back to the bikes, and we also walked down to the last and biggest cascada, El Pailón del Diablo, or Devil's Cauldron. From there, we decided to not take the easy
way back (bus or truck), but rather to bike back, even though it was primarily uphill. I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't walk up quite a few hills, but we eventually made it and I felt so great to have worked all my muscles so hard. Very few times in my 4 months here had I gotten to work up quite a good sweat!
The next morning I headed for the bathes for which the town is named and is famous. They pump water from a nearby natural hot spring to a big cement pool, and it is HOT! Moreover, the local tradition is to then stand under the ice-cold water from the waterfall for a few moments before getting back in. The hot water then stings incredibly, supposedly this torture is good for your circulation, kidneys, liver, etc. I couldn't stand the cold water nearly as long as the locals, and I eventually moved to the pool of mildly warm water before heading back to the hostal and catching the first bus to the jungle town of Tena.
Along with us on our 3-day tour was a really fun girl named Anneke, who's from Holland. The first day we went to the Amarongachi area where we went hiking in a primary forest. Our guide Eduardo carried the rope we'd later use to climb up waterfalls. As we walked, he pointed out various plants and demonstrated how the
achiotillo dye is used to make pretty face paintings.
The first cascada was pretty easy to climb up because they had a log ladder going up. The second waterfall we clearly did not climb up, but we did pass behind/under it and I have never felt such strong water pressure in my life! The second waterfall we were to scale had a 4-meter deep pool at the bottom, and thanks to Eduardo, Amy didn't get sucked down when she slipped and fell!
The third waterfall was problem-free and we soon made it back (4.5 hours later) to lunch. Instead of a siesta, Amy and I went down to the river Jatunyacu to swim. Eduardo taught us how to make cool rock formations and she continued making art while he and I swam into the crazy strong rapids of the river and then swam
with all the strength we had just to make it back to shore. Talk about adrenaline rush! We went once more and then headed back for the afternoon hike/medicinal plants tour.
We learned a lot of different uses for various plants and we also watched Eduardo make numerous crowns/hats out of palm leaves. We then each made our own headbands, too.
That night we drove to the cabins in Shangrila which were amazingly clean (not one single bug in our room!) and had a spectacular view. Our tour guide for the next two days was Alex. Both he and Eduardo are from local Quichua tribes, so they had authentic and experienced insights into the science and culture of the jungle.
In the morning we went on another hike and made fern earrings and flower lips for some fun photos. The trail we were on led us through a few canyons which we had to climb/pass through using our feet and backs, dirtying yet another pair of clothes. For a fun fact, because none of the clothes would dry on the line (high humidity), the two bags of clothes I brought home were clearly molding. My mom was pretty grossed out.
Anyway, aside from the water, there were also bats that our movements and noise stirred awake and caused to fly about over our heads! Amazingly, I wasn't as freaked out as I thought I'd be.
One of the plants we encountered lives in symbiosis with tiny little ants that taste like lemon. And yes, we all tried them!
After lunch there was a strong rainstorm, after which we went swimming in the river, though it was much much calmer than the previous day's adventures.
The next morning, the clouds cleared just enough to see the awesome snow-capped volcanoes on the horizon!
We struck off in a dug-out canoe to the other side of the river from where we walked to the indigenous community of Santa Monica.
Along the way we saw some great butterflies and flowers. Once we got to the community, we went into the house of one of the families and tried the traditional drink chicha de yuca.
While it used to be made by chewing up and spitting out cooked yuca so that it fermented, they now use a root called camote to aid in the fermenting and sweetening. Nonetheless, I did not like it one bit. And whether it was rude or not to not finish the whole cup, we didn't!
We ate oritos (little bananas) over the fire with some of the kids who were in and out of the house, swimming naked in the river, and running around. Although they speak Quichua with each other, the older ones (schooled) could speak Spanish with us...if they weren't too shy!
We also heard about (and tried on) many of the traditional tools used for harvesting, panning for gold, and cooking.
In the afternoon we went tubing down the river Anzu that soon joined with the river Jatunyacu to form the river Napo. As soon as they join, it becomes freezing and we were glad when we reached shore!
We packed and headed back to Tena after dinner, where we reunited with Eduardo and were going to do some karaoke. Alas, everything was closed, so we just danced in the rain until the 1 a.m bus came along to take Amy and me back to Quito.
We arrived in Quito tired and cold after a very long, virtually sleepless busride with limited dry warm clothes to wear up on the volcano Pichincha. Luckily, the weather was perfect and cloudless so we were in line by the time the teleférico (cable car) opened and saw a few last spectacular views of Quito. 
We both felt the 4100 meters pretty strongly, so we descended after taking some pictures.
Amy then went to the MedCenter while I said goodbye to Juan's family and then to Gladis and Walter.
While there, we again made empanadas with fresh cheese from Loja. Now, the curled edge looks simple enough, especially if you watch Walter do it. But let me tell you it's not. Gladis can't do it well, and clearly neither can I! (top empanada) They still taste good, either way.
I then returned to the hostal to wake up a now-medicated Amy and go down into the valley to chat with/say farewell to my host family. It was so great to spend time with them again, and Amy had to put up with my tears back in the hostal as I repacked all my books into the suitcase she kindly brought for me.
Bright and early the next morning I saw Amy off at the airport and spent the day getting any last gifts. Wednesday (my last day) I walked through the old town, got stuck in a rally/protest, saw a high school marching band in the main plaza, and then went down into the valley for my last time to say goodbye to my tutor and colleagues at British
School, Quito. In the evening I went to the Instituto Ecuatoriano de Cultura Hispano to watch a free (and very strange) Almodóvar film, Tacones Lejanos. What a strange way to end my time in Ecuador, no?
Muchas gracias to my dear mother, a cake was awaiting me when I got home. Regardless of the fact that she let my crazy dad talk her into making a chocolate one and not a yellow one, it was fabulous at night...and for breakfast (and lunch)! So, sadly, my first breakfast back in the U.S. was not one of champions: cake, fruity rice, and a diet coke (that cost the same as a regular coke!). And I loved every bite!
