Relaxation Station

Is everyone familiar with the game of Trust Fall?  I was introduced to this game in a team building class in middle school, when we all took turns falling backwards off of a picnic table into the waiting arms of our classmates.  Well, I can now say that I have done the Trust Fall in Ecuador!  I was on a bus on the way to the university.  As the bus pulled into the station, I stood up and moved into the aisle, along with everyone else, in preparation to get off.  Just as I got to my feet, the bus came to a VERY abrupt stop; and that’s when I played Trust Fall!  The thing is, no one else knew they were playing.  I toppled backwards full-force (backpack first) into the mass of people in the aisle, probably hitting several of them in the face (I am taller than most Ecuadorians).  We are lucky no one got injured.  I scrambled up, apologizing to everyone, “¡lo siento, perdón, lo siento!” as I shuffled my way off the bus, before almost running to my next bus.

This is what I should have been doing.

However, not to worry, I survived and four weeks into classes things are going pretty well.  I wrote the discussion of my first Spanish scientific paper (for a group project), and I have started working on my first jewelry project: kayak paddle earrings!  I am reading La Grandeza de la Vida, a translation of a Steven Jay Gould book, for evolution, and it is pretty interesting.

Last weekend I spent a very relaxing two days in a town called Baños with Alyssa and Tori, another friend from Juniata.  Baños, named for it’s natural hot springs pools, is about a 3.5-hour bus ride South of Quito.  The town is situated at the foot of the volcano Tungurahua.  It has quite the adventure vibe; tourists (Ecuadorian and international alike) come to Baños to hike, bike, zip-line, bungee jump, and, of course, to swim in the pools.  Tungurahua has been spitting smoke lately, so our principle reason to go to Baños was to try to see an active volcano in action.  Unfortunately, we were not able to see anything because clouds covered the volcano all weekend, but this did not stop us from having a great time!

Baños

I really enjoyed Baños because it is so different from Quito.  The atmosphere is very relaxed and the setting is beautiful!  Everything around is green.  When we arrived, it was raining!!  This is the first rain I have experienced in two months, because it is the dusty, dry season in Quito.  I realized I’ve missed the sound of raindrops.  After the rain stopped, we went on a hike, got a massage (something I should do more often), and took a night bus up to a scenic overlook.  Then on Sunday we went to the pools bright and early at 7:15am.  Even at this hour, they were PACKED!  However, the 110°F water made up for the damage inflicted on my personal space bubble.  After returning to our hostel for a delicious breakfast of bread, jam, and eggs, we spent the rest of the day sitting in a coffee shop called Casa Hood.  In my opinion, Casa Hood is the best of the many colorful coffee shops in Baños.  Inside is warm and inviting, with great music and a whole wall of books!  The small menu is filled with international dishes, such as curry and pad thai.  It may not have been very authentically Ecuadorian, but as I sat drinking the best mocha I have had since arriving here and listening to Simon and Garfunkel, I felt incredibly content.  Casa Hood provided me with a lot of the things I miss about living in the US.  Tori and Alyssa felt the same, so we spent over three hours there before catching our bus back to the crowded streets of Quito.

One of Baños' cafés (not Casa Hood)

Inside Café Hood, sister to Casa Hood