Hola Amigos!
Us again.
Top tip: when someone in Ecuador tells you that a bus journey will be 2.5 hours, this translates to 5 of your English hours! The journey to Baños was poo and when we arrived we were grumpy bastards and were too hungry to speak to eachother. We swiftly checked in to the infamous Hostel Transylvania (aptly named as were to discover!) We were greeted by a midget named Roberto. Flirto Roberto. Roberto likes to flirt. Loose animals everywhere, not exclusively but including budgies, fat hamsters, oversized roaming rabit, a dog and a fish in saucepan. Roberto loves animals and our eyes.
We tried to swing a cat in our room (there was one available with Roberto downstairs) but we couldn´t. There was a delicious arorma of drains seeping from our sticky bathroom. We proceded to conduct a new fruit experiment, purchasing unknown fruits from a swindling old bag, who charmed us with her gypsy ways, charging 2 whole dollars for our wares. One fruit smelt of sick (or was that coming from the shower?) and tasted of soap. We will NOT eat this one again. Hannah´s favourite was a cheeky little number that looked...
...like frog spawn. The texture was not to Amy's liking. But she did enjoy a tomato-type beaut. Hannah tried the skin and it was foul.
Spent the evening in a nice local bar and up early this morning to start our volcano based pampering. Massage in the morning (Hannah's first proper one ever!) then off to Picinas de la Virgen . No comment.
The hot springs are fed by active volcano, Tungurahua. Soz for ommiting this life-threating natural hazard. The vista, oh the vista...
That´s a bloody waterfall that is. Directly above the delicious pools of sweet, sweet mineral-enriched joy. There are two main pools. One of which gave Hannah a heat rash. It was so bloody hot, it really was. Amy did not get a heat rash, is Hannah a wimp?
Back off to the town for check-out. Bye Roberto. Wander round and lunch with a potent local drinky made from sugar cane and muchos alcohol. Lavly!
Rainforest manaña. Starting our night (mare?) coach journey in a few ours, 11pm local time. Will be in primary jungle (yes we said primary) for several days and will be incommunicdo. Gotta see a monkey about a sloth. Check ya laters.
Love H & A
P.S. Happy holiday Dan and Jon
P.P.S. Yes, we have taken the first few anti-malarial tablets, fear not.
Hola Hola
ReplyDeleteNice pics, keep them comming. Can't wait to see some jungley massive ones. Keep your eyes out for Rotor.
What’s with all the disgusting fruit...? Are you in training for “I’m a Celebrity"...? Hope not, considering that our Amy is a vegetarian, and things could, therefore, become decidedly worse. She will not take kindly to consuming anything with eyes...or below the waist. (I take it that the Fishy-in-a-Saucepan was a pet, rather than a local food delicacy...?)
ReplyDeleteYou don’t mention how you managed with the monkeys, or did the banana-smearing work so well that they are still with you, and you’d prefer to forget that rather irritating fact...? Mind you, if Rotor is among them, it will all have been worth while.
A photograph of Roberto, slavering over you, would have been good. Without it, I shall just have to fall back on my mental picture of him: 3 ft. 6 ins. tall (er...short, I mean), crumpled monkey-face (you really must stop smearing yourselves with bananas: it attracts all sorts of undesirables; unwittingly stoking memories of their ancestry), long, loose-jointed arms; bow-legged, with a pronounced limp: pronounced “co-her-a” (???????). Of course, that may have been a pic of him, just behind the cow’s bum, in your final photo.
Nice pics. What liquid substance fills that swimming pool...? Pea-soup...? Quite handy, that: means you can eat and swim, at the same time. Must save on lunch breaks, leaving you free to hang around bars for more alcohol-consumption.
How was the white-water rafting...? Did it involve swearing on a grand scale...?
You are forgiven for not mentioning the alarming fact of passing close by a living volcano, but if I learn of your riding bareback on crocodiles, then, Kiddos, you are in deep TROUBLE. (At least, use a saddle.)
Enjoy the rainforest. Take your brollies (you are English, after all, don’t-cha-know), and remember that an ant can carry twenty times its own body-weight, which could prove very useful if you want a packet of chips carried by a passing colony.
Luvs yer
xxxxxxxx
"Packet of CRISPS" I meant to write, above. Where on earth would you find a bag of chips in the rainforest, for heaven's sake...?!!
ReplyDeletePlease don't tell me that Seafare have opened a local branch (pun unintended) there. All my illusions would be totally shattered.
I've just realised that the Monkey Visit is still to come, so keep smearing on that banana juice, and looking for Rotor.
xxxx
Looks fantastic and this seems a great way of keeping in touch with everyone but I expect that communication may become more difficult in more remote areas.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time up the Amazon and with the monkeys? Look forward to more updates and images when you are able
Love Dad XXXX
What's this about first real massage Hannah I give u professional standard ones all the time! Ha ha
ReplyDeleteThat fruit looks totally wrong. Loving the swimming pics and the stories about Roberto though. I trust that by the time you read this you will have seen plenty of monkey types. I await the monkey pics with interest.
ReplyDeletexxxx
Heard from Amy, last night. She and Hannah were fine, and on their way back from the jungle. They will be blogging about it soon.
ReplyDeleteSteal me a monkey??
ReplyDeleteIt looks really lovely, hope you have a great trip.
x x
p.s I'm meeting Chesney Hawkes for lunch tomorrow. I will let you know if he still has the mole.
Thought you might like this description of Hostel Transylvania from the internet
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Hostel Transilvania, the best hostel in Banos! Our friendly service, great value, central location, comfy rooms and beautiful views will make you feel right at home, and we offer everything a backpacker needs for a great trip!
When you come to Hotel Transilvania, our friendly, multi-lingual staff will make sure your stay is verything you want it to be. Itai and Janeth, our Israeli-Ecuadorian owners, have a little experience travleing themselves, and know all about what backpackers want in a hostel. We´re all happy to help out and answer any questions you have in English, Spanish, or Hebrew, and our dog Jack will give you a waggly welcome.
Our big, colorful rooms can be booked in a variety of arrangements. We have 2 and 5 bed mixed dorms, double rooms with private bathrooms and twin rooms with private bathrooms. All of our rooms are very comfy and clean. All of our guests will be able to enjoy hot water 24 hours a day, free internet, cable TV and our DVD library as well as our book exchange, pool table, and Playstation2 in the common room! Free luggage storage and a safe will leave you free to explore Banos all day long without worrying about your things. You can relax in our beautiful garden or upstairs on the balconies, where you´ll see great views of the city. Our hostel is always quiet at night so you can get a restful good night´s sleep!
Funny, no mention of Roberto
Sorry we missed your Skype call, last night, Darlings. We were busily noshing an Indian (boy, did he SCREAM!) from that takeaway near Gilly's, which seriously rivals (if not totally surpasses) our dear old Pearl Bailey.
ReplyDeleteTry again, soon, so we can enjoy some visual contact.
Oooooodles. xxxx
What The Parj failed to mention, above, is that when he clicked on reviews of the Transylvania Hostel, THIS BLOG popped up! In which case, Roberto IS mentioned, of course.
ReplyDeleteDear, oh dear, oh dear....