5. Waterfalls in Baños
Day 112
The morning is nice, the sun is shining. But that can’t fool me anymore here. I had a nice breakfast and I quickly pack and head out. I can’t find my second iPhone but it must be somewhere with me. I hope.
I leave Puerto Mishuallì and within 15’ starts to rain! I thought I’ve had enough rain back home, but this is getting out of hand. I put on my rain gear and continue. My plan is a short ride about 160 km to small hot spring resort of Baños. Nice but wet ride with the rain on and off the whole time. After about 100 km I turn west into a deep valley. It is a 2 lane road and not too many places to stop if you don’t want to be run over by local truck or bus drivers.
There are many nice views and deep “mountain” jungle on the both side of the valley. The slopes are extremely steep and shrouded in clouds. Looks very dramatic. But I need to stay focus on driving. I stop when safe and take few pictures. There are many waterfalls but can’t capture too many of them. Then I get close to Bańos and there are the mega falls I came to see. The whole area is very touristy. There are number of high swings which will take you several hundred meters over the gorge. No thank you. Don’t want to pay to get scared … Or there are zip lines across the valley. Same thing, impressive but not for me. I need two good engines to go that high.
I finally get a glimpse of the main waterfall in the area, Pailón del Diablo. It looks pretty impressive from few km away, and I am heading right to it. I find the parking, pay $1 and keep my fingers crossed that all my bags will be there when I get back. One shop owner offer me to keep my riding jacket and my helmet. I left my helmet but kept my jacket as I have way too many valuables there. And I start my hike down the hill. I am wearing my riding boots and pants, carry my jacket and my Nikon. Then I see the bottom of the valley way down bellow me. That’s where I am heading. Crap, this will be a long hike down. But then I have to come up. Oh boy, it won’t be an easy walk in the park … I press on, sweating profusely, slowly descending through the jungle. There is a ticket booth at the bottom, $4 entry fee. I can do that. 5’ after that I came across a rope bridge. It looks cool. I get on it, there is hardly anybody around. And from the bridge I can see bottom part of the waterfall. Very impressive! I go back and continue up now along the trail towards the falls. There is a very narrow and deep gorge and the trail hugs the one side. You better not be scared of hights there. There is mist from the fall in the air and everything around is wet. And then you turn the corner the fall is right in from of you. Wow, it tall, it is loud, you can feel the ground is shaking. And it is impressive. You can take steep steps down towards the bottom. I will do almost anything for a nice picture so I head down. I didn’t even notice that the rain stopped but I am wet from the fall now. I can see the fall and the trail goes right BEHIND the fall. But you can get there via very narrow 50m crawl space. It is about 60 cm tall which means you have to get down on all fours. It awkward especially with my camera in one hand. But I get through and you are right beside the water falling down. There is further 10-15m and you are behind the fall. If you reach out, you can touch the water ruching down. And it is WET there. But it is a perfect Kodak moment. I snap bunch of pics and of one them comes out as one of my best photos. Good times. My turn to go behind. OMG, I am soaked in seconds. But it is all impressive. Got my pictures and it is time to head back down through the crawl space. When you reach the bottom of the gorge then you realize that you have to go all the way up. Not looking forward to it. I forgot to mention, that you can’t go through behind the falls. There is a wall and you have to came back the same way. BUT, there is another trail in the other side of the falls, but you have to come down again from the top. We will see about that. I start slow ascent and it is brutal in the afternoon heat and my riding gear. I eventually make it all the way up.
I collect my helmet and to my relieve my bike is there with all my gear. I ask about the other trail and it is only few hundred meters away. I ride there in seconds and park my bike and head down the trail. I leave my jacket and my helmet under a watchful eye of the parking attendant. I have to pay another entrance fee. This trail is more civilized and MUCH shorter. Thanks goodness, I am getting tired walking upon and down. There is another skywalk which amazing views of the valley bellow and the falls. I hike down the trail all the way down which is basically top of the other side. Much easier hike. The same view of the falls but from the other side. Cool. I’ve seen enough and I am wet enough. O get up, hope on the bike and head for the town about 10 km away.
No problem to find my hotel which smack in the middle of the town. The problem many time is that hotel parking is few blocks away as it is in this case. I unload the bike and ride it to the parking 5 blocks away. What do you want for $30/night …
Baños is totally touristy town. There are many spas and hot springs around the town but I don’t have time for that if I want to take more pictures. The town is in incredibly narrow valley with steep wall towering above the town. And there are more waterfalls there. I take more pics and it is time for dinner. I climb (again) to one of the rooftop restaurant above my hotel. Nice bird eye views of the city and the valley around. Then I notice that one of the main falls in the town is all lit up. Well, can’t pass that opportunity so I gran my gear and head up there. Very cool, the whole waterfall is lit with changing colours. But it is already very late today so I head back to my hotel and crash. It was another good day!