You can rent a bike for the day and pay either 5, 7 or 10 bucks, helmet and lock included. I decided on the 5 dollar bike without consultation and started an argument. Dodo's not very comfortable biking in traffic and she wanted the 10 dollar bike, which she considered safer. After a bit of discussion, the point was noted for the future. We then left town, heading downhill towards the Amazon jungle.
Baños' weather comes from the Amazon Jungle, funneled westward up the Pastaza valley, climbing 5,000 feet where it succumbs to the Andes and returns as the Pastaza river. Most of it makes its way to the Pastaza river via waterfalls. If you follow the river for 40 miles, you descend 5,000 feet and get to the edge of the Amazon, in a totally different climate. We planned to ride about 20 miles, our target being the most powerful waterfall in the area - El Pailon del Diablo or "The Devil's Whirlpool."
Once you exit town you're downhilling on a busy two lane street. Overall, the cars and trucks give you a wide berth but it can be a bit intimidating.
Luckily, we only had to go through one of the many long tunnels.
Most of the tunnels have a optional bike lane which hugs the edge of the mountain. These are pretty quiet.
We literally ran into the first waterfall within ten minutes of riding. It was pouring into the bike lane and some choose to ride right through it.
I made my way around it without getting too wet.
Every few miles there was another one. Some were on our map and others weren't.
The river valley is a perfect set up for ziplining. If you haven't heard of it, it's essentially a new way to get somewhere with the greatest amount of adrenaline. These two decided to fly over the river bed, 1,000 feet down, upside-down.
We could not have asked for better weather. We pulled over and slathered on the sunscreen.
We also stopped to take photos.
When we arrived at the Devil's Whirlpool, we locked up our bikes and started down the path. You have to hike down 1,000 feet to the river to get close to the waterfall. It was much warmer and muggier already, given we'd descended a few thousand feet from Baños. The flora and fauna were different as well - there were cicadas buzzing loudly all around us.
Halfway down the hike we got a good view. There are two bridges but no obvious waterfall though we suspected it was near the further bridge.
You hear it before you see it, then you turn a corner and find out where the roar is coming from.
We hiked up closer and closer. The temperature started to drop.
It's an apt name - the power is amazing. You imagine falling in and not ever seeing the light of day again.
The Dodo learned that her jacket was only water resistant, not water proof.
I simply got wet.
We then followed some steps up, not quite sure where they led to.
If you don't like tight spaces, you wouldn't like this at all.
It's a pathway for small people, smaller than even me. I caught myself a bit panicked from time to time. It led to a close up of the falls that left me wetter than before.
On our way out we walked across one of the bridges. It's the kind that bounces and torques as you step.
In a stroke of tourist genius, they have trucks waiting to drive you back uphill to Baños. You pay two bucks and they pop your bike in the back. As soon as they get six people, they start the trip.
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