Just got back from a fun, refreshing weekend in Baños! I left Friday morning with Sarah, Kate, and Carl to head out of the city and into this beautiful town completely surrounded by mountains. The advertisement for the city is “Baños…un pedazo del cielo” (Baños – a piece of Heaven) and it surely is.
We got lunch on Friday and then took a little nap. Well everyone else took a 4 hour nap, but I definitely relax better getting outside and being active. So I met up with my friend Cesar, who I met during study abroad, and we hiked up to a big cross where you can see all of Baños and the other mountains. It was a gradual hike, but it had just rained and was very humid, so I was extremely sweaty! It was totally worth it though and helped me get my mind completely off of my work. Then I returned back to the hostel with my friends, and we played some cards and went out for dinner. We ended the night with some hot chocolate on a balcony for some great people watching….I know we’re pretty wild :).
Then Saturday, we got up pretty early to eat breakfast and rent bicycles for $5 for the day to bike through the mountains on “La ruta de las cascadas” (the route of the waterfalls). Wow! It was basically a purely downhill bike ride, so that was fun and absolutely amazing scenery. We walked down to 2 beautiful, huge waterfalls, El Pailón del Diablo and La Cascada de Machay. They were a workout, but amazing to see and explore. We then hopped in the back of a truck with our bikes to get back to Baños! We all took quick showers and then headed out for the Ecuador vs Uruguay World Cup Qualifying Game. Unfortunately, Ecuador lost in a last second penalty quick, but we’ve all still got a little hope alive here for the game on Wednesday versus Chile. Ecuador needs to win in order to straight out qualify or play a Central American team to qualify for next summer’s World Cup. Sí se puede, Ecuador!!
We slept in on Sunday, and then Sarah and Kate got massages while Carl and I did another hike up to a statue of El Virgen de Agua Santa. It’s another fun hike where you can see the entire city from the top and even the snow on the top of Tungurahua (the big volcano). After an afternoon of walking around we took a bus back to Quito, refreshed and ready to be back with the kids. I truly love and care about so many of the kids and families here at the Center, but weekends like this are what keep me going and ready to put 100% more of myself into what I am doing. Weekends away give me time to think and process while enjoying God’s glorious creation! No doubt I am meant for city life, but need my time to breathe in the fresh air every once in a while as well!
Much love!
Taylor
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