Refreshing, Rustic, Familiar
“Ten cuidado,” an old Ecuadorian man offered in a hoarse whisper, his eyes widening as my two friends and I approached the pool he was seated in. It was about 10pm, we were adorned in bathing suits, already wet from the required pre-shower, and had ridiculous swim caps covering our hair. The three of us stood on the steps to the small, round pool, hesitating, and slightly shivering in the cool mountain air. The second my foot made contact with the water a different shiver ran through my body – the water was near scalding. I had never felt anything like it. The pain was sharp and annoying, and I was struck with the uncomfortable notion that I was about to be cooked. Still, we persevered, lowering slowly into the volcanic spring water, wincing and whining, and over-all making a spectacle of ourselves.
That same old man made eye contact with us again and pointed at a sign hanging up on the pool deck that read “un maximo de cinco minutos”. We nodded in understanding, doubting we would even make it that long. “I think we just earned some ‘gringa-points’,” announced my friend from college, a gigantic grin plastered on her face as we looked around and realized that all of the other tourists were exploring the less-intense pools.
We had arrived in Baños earlier that day, and spent the afternoon careening through the Amazon jungle on zip-lines. Now we were taking after the locals and easing our sore muscles with a dip in the hot springs. As I sat back in the intimate little spa pool, developing a disturbing empathetic connection with a boiled lobster, I realized that Baños already had me completely mesmerized.
Refreshing:
Baños de Agua Santa is the last major city in you can stop at before entering the Amazon jungle. It is often called the “Gateway to the Amazon”. Quietly nestled on the side of an active volcano, Baños exists within and among its natural habitat. Low-hanging clouds fill the city with condensation, waterfalls can be heard rushing down cliff faces on the outside of town, and wild vegetation hangs low and lush. The dampness, soundscape, and refreshing airflow reminded me of the feeling you get when you first step out of the shower. The whole time I was there I felt dewy and enchanted.
Rustic:
Natural beauty not-with-standing, the city of Baños is nothing spectacular to behold. The buildings are worn and outdated. The roads are uneven and covered in fading lane lines, and the cathedral looks more like it was grown than built. In other words, nothing is fancy, but then again, it doesn't need to be. The entire attitude of the city seemed to be “*shrug* this works, so let’s go with it.” Everyone is more focused on the mountains, the river, and the springs. There is opportunity for improvements and development, but no demand.
Familiar:
Growing up in Upstate N.Y., I used to spend at least a portion of every summer vacation in the Adirondack Mountains. There is a funny little town called “Old Forge” that is known as the gateway to the Adirondack State Park. I don’t know if it was the quiet mountain air, the woods, or the attitude of each place but I couldn’t help but link Old Forge and Baños in my mind. During my short time in Baños we zip-lined, bathed in hot springs, went white water rafting and traversed the side of a volcano. The entire trip was wrought with adventures that reminded me of childhood. The days felt long and full of activity, and the nights had relaxed, meandering energy that made me recall chasing lightening bugs as dusk with my cousins. It was amazing to me that a city south of the equator, tucked into the side of a volcano and thousands of miles from anything familiar, could feel so much like home.