5 Great Things To Do In Banos, Ecuador

Known as the ‘Gateway to the Amazon’, Banos in Ecuador is one of the most popular destinations in the country, and it’s not hard to see why. Tourists, volcanologists, religious pilgrims and a whole host of other characters are drawn to Banos for a variety of reasons, probably one of the five listed below.

1) They want to enjoy a spot of culture
Banos is famous for its magnificent Basilica, the Church of the Virgin of the Holy Water. Pilgrimages are frequently made to thank the Virgin for the many miracles that she is said to have performed and for blessings. The Virgin gets her own festival in October, a combination of religious processions, music, dances and ear-splitting fireworks. If festivals are your thing, you’d do well to arrive in town on December 15th, when the anniversary of the town is celebrated. Each neighbourhood hires a band, and wild dancing in the street ensures.

2) They go in search of outdoor antics and thrill-seeking
Banos has something for everyone, from bike rides cruising through spectacular scenery, to horse riding to bungee jumping off bridges. Those wanting to use pedal power can ride the 60km to Puyo on the recently paved road, dropping from 6000ft in the Ecuadorian high jungle down into the rain forest basin. You will pass waterfalls and stunning vistas before shooting through dark tunnels cut into the rock and out the other side, stopping off with fruit vendors to load up on vitamins for the rest of the journey.

3) They flex their shopping muscles
Banos is home to some wonderful markets and shops where you can find some high quality crafts, handiwork and silver jewelry at very low prices. For those wanting to satisfy their sweet tooth, you can try out the local sugar cane taffy ‘Melcocha’. You may see it being made or pulled by beating the candy against a door frame or other sturdy surface. The town market is also overflowing with local produce, so for cheap food that’s about as organic as you’ll ever get as you wander the maze of stalls.

4) They explore a volcano
Banos was evacuated in October 1999 for several weeks, thanks to the highly active Tungurahua volcano. Known as ‘The Black Giant’, the volcano is the largest in Ecuador, but easy to climb. There are periodic drills to keep visitors and residents aware of potential risks, so you shouldn’t run into any trouble. To get up close to the majesty of Tungurahua, arrange a tour of the 400 metre diameter crater.

5) They take a thermal bath
Banos didn’t get its name for nothing; any visitors to the town would be missing the point somewhat without dipping into one of the many hydrothermal mineral springs that pop up everywhere. There are numerous spas around town, and they are an ideal way to ease aching muscles after a day on a bike saddle or hiking through the surrounding hills. Temperatures vary from scorching hot to cool, depending on the amount of cold water mixed into the bath’s water supply. Enjoy the thermal springs in town at Banos de la Virgen near Hotel Sangay, and Santa Clara baths which boast a sauna and a gym. Other options are El Salado, Santa Ana, and Eduardo's baths near town.

From active volcanoes to gentle walks, adrenaline fuelled rafting trips to soaking in warm mineral-rich waters, you’ll find something in Banos to suit you. A good option is to get in contact with a regionally based tour operator that can help you make the most of your trip; chances are you won’t have enough time to enjoy all that the town has to offer!

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America

The Galapagos Islands - 6 Conservation Precautions For Your Galapagos Vacation Package

Its time to go to the Galapagos Islands! Your tour operator has got your flights booked from Quito or Guayaquil and the yachts and cruise ships are waiting ready to take you between the Islands for the trip of a lifetime. You’ll be seeing some of the most incredible flora and fauna in a setting that has been hidden beyond the knowledge of humanity for thousands of years.

However, many understand that the Galapagos are under threat from the presence of humans in the last few hundred years. Despite best intentions, people sometimes don’t respect the importance of conservation as much as they could and there are few places on Earth as important as the Galapagos Islands in this respect. The best conservation can come from the eyes and ears of visitors, so here are some useful things to watch out for as you travel around “Nature's Laboratory”.

1) Keep everything shipshape
Yachts are the only way to travel between islands, and marine traffic can have a strong impact on the environment.  Make sure that your boat has no gas or oil leakages and that no chemicals or bilge water is dumped into the sea.  No garbage or refuse should be thrown overboard either.  If you’ve got professional experience with boat operations, your perspective can be very useful; you’ll be in a position to recognise and report anything that seems improper in terms of maintenance or operation.  To put it in context, you’d be surprised how many airplane faults have been spotted by qualified passengers!

2) Guided by good practise
Visitors to the Galapagos Islands should be guided at all times by a qualified individual.  They should help keep you in the marked sites and pathways and assist in communicating and enforcing conservation rules.   There shouldn’t be any more that 16 people in your group, to allow for proper control and guidance of tourists.  They should also provide information about general water safety and monitor all swimming and snorkeling.

3) Taking a piece of the island
Galapagos themed objects made of wood and ceramics are available on the inhabited islands, but any souvenirs made of black coral, marine tortoise shells, sea lions fangs and other such objects go against the principles of conservation.  Don’t be tempted to buy any of these objects, and dissuade others from doing so as well.

4) Fire-starters
In 1985, Isabel Island suffered severe damage from negligence with smoking and fire lighting. Amazingly, the same thing happened again almost a decade later in 1994.  Resisting the urge to light up or enjoy a camp fire will make a big difference.

5) Making friends with the locals
The majority of animals on the Galapagos have no reason to fear humans, and consequently will allow visitors to get very close without bolting.  However, you should go no closer with two meters of animals, as in some cases they will follow you, leaving their nests uncovered and exposing eggs or chicks to the sun.  The trustworthy behaviour of the animals shouldn’t be given reason to change, and visitors should not touch any animals or interfere with their natural behaviour, let alone harass, chase or surround them.  It is obvious advice, but no animals should be fed or baited on water or land.  

6) New things
Darwin highlighted the power of the evolutionary process over time, but things can be wiped out in the blink of an eye if pests and diseases are brought into the mix.  Introducing any exotic organisms to Galapagos could have a devastating effect on the ecosystems that exist in a state of delicate balance.  Any food, animal and vegetable products and plants or fresh flowers should be declared before leaving the airport at Quito or Guayaquil so that a trained inspector can deem if they are safe or not.  Live animals in any form are also not permitted.  The same principles apply for inter-island trips; each island is its own unique ecosystem, so introductions between islands can be just as destructive to the natural process of things as items from the mainland.

With these important guidelines, you can ensure that you are visiting the Islands as an informed conservationist, and assist others in following the same behavior.  Despite best efforts, sometimes over-excitement, negligence or opportunism creates problems; if you see any violation of conservation principles, contact the tour company who you made the booking through. They will be in a position to speak with local operators and apply pressure to make sure that such incidents don't happen again. With visitors keeping an ever watchful eye on the state of the Galapagos Islands, we can be assured of many more years enjoying the variety and splendour of this unique place on Earth.

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America

5 Unmissable Animals From The Galapagos Islands

Most of us are aware of the Galapagos Islands, the archipelago of volcanic islands 2 hours by plane from the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific ocean.  Many of us also know that the animals and plants of the Galapagos Islands provided Charles Darwin with the inspiration he needed to create his famous work “Origin of The Species” and refine his Theory of Evolution.  The Islands are famous for their diversity of flora and fauna but if you visit them on a Galapagos vacation or Galapagos cruise package, what are some of the most spectacular and unmissable animals to see?

1) Lonesome George, the Galapagos Giant Tortoise
Reputed to be the last of his kind and belonging to the Abingdoni subspecies, George plods around the Pinta Island in a fruitless search for a mate.  Such is natural selection...

The Galapagos Tortoises are huge, with adult males weighing in at around 600-700 lbs and the females between 300-400 lbs.  As you’d expect, the pace of life for these creatures in fairly slow, but that doesn’t bother them much because the have between 100 and 150 years to achieve their career goals.  This “island gigantism” was deemed to occur because the tortoises had no natural predators and as such could grow in size over generations.  This was to their disadvantage when humans showed up at the islands in the 17th century, and the population was decimated.  Recent conservation efforts are focused on stabilizing the ten remaining subspecies that exist from the initial twelve.

2) The Marine Iguana
The only modern lizard able to forage and live in the sea, Marine Iguanas can dive 30 ft into water.  They’ll never win any beauty contests, Darwin describing them in his journal as “disgusting, clumsy lizards”, but are graceful swimmers thanks to their long flat tail and spiky dorsal fins.

Feasting on seaweed and algae, the Marine Iguana uses its flat snout and sharp teeth to scrape its food off the rocks around the waterline, and some biologically neat glands help filter excess salt out of its blood that it ingests whilst swimming.  It gets rid of extra salt by sneezing it through its nostrils, another reason why Darwin found it to be unattractive.

3) The Galapagos Land Iguana
Darwin really wasn’t a fan of lizards.  The Land Iguanas were written up as “ugly animals”, with a “singularly stupid appearance”.  Once so prolific amongst the islands that the visiting ship’s crews couldn’t pitch a tent without covering a Land Iguana’s nesting hole, the population was all but wiped out by introduced feral animals like cats, dogs, rats and pigs.  Meanwhile, the Island Lizards enjoy a symbiotic relationship of convenience with the island birds, who eat the parasites and ticks that inhabit their bodies and cause them discomfort.  If not consumed by a rogue pig, Land Iguanas can make it to 50 or 60 years of age.

4) Darwin’s Finches
The thirteen endemic (unique) species of finch found on Galapagos known as Darwin’s finches formed a huge part of the Theory of Evolution.  Nothing special to look at, the finches are about 15 cm long and a dull brown colour.  The exciting part of the animals are their beaks, which vary in size and shape.  Beaks are highly adaptive depending on the animals food source, and it was this fact that allowed conclusions that organisms adapt to conditions in which they must survive, thus forming the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.

5) The Galapagos Penguin
A black and white maverick, the Galapagos Penguin is the only tropical penguin in existence. Around 50 cm in length, these little creatures are on the wrong end of the food chain, mercilessly hunted by crabs, snakes, owls, and hawks.  Life doesn’t get any easier in the water, where they must avoid sharks, fur seals, and sea lions.  Adding the unfortunate influence of humans catching them in fishing nets and destroying their nests in the process of knocking down mangroves, it’s clear that the Galapagos penguin has a pretty hard time of things.

Take a trip to the Galapagos with a reputable travel agent or tour operator and you’re sure to see these unique creatures and more as you navigate the rich diversity of flora and fauna that the archipelago has to offer.  By experiencing first-hand the complex networks of species that inhabit the part of the Earth untouched by human influence for thousands of years, you can hope to get a little closer to understanding who we are and where we came from.

Author: Gary Sargent - Escaped to Peru / Escaped to Latin America