The Fiestas de Baños 2004 Are Now History

The 60th anniversary of the founding of Baños is now history. The eight day celebration started with an Albazo throughout the streets of the city at 5:00Am on the 9th of December and finished with a concert and fireworks display in the Palomino Florez Park in front of the City Hall on the 16th. The “Albazo” is a Spanish word meaning, dawn attack, or maybe reveille. Most of the population awoke to the sound of music provided by a band sitting on top of a small bus, as it drove through all of the streets of Baños. From this awaking it was almost non-stop activities for the next eight days.

There were events for all ages and interests. Chess tournaments on the main street; bicycle races from Baños to Puyo, a distance of about 30 miles and mostly downhill; bicycles and tricycle races in town for the kids from five years to eight years old; there were cake sales; art fairs; a volleyball tournament with nearby towns competing; parades; a soccer match between Quito and Baños with Quito taking the trophy. The list could go on and on.

On the seventh day of the festival, Baños was treated to a concert by the Metropolitan Orcastra of Quito. They preformed for more than an hour inside the Basilica. They played a variety of music which included Glenn Millers, In The Mood.

Photo by Alex Hernandez

During these days, although an event would end late at night, with all the trash that is thrown by the crowd, the next morning when you walked down town the streets were clean and looked as if nothing had happened the night before. If they needed a stage for an event, they blocked off the street and with 12, 55 gallon drums, 12 large bamboo polls, a little rope, a few plywood sheets and some canvas, in less than an hour you had a covered bandstand. The following morning there was no evidence that an event had even taken place.

On the first day of the Fiesta de Baños, the 40th running of the Carrera de Coches de Madera. (Race of the Cars of Wood.) This race starts about 20 KM outside of town, at a place called The “U” de Pelileo. There were 42 cars entered for this years race. From this point it is approximately 90% down hill to the finish line in the center of Baños. When there is an uphill grade the drivers must get off and push. When they enter the city they come down a “S” curve, across the Bascun Bridge and when they run out of steam they need to push the car about 500 meters to the last down hill run on Martinez Street at Gonzalo Diaz de Pineda.

An hour before the race the first enthusiast start arriving. And who could be more enthusiastic then kids.

Photo by J. Walker

A fallen tree makes pretty good bleachers-

Photo by J. Walker

The police clear the street anticipating the first cars.

Photo by J. Walker

This is the most dangerous part of the race as the downhill grade on this section of Martinez is about 30 degrees or more.This picture gives a feelins of how steep the downhil grade.

Photo by J. Walker

As the cars cross Pastaza Street they are actually airborne and when the wheels touch down, some loose control and crash into the crowd injuring both the drivers and spectators alike. The race this year was not without injuries. Thirteen people were taken to the hospital...five had broken bones and one had a head and neck injury.



Photo by J. Walker



Photo by J. Walker



Photo by J. Walker



Photo by J. Walker

Although the police are there to keep the crowd out of the way of the on-coming cars, is almost a sport to temp fate as the crowd envelopes the oncoming car. At times accidents are caused because the crowd doesn’t move fast enough. Just like Pamplona....only these are not bulls.

Photo by J. Walker

The race is against the clock and each car leaves the starting point at approximately one minute intervals. Even with this one minute separation some of the cars overtake the one in front. This year, one car was trying to pass on the steepest part of Martinez and clipped the rear wheel and they both flipped. That accident sent several to the hospital.

A few years ago, the city changed the final leg of the race to come down Montalvo Street which does not have the grade of Martinez. The race was completed without accidents and the next year it was moved back to Martinez. As one person told me...”A race without accidents, is not a race.”

Over the years, the all wooden cars have evolved into hybrids of wood, metal and even some with inflated tires. It was interesting to see that the cars with hard wooded wheels had better times then the numatic tires. All of the cars that finished made the trip in from 35 to 49 minutes. The contestants are mostly from Baños but several come from other cities to win the coveted trophies. A very emotional afternoon.


There were two major parades in this years festival.

Pregón de Fiesta...This parade took place in the afternoon of the second day. It started at 2:00PM and ended close to six. For a town the size of Baños it seemed to be a very long parade.



Photo by J. Walker



Photo by J. Walker

Although there were many beautiful children in the parade...this is my favorite.

Photo by J. Walker

Most of the town turns out all along the parade route as most of the businesses close, at least until their child has passed in review. The theme of the parade was the “La Alegria y Encanto de Baños”, more or less....The happy and enchanted life in Baños.

The Military Parade is always held on the 16th. This parade was impressive as each school participated with a band, and all of the senior grades marched in uniforms. The bands were made up of mostly drums. I counted 50 in one unit from one of the larger schools. The students have practiced for the last month for this parade and for the most part they were very good. Close to where I live there is a night college that practiced at least an hour for this event each night, starting around 9:30PM, in the parking lot of the bus station which is across the street from where I live. If you can imagine 40 or 50 drums beating for an hour at this time of night, I was obviously happy when the big parade day came. I watched with special interest when this group passed. They looked stunning in their white uniforms and as they passed I had to admit that all that lost sleep was a small price to pay to view their performance.

It was a wonderful week. Everyone has a great time and if you plan now you can watch the 41st running of the Race of Wooden Cars....live.

My photographer friend....Jessie Walker.

Photo by J. Walker

Jesse Walker has taken many of the pictures that are displayed here on my blog. They are Copywrited and All rights are reserved.

Bird of Paradise

Photo by J. Walker

A Project To Get Excited About

A few days ago, Guido Washington, a young attorney in town, asked me if I was interested in looking at some property he had and hearing about his plan to develop it into a nature park for the tourists. I am always interested in an adventure so off we went.

Our first stop was at the basilica where he showed me the large painting of one of the famous miracles attributed to the virgin of the Holy Waters, where a man was pulling himself across the San Francisco gorge in a small basket suspended by ropes anchored to a large tree on the Baños side. The rope broke and I presume the man plunged into the Pastaza river a hundred meters below. He was saved, according to legend by the intervention of the Virgin.


Photo by Alex Hernandez

From the church we proceeded to the San Francisco Bridge which spans this same gorge only at a higher level. This modern bridge was built in 2000-2002, after the townspeople returned from their forced exile when the government was taking precautions for the safety of the inhabitants, while preparing for the worst. This new bridge replaces the old foot bridge, and will serve as an efficient evacuation route should it ever be needed in the future.

From here we took a small trail that led down to the old foot bridge which is still in service and used by a few locals as a short cut to their small farms to the north of the city.

Below the new bridge is a whole new adventure.

Photo by J. Walker


View of the old from the new.

Photo by J. Walker



Photo by J. Walker


Here is the historic tree that is pictured in 1940 painting in the basilica, that once anchored the cable for the perilous trip across the river. During the construction of the new bridge the tree was almost destroyed but the owner managed to save most of it.


Photo by J. Walker

Trunk of this historic tree.


Photo by J. Walker


The project as I understand it will be to improve the trails on both sides of the river. as well as reconstruct the trail that goes to the left of the foot bridge to a little know waterfall where the Bascun River empties into the Pastasa. The area to the South which is on the right side of the above photo will be landscaped with native plants of various species. The round-house will serve as a snack bar and information center. This nature park will be a place where the locals and tourists alike could come for a hike The hike in and out of the area will be a loop that will take them on both sides of the river.



Photo by J. Walker


The trail construction, at this point is most important. Washington would like to have help in this part of the plan. The problem with trails in this area where there is a lot of rain is to build a trail that will have little impact on the natural surroundings and not be washed away every few months. Trail building is an art...if there are any professionals in this line of work and looking for an adventure, here is your excuse to come to Baños.

There is going to be a party...Dec 9th through the16th.

It is a beautiful warm spring morning here in Baños de Agua Santa. The city is getting ready for the big birthday party that starts on the 9th of December, when at 5 AM there will be an “Albazo” in the streets of Baños. There will be music moving along all the streets announcing the beginning of the fiesta. For the next eight days there will be fireworks off the San Francisco Bridge, coronation of the queen, all sorts of contests, dancing in the parks, great music and a whole lot more....so I am told. It all culminates on the night of the 16th with the “Notche de Luces” and a dance at the Palamino Florez Parrk,.in front of the city hall. I can’t think of a better time to visit Baños.

It`s Hard To Teach An Old Dog New Tricks...

Photo by J. Walker


Although there are plubic facilities at different places around the city, there are still a few who can´t be bothered...and just take a "whiz" when ever nature calls. The local paper and a few property owners are trying to get those few to change their custom. This sign on a wall says it all. "The posts and walls are not urinals...so show your curlture." 

New Spa in Baños.

The New Life Natural Therapies Center, (Cemtro de Therapies Naturales Vida Nueva), opened last weekend on Oriente Street, just two and a half blocks from the basilica. The services include: steam boxes, as well as individual compartments for couples or families, three massage rooms, hot tub, mud baths, and a juice bar.

The steam bath is a multistage process, and cost $5.00 for the 45 minute session. Let`s tag along and watch the procedure.


Ready for the first session in the Steam Box. The complete process will consist of five, five to seven minute sessions in the box. After each stint you are sprayed, immersed and pumelled with cold water. 
After five to seven minutes, the attendant, who is with you during the complete process, opens the box and sprays your complete body with cold water. After this awakening, the doors are closed and you and confined for the second session.  


After the second period you are let from the box for a shocking sit in a cold water bath, while the attendant pours cold water over the part of the body that is not submerged. After two or three minutes you return to the box. 


During the times in the box you are also given a liquid called "Boldo" which is full of minerals that replace those eliminated through the pores. 


Following the third stint in the box you are led to the cold pool were you are again doused with cold water and remain there for one or two minutes. Then back to the box. 


After the forth and final session in the box your body is subjected to a steady stream of cold water. From the top of your head to the soles of your feet. 


 
After a relaxing steam box experience, it is time for a refreshing tonic at the juice bar. 

If you want to continue you can complete the experience with a 45 minute, full body massage, ($10.00), or pamper yourself with a facial. There are many more services offered...You will have to visit to find out more.

The center is open from 7AM to 7PM Sunday thru Thursday. 7AM until 3PM on Friday. Closed on Saturday.

New and Different Fruits....at least for me.

There is an abundance of fruits and vegetables in this area of Ecuador. Many common to most parts of the world but there are more than a few that are native to this part of the world. I will be updating this section with pictures as they are made available to me. Unlike many parts of the world where poor land management and over production has depleted the vitamin and mineral content of many vegetables, as far as I know now, the fruits and vegetables grown here are packed with both.

The Tree Tomato

The tree tomato, or tomate de arbol as it is known here in Ecuador is believed to be native to Peru, Chile and Ecuador. It is an egg shaped fruit (two to three inches long,) that is available all year in the local markets throughout the country. It has many vitamins and minerals and contains 1.5 percent protein. It is also high in vitamin c but most of that is lost when it is cooked. So it is best to eat raw. The pealing is not tasty so I found by cutting in half and scooping out the contents with a spoon, the easiest way to enjoy this tasty fruit. They are also great in a blended fruit drink. Cost $0.05-$0.10 each. If you want to know more about this exotic fruit click here. Everything from its history, how to grow, along with recipes and nutritional values.

What´s new, or what was new in Baños.

It is hard to believe I have been here for more than six mounts. Time really flies when you are having fun.

After a month long fiesta followed by a five day weekend in honor of those who have departed, Baños is now back to its normal tranquil lifestyle. We also had an election on October 17 for mayor and other national positions. That date was also the anniversary of the evacuation in 1999. One of the nine candidates for mayor, was the mayor who gave the order to evacuate. He was trying to become mayor once more, but the townspeople have a long memory. He lost by a landslide. (This is a long story which you will learn about at a later date.)

The plants got watered late last night and I was soaking in the mineral baths at dawn. As I relaxed there in the hot pea-soup-green waters. Although there are three pools, cold, warm and hot, I prefer the hot. As I let my mind wander, sometimes thinking profoundly or maybe not at all, I am always amazed when I watch fellow bathers go from the hot pool and duck under the ice-cold water that is diverted directly from the waterfall. Everyone tells me this is good for you, but I cannot force myself to do the same. It makes me uncomfortable just thinking about it.

Watching the moon disappear into the brightening sky, I could not help but feel that I was lucky to be living in such a paradise. It is spring here, the days are warm, but the breeze in the afternoons is always cool, as it comes down from the mountains. Another interesting fact is that I have not received one mosquito bite since I have been here...I have seen a few but they are never a pest....maybe it is because of the amount of garlic that I take. Who knows.

After six months, I can speak with some degree of authority about the city. I have found that the business people here are less greedy then any place I have ever been. Most of the businesses are owned and operated by families who were born and raised in Baños. It makes for a healthy business climate even though the amount of money they take in each day small. The profits all stay in the community. The only noticeable exception is the Santa Maria Super Market. When it opened it took out more then a few small local merchants. Baños is a small town that survives on tourism but they do not try to hustle them. If you walk on the streets you will not be harassed by owners or employees to enter their shop. If you want to go in, that is up to you. You sometimes get the feeling that they don’t care if you do or not.

There are no Costco’s or Wal-Marts. No golf courses. No fancy restaurants. No high-rise resorts, nor will there likely be in the future. The closest thing to luxury is the Luna Runtun Spa up on the mountain. It has a beautiful view of Baños and a breathtaking view of the volcano, when the clouds permit. You don´t need a car...even if you need to go to the big city. People do not expect tips for doing their jobs.

I did find that a few of the hotels raised their rates during this past week because of the holidays. The place was full and it was their chance to make a few extra bucks. I learned that this is the normal practice. I have only had one experience where I was charged more because I was a gringo. I got a haircut a few days ago and the barber charged me double. He was a friendly guy and we talked a lot. I paid the fare, but what he doesn’t know is that I will not be back.

I have been accepted here by all of the people that I have gotten to know and so far have not made any enemies with those that I don’t. I do try to accept the little things that I would rather see changed but it will be many years before I would feel comfortable in trying to effect change. There is a small American community here that I learned recently, hang out at one restaurant. I had been to that restaurant once and now I know why I did not feel comfortable. In my opinion when we go to another country we need to become part of the community and be assimilated by it, not set up our own little colony.

I am in negotiation once more with the Ecuadorian owners of the property, that brought me here six months ago. I have offered to lease the property with an option to buy in five years or less. I have the support of the those owners who live in Mexico and those in the United States, but it is hard to read those in Ambato and Quito. My latest idea is to turn the property into a cultural center. I have the support of a few locals, and have been posting some of my thoughts on some senior web sites, and have a host of potential volunteers to help get it started. The three bedroom house in the rear will be used for lodging the volunteers. I should have an answer in a week.
If this works, it just may be a place for some of you, to come and spend the winter. A little work, and a little play, makes for a long life.

Here in Baños the church is probably the biggest business. It draws hundreds every weekend form Ambato and Quito. Approximately three months ago a new prior arrived to replace the old. Remember the old saw...”A new broom sweeps clean”....well its true. The inside has been cleaned and painted and even the garden looks fresh. He even tried to get rid of the eight metal stands where venders sell religious trinkets as well as toys to the tourists. However this space belongs to the city and the metal cubicles have been there for 10 years or more, and as long as they pay their rent which is almost nothing they can stay. They really take away from the beauty of the Basilica and I can see why the church wants them to move. They are also competition to the store inside the church. The only way to move them, in my opinion, would be to buy them out. A friend of mine said they could not move them because they were poor. My comment was that I did not believe they were poor. The rent is low and it you watched their sales for a few hours you could deduce that they were probably doing pretty well.

Well that is my Baños up-date. I hope you find it of interest.

One Fiesta Ends and Another Begins.

The month long celebration of the Virgin of the Holy Waters ended yesterday with a parade to the stadium where the priests gave mass. One of the larger statues dressed in all of her finery traveled by a hand-pulled trailer behind a 20 piece band and followed by the towns people carrying flowers. After the mass she was paraded back to the Basilica and entered under a shower of rose pedals, where she will remain until the next holy event. Why not plan to be in Baños next October and join in the festivities.

Today is the 1st of November and the start of a three day holiday in honor of the dead. Wednesday is the independence day of Cuenca, which is a holiday in that city, and since it follows the two day holiday for the Day of the Dead, the President declared the holiday for the whole country. Therefore this provided a five day weekend to most Ecuadorians. Needless to say Baños is bursting at the seams. Most people come without reservations and walk the streets looking for a room. There were no rooms for many, and many of the hostels raised their rates a few dollars to take advantage of the unexpected windfall.

One of the Best Photographs of Tungurahua.

This poster is one of the best pictures that I have seen of Tungurahua. It shows how Baños is situated in relation to the peak and the Bascun Canyon that protects the main part of the city. 

Alex would love to sell you this poster...

Alex, my friend, who has taken most of the pictures you see here on my blog shows a poster that is for sale here in his store. You can have one of these beautriful posters delivered to your home, in any country in the Americas, via certified "Snail Mail" for only $10.00. If you have visited Baños in the past and did not get a good picture of the volcano, now is your chance. 

Tungurahua, a beautiful backdrop for the high school. 

This picture was taken from the school by Alex on the 25th of October, 2004. 

October...Fiesta of the Virgin.

October is a great month to visit Baños. The month long fiesta in honor of the Virgin of the Holy Waters is a community-wide event. Each of the more than 30 neighborhoods, plus businesses and organizations sign up at the Basilica for their day with one of the statues of the Virgin. As far as I can tell there are at least four. Depending on the plan that is organized by a neighborhood, the residents hire a band, some with 20 or more musicians, that arrives in the morning and starts playing on the street corner. At the appointed hour the band leads the residents of that neighborhood in a procession to the Basilica. There are many flowers and each person has a least one rose. When they reach the Basilica the band plays in front of the church while the group enters to pick up their Virgin for the day. The procession returns to the neighborhood where they have a special place prepared and depending on the budget they may even have a mass preformed by the priest.

At some point, either in the afternoon or evening they parade once more to the Basilica where the Virgin is returned, under a shower of rose petals, to her rightful home and the group returns home for a fiesta with dancing, a little drinking and lots of rockets.


Most of the groups carry the Virgin, however use decorated trucks or trailers. One "Barrios Las Palmas" built a float that was fit for the "Rose Parade" in Pasadena, California. This is serious business and shows the competition between some neighborhoods.  



This scene is repeated every day of October and culminates on the 31st with special events planed for the whole town. I happen to live just two blocks from the church so there are parades and music two or more times a day. Small rockets are set off at all times of the day and night and once you get used to the explosions you can sleep right through them. I do not know the significance of rockets but many are set off by the Fathers at the church. I did find out that you can buy the rockets in the small town of Pelileo which is $0.40 away by bus.

By the way Pelileo is also known as the “Jeans” capital of Ecuador. This seems to be a cottage industry, where besides the small factories many are made in the homes. You can find almost any label. For example, Levi’s 550 will cost you nine or ten dollars at any of the many shops on the cities main street. Some of my friends here in Baños say that they are not the real thing, but the pair I bought look and feel like Levi’s, and that is good enough for me.

Galapagos Islands in 2005

I have not visited there yet but I plan to do so early in 2005. Now is the time to do my homework and plan my trip. I will be posting my planned itinerary hear so if any of you have some suggestions please comment. My first question is when is the best month to travel?

Why PayPal.

When a few friends asked me if I could send something that they saw on this blog or perhaps had contemplated buying on a previous trip and passed it up, I was glad to do it, but I had to find an easy way to get the payment to me. Then I happened on PayPal, a company owned by Ebay, and that was the answer to my dilemma They really make it easy to transfer money. It is secure, fast and affordable.

That is why I am now doing a little e-commerce. And yes, I am making a couple dollars myself. Not much but at least enough to pay for my trouble. I am finding that I am doing things here in Baños, that in other countries, I could not be bothered with. Here, if I make two dollars, that will buy groceries for two days. It is wonderful to live in an area where greed in business is almost non-existent. Maybe as I learn more I will change my mind...we’ll have to see.

So that is the reason for the “Buy Now” buttons that you will see if I find something of good value that can be mailed easily.

Baños Fiesta...Begins Friday December 9th.

This Eight day celebration culminates on December 16th, the official birth date of Baños. During these two weeks, there are parades, street dances, fireworks, lots of music, the selection of the queen and her coronation. and of courses a fair amount of drinking All of the events are planned by the Mayor´s office and at the present time there is not a program of events. There is a tradition to see if they can pull the melcocha (the taffy that you see being stretched in the doorways of many shops), longer than the year before. Last year it was 54 meters. That is more than half the length of a football field. A good time to visit if you enjoy taking part in local fiestas. You are all invited.

If you plan to be here during these days it would be wise to make your reservation soon. Depending on your day of arrival in Baños depends on weather you need a reservation or not. Unless it is a holiday, arrivals on Sunday through Thursday are generally no problem. Which ever is your favorite hotel or hostal is probably available. Just show up and you have a room. If you arrival is on Friday or Saturday it could be a different story.

Baños is a tourist town that receives a lot of national visitors on the weekends. Rooms are taken by Friday afternoon and you may save a lot of walking around looking for a room if you have a reservation. If you need help, click here.

Another Glorias Day

It is a beautiful day here in Baños and leave us all enjoy it.
It rained a little before sunrise, had breakfast watching the sun shinning brightly on the mountains across the Pastaza, walked to the market around 10:30 AM in a light drizzle with gusty winds, as a cloud had settled low on the city, and had lunch under a bright sunny sky. As one tourist remarked...”I have seen four seasons in a few hours.” That’s the way it is here....I still stand by my remark that the rainy season was over...but God still does the watering every other day...more or less. Have to keep those mountains green.

So You Want to Live Here...

What a beautiful day in Baños. Sunny and warm, and it is too bad that you are all not here to enjoy it.

There have been many questions about the procedures for obtaining a visa to live permanently here in Ecuador. The requirements are few and the procedures are simple, at least when you compare them with a lot of other countries. There are six types of visas easily obtainable that will apply to almost any situation. The two most popular are the visa for a retired person 10-I and the 10-II for the person that wants to invest in property.

There are many lawyers who make a good living helping foreigners obtain these visas, when you can easily do it yourself. You do need one letter drawn up by a lawyer and that will cost around $30.00. The rest of the process is easy.

In conjunction with a local attorney we have put together a package of all of the necessary forms and procedures to make the immigration process painless. Since all of the forms must be presented in Spanish we have given the instructions in English with easy to follow examples making it easy to follow even if you have no knowledge of Spanish. This package is available for only $20.00, which includes the certified mail charge. The estimated time for delivery is two weeks. If you are interested just click on the buy button. Satisfaction is guaranteed by me..

Our Bicycle Trip to Pailòn del Diablo.

The journey of 40 kilometers starts here. Today I was asked by my friend Alex, (the English teacher and my personal cameraman), if I would like to take a bicycle trip along the Avenue of the Waterfalls to the most spectacular of all....Pailòn del Diablo...in English "The devils frying pan". I jumped at the chance even though it has been more than 10 years since I had been on a bicycle. It seems that his advanced English class, that consists of just three students, had planned an outing where they were going to be my English speaking guides, and explain what we were seeing during the trip. On the way we will pass several waterfalls that are visible from the highway, but will stop only long enough to take a few pictures. We departed about two in the afternoon so we did not have a lot of time.
 

The Aguyán Dam

The Agoyán Dam across the Pastaza River is the source of electric power for the area. 

Aguyán Falls

Beautiful view of Aguyán Falls, taken from the highway. Since the water flow from the Aguyán Dam is now controlled the water flow down the Pastaza River is greatly diminished.