A Picture Tour Of The Baños Area

A short time after I arrived in Baños, I met a man who was also a new arrival and was living with his wife Yvoone, on the other side of the Pastaza River and about 25km from town. To get to where they were living takes a 25 minute bus ride and a 30 to 45 minute hike depending how much of a load you were toteing.

He came to town several times a month to get supplies and we became friends. He was a photographer by trade and for more than a year we spent many happy hours hiking the countless trails around Baños and the Pastaza Valley. He ended up with hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of the area. J and Yvoone returned to Florida last year and he has started posting a photo-essay of their time in Ecuador. Take a look....You will see why I love this area.

Most of the pictures on this blog were taken by J, and I used to call him my personal photographer. I miss him. The latest word is that he will return. I hope soon because I have some projects in Salasaca and I need him.

Enjoy the fotos.

Tungurahua....Still showing off.

The volcano continues to emit gas and ash at times as high as 7 km. The winds aloft continue to be to the west and southwest so Baños and the nearby city of Ambato have been spared the fallout. The western side of the mountain is still being bombarded.

In the early morning hours there were several large explosions which created lava flows with out any warning. The road from Baños to Penipe has received the a lot of damage. I am not sure if it is passable or not.

Yesterday afternoon all of the businesses closed and a evacuation drill was held. At the present time there is no problems in Baños but the city is ready should an evacuation be necessary. The condition is still "yellow".

A week ago Friday most of the tourist left along with a some of the locals. Most of the locals returned but the tourist went on to other destinations.

The financial loss to the city is enormous.

Everything is Normal in Baños.

As of this morning, with all of the activity of Tungurahua, life goes on as usual. Although Tungurahua Volcano is located only a mile to the north of Baños, the city has been spared from the ash which is a major problem for other comunities close by.

Up-Date on Tungurahua

Yesterday during the day the activity of Tungurahua increased with almost 300 explosions and 26 quakes recorded. There were also reports of some mud flows because of the rains in the area. However in the early evening the activity increasd and for the first time since 1999 that there was significant lava flow.


I was in Ambato last night and although Ambato is about 20 miles or less (as the bird flies) from the volcano we had an impressive view of the eruptions that lasted until around 9:30.

Since the crater is a little off center and faces North, I am sure that we had a view of the lava flow that was not seen in Baños.

The mayor of Baños suggested a voluntary evacaution of the city and many people who had cars left, and many from Ambato and surrounding communities went to Baños to help evacuate friends and relatives. What percentage left...I have no idea but my guess is that it was small.

The big problem is the ash which polutes the air. So far here in Ambato there has been no significant fallout as the prevailing winds have taken it in another direction.

If any of my friends in Baños are reading this, I would appreciate a first hand report of what the feeling was and is, in the city. Please e-mail me at banosecuador@hotmail.com. I will have more info later.