September 23 marked my two-year anniversary of travel.
Ambato was my first stop south from Quito. The guidebooks and wiki did not offer a lot a hope for fun and exciting things to do here. Thus, with low expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by what I did see in Ambato.
Ambato as a city was founded in 1698. Almost all traces of its colonial past were erased by an earthquake in 1949. Everything you see today has been rebuilt since that event.
I stayed at a hostal near the downtown center of the city. I was less than excited about my accommodations. It is only fair to add that I was told by a lady, as I exited my taxi from the bus station, that the area was dangerous and that I should not be there.
I now attribute that comment to maybe a lack of tourism in Ambato. At no time did I feel in any personal danger as I walked around the downtown area for two days.
I found three parks which were in close proximity to each other. Park Cevallos, Parque Juan Montalvo and Independence Park were all nicely treed and being used by the local people.
Parque Juan Montalvo was probably the most distinctive and could be considered the central park of the city. It was here that the cathedral was located. The alcaldia and the Juan Montalvo Museum were also located around this park.
From Ambato I headed to Banos, the adventure capital of Ecuador. It is here that they offer rafting, mountain biking, zip lining, bungee jumping and other such activities. Me, I was more interested in seeing the many waterfalls in the area.
Just to show that I have an adventure side of me as well, I dared to stay at a hostel named Erupcion Hostel B&B, yes that is the Spanish word for “eruption”. The hostel is located right in the heart of Banos. At this time, breakfast is included in the price and it is a very tasty breakfast.
Park Palomino Flores is the central park in the city. It is also here that the clock towered alcaldia is located. There is also a waterfall, Cascada de la Virgen, located within three blocks of the downtown area.
I opted for a bus tour of the waterfalls, rather than the mountain bikes which were the other option. I was impressed. We saw El Agoyan, Manto de la Novia (bridal veil), and Pailon del Diablo (devil’s face) all within the eighteen km (11 mi) bus ride from Banos. The visit to Pailon del Diablo would have been worth the trip by itself.
I had been hoping to get a clear photo of Tungurahua volcano to show you. It is an active volcano and it was belching its steam while I was taking this photo.
Susan Ornbratt, the Canadian author, wrote, “…the longer she had lived away, the more she realized that nowhere became home…though everywhere had.”
seniorbackpacker 
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