After 11 huge days in the Galápagos, and as amazing as it was, I was ready to move on and have some new experiences. Baños was highly recommended as an adventure hotspot, and on the way to Quito, my last stop in Ecuador.

I met Emma at the bus stop in Guayaquil, a Kiwi girl who funnily enough lives in Perth (well, until she quit her job), and we hopped on the bus to Baños. It's funny how one minute you're alone trying to make your way around the bus station, and the next minute you've found a friend that you spend the next few days with. It has constantly happened during this trip and is both a source of great happiness when you meet these people, and sadness when you must say goodbye.

On Friday we were treated to some good weather (although still too cloudy to see the nearby volcano), so we hired some bikes and visited the slightly overhyped yet must not miss photo opportunity in Baños, the swing at Casa de Arbol. Whilst there we met a 40 year old Australian who has retired and set up a life in Ecuador with his uncle, in a cosy little half built cottage at the bottom of the volcano. He invited us into his place for a cup of tea, and gave us a great recommendation for an empanada stall near the Pailon del Diablo.

Yesterday we spent the day canyoning around a bunch of waterfalls, something I've never done before and because we were spending the whole day rappelling down or diving into waterfalls, the heavy rain didn't spoil the day.