Tony vs. the Volcano

Hola a todos!
Writing on my final morning in Banos before heading back to Quito to meet up with my grupo...entonces my solitary travels are coming to a close, but the adventure is just beginning.
When i left off last, i was in Otavalo...my lodging there was about 4km outside of town, up amidst the hills and clouds. My days consisted of hiking around the area and my nights playing cards and drinking 99cent boxed wine with new amigos. I attended the biggest Saturday market in ecuador in town, in which i used my rarely used haggling skills (thanks to non-haggle US style) to haggle a alpaca hat and sweater...(i like the word okay?? and to prove it: origin 1577, "to cut unevenly" (implied in haggler), freq. of haggen "to chop." Sense of "argue about price" first recorded 1602, probably from notion of chopping away).

anywho, i left the northern lands with a Canadian amigo to catch a futbol game in Quito that evening between the two local teams. it was a great experience, though we missed the only goal (5th minute) and it felt as if i were back at a high school sporting event. perhaps because we were sitting in La Liga section whose avg age was 18. there was much jumping up and down and singing to a huge drum beat...all i could think of was that perhaps the drum rekindled a kind of animal instinct..because when it got fast enough, they would all mosh around and run down the stands towards the fence, knocking into the person in front. i partook in the bouncing but not the running of the adolescents. though i couldn't really make out the chant, i heard some key words...¨Che Guevara,¨¨Marijuana,¨and ¨Cerveza.¨....Go Team!

hopped a bus to Banos, a nice town south of quito that promises fun outdoorsy activities. i had heard rumors that there was an active volcano near Banos that was indeed active. I witnessed this first on the bus nearing the area, when all of the locals started oohing and aahing out the window. plumes of smoke out of the volcano Tungurahua ('throat of fire'). okay, i wonder, if the locals are ooh'ing, and i'm headed TO the volcano, am i really that crazy??? apparently so...However, turns out that Banos is on the west side and there's not much threat as opposed to the spewing direction of the east (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/5186180.stm). so of course what did i do that first night? yep! went to get a closer look! actually it was just a better view up a near mountain, and let me tell you july 4th has nothin on Tungurahua. gorgeous. granted, it's probably not too considerate of the locals (and my own life) to goad the volcano into erupting so we can witness it from a distance...but we did. And it did. Our guide told us an enlightening story as well...see, there are two other volcanos in the area, but aren't really active. And these two volcanos are Males, while Tungurahua is a Female (important info). So Tungurahua is obviously pregnant and is currently giving birth (and What a birth!). but there's a debate going as to which volcano is the father...i guess we'll never know...

oh, and yesterday i went bike riding (mostly downhill) to see some waterfalls etc, but the road was closed to an active landslide...what is it with all this activity??...but i was actually relieved, here goes with the consideration of others again, to see the activity- rocks tumbling down the closed off area every 5 minutes or so- and enough so to say 'yep, that's not such a good idea to pass.' now, if there hadn't been visual signs, i woulda thought- i can pass that! so it was with good reason i headed back, uphill mind you, to Banos, stopping on the way to chill out at mini waterfall for lunch and reading.

so my friendly readers, i bid you adieu...pictures are coming, as soon as i get to a faster connection.

un abrazo y un beso