Los Termas de Papallacta

Today, I went on a day trip to Los Termas de Papallacta, famous hot springs located about two hours from Quito. I met my friends at the bus station at 9 am. We bought tickets for the two hour trip for two dollars apiece. Then we boarded, which cost an additional twenty cents. Many Ecuadorians bypass the boarding fee by hailing buses in the circle outside the station. The ticket collector stands in the bus´s doorway and screams out the destination. Locals listen for their intended location. When they hear it, they jump on, sometimes while the bus is still in motion.

The ride between Quito and Papallacta was absolutely gorgeous. We drove up and down beautiful, green mountains. As we neared Papallacta, driving became dicey. We were on a dirt road that could barely fit two lanes. The right side of the bus was inches from the edge of a cliff. When we arrived in Papallacta, we had to hire a camioneta (a pickup truck) to drive us from town to the springs. The road was steep and bumpy, and the benches in the truck bed were not bolted to the vehicle, causing us to bounce around.

Papallacta was worth the harrowing trip. We chilled out in the hot springs and admired the scenery (again, we were in the middle of the country, surrounded by green mountains). There were barely any tourists in sight.

Late in the afternoon, we got out of the pools and prepared to return to Quito. Our decision was affirmed by the sound of thunder. After we got dressed, we took another camioneta to the bus station and waited. When the bus arrived, we discovered that there were not enough seats. Several of my friends had to stand in the aisle and hold onto a bar overhead (I offered to switch with them later on, but they refused). As the ride progressed, seats opened up. We ended up having a delightful, laughter-filled ride back to Quito. My friend C (I´m still trying to decide what to call her in my blog) sat next to José, one of the nicest people that I have met so far in Ecuador. He told me (C is just beginning her Spanish studies) that we seemed like an amazing group of people and that I had a beautiful smile and should never change. Then, he got off the bus.

When we got back to Quito, we had a fantastic Indian meal and went home. I am hoarding leftover garlic naan in my room.