Day 1 in Baños, Ecuador – Luxury Hot Springs, Waterfalls, and Rooftop Dining

🌄 Baños Day 1 – The Stillness of Hot Water, Into the Volcanic Mist

🕔 05:00–07:00 | Farewell Through the Window to Otavalo’s Final Mist

The sky was a heavy gray, full of moisture, as if it would burst into tears at any moment. My collar was damp—perhaps because it had already soaked through. I took a taxi to Terminal Terrestre Otavalo. The Reina del Camino bus to Ambato was scheduled for 05:40. The ticket cost $6. Finally, we departed. Tiny beads of dew clouded the window. I exhaled once more and drew a big heart with my finger. Inside it, I wrote “Baños” again. Through the morning mist and dew, the bus raced forward, leaving the Cotacachi Mountains behind.

🕖 07:00–09:00 | Along the Andes, Morning Warmth

The bus continued its journey southward, passing through Quito and Ibarra. The once lofty elevation had gradually declined. The winding mountain ranges, layered one after another, became tinged with red, and the morning sun, filtered through closed eyelids, left a reddish imprint. The previously moist air had completely vanished, replaced by the subtle aroma of medicinal herbs that traveled from the tip of the nose to the chest. At 08:50, the bus finally arrived in Ambato. A transfer was made to a bus operated by Cooperativa Transportes Baños, with a fare of $2.

🕘 09:00–11:00 | Arrival in Baños, the Breath of the Hot Springs

From afar, the faint scent of sulfur drifted through the air. At 10:40, I finally arrived at the Baños bus terminal. Below the dizzying cliffs, endless streams of river stretched and flowed along both sides. The road undulated and twisted like waves, and because of the high humidity, the air felt vividly alive—almost as if it were moving on its own.

🕚 11:00–13:00 | Hotel Sangay – First Rest by the Waterfall

Finally, I checked in and entered the room. The linen curtains fluttered and rippled in the breeze and sunlight. Through the window, a misty spray of vapor hovered in the air, close enough to feel as though I could catch it with my hand. The water of Cascada de la Virgen thundered down as if to devour the moment, roaring with force. It seemed quite tall, and the crashing sound of the water breaking apart brought a deep sense of relief. The bedspread, made from naturally dyed fabric embroidered with delicate flowers and plant patterns in soft swirling circles, gently embraced my body with its fluffiness. With my eyes closed, I quietly took in the moist air, the trembling surge of the waterfall, and the soft sunlight seeping through the curtains, letting them all wash over me.

🕐 13:00–15:00 | Almuerzos Casa Hood – A Lunch Filled with Heat

I walked out of the hotel and, after about five minutes on foot, entered Casa Hood without hesitation. The vintage interior, as if the breath of the forest had been blown directly into the wooden frames, caught my eye—it looked alive. The sunlit wooden furniture by the window made it feel like I was standing in the middle of a vibrant forest. Steam delicately rose from the hot iron plate. The dish I ordered came with smoked meat and giant king crab, seared over charcoal infused with herbs. Red, yellow, and colorfully assorted bell peppers and vegetables were paired with fragrant herbal sauce. The grilled charcoal beef and giant king crab burst open, releasing rich juices, and the lingering flavor was gently perfumed with the scent of herbs.

🕒 15:00–17:00 | El Refugio Spa – Warmth Between the Stones

From my head to my chest, a cool and chilly air lingered, and a moist mist hovered in the atmosphere. Lavender flowers bloomed here and there, armful by armful, between the crevices. The music, like a melody of starlight from the galaxy, rode the breeze and soaked gently into the water. I immersed myself in the hot spring up to my chest, at a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius. Above my chest, the damp yet cool air made my head feel incredibly clear. Quietly, I closed my eyes and let myself drift into the soft embrace of the surrounding herbal scents and the subtle aroma of lavender that filled the space.

🕔 17:00–19:00 | La Belle Époque – With the Sunset on the Rooftop

The sun, red like a blazing fireball, slowly scorched down as if breaking apart my whole body, climbing over the mountains and dyeing the valley in crimson. From a high rooftop, I leaned my shoulder gently against the table that seemed to stretch toward the edge of the cliff. I took a sip of Ecuadorian white wine. As darkness began to settle, the once-faint candlelight appeared to savor the breath of dusk, swaying in the breeze as if wrapping itself in the wind.

Then came the truffle quinoa risotto I had ordered. The earthy scent of mushrooms, soaked with the underground aroma, was the very essence of living soil’s vitality. The fragrance of mushrooms lingered in my mouth, circled, and spread through my body as if rushing through my veins. Behind the fluttering candlelight carried by the wind, shadows blurred softly and faded away.

🕖 19:00–21:00 | Santa Clara Hot Springs – Starlight Melted into the Rippling Waters

I immersed my body up to the chest in the outdoor Santa Clara hot spring. The chilly night air traced the blood vessels on my head and left a few drops of dew at the tip of my nose. The water temperature was 42°C—decidedly warm. The starlight danced along the gently rippling waves. Above my chest, I could feel the endlessly cold breath of the night, while below, the endlessly warm currents embraced my body completely.

🕘 21:00–23:00 | Closing My Eyes, Surrendering to the Sound of the Waterfall Beneath the Moon

Through the moist curtains, an enormous cascade broke apart and clashed against itself, pouring down from a great height, cooling both my eyes and heart under the crystal-clear moonlight. Finer than air, tiny droplets of moisture rode the wind, scattering as a soft mist in all directions. The candle I had lit by the bathtub quivered faintly, soaked in the mist. Outside, the cry of a coyote and the flapping of large bird wings echoed with a clarity as pure as the moon.