Ecuador: Hola Banos!

By Sarah Small

So I just want to begin this blog by describing my surroundings. I am currently in Banos, a beautiful city in Ecuador known for tourism and extreme sports. It’s full of green mountains and is perfectly surrounded by an active volcano. There are waterfalls sporadically dotted all throughout the greenery and the rain will not stop dancing down on us. Thank goodness for my rain jacket to keep me dry and somewhat warm.

I’m currently sitting in a Rastafarian cafe where they create homemade kombucha drinks and only serve vegetarian options. The rain on the roof offers a sort of constant music that exemplifies the calm atmosphere of the cafe.  The owner of the cafe is a barefoot woman following her dreams of worldly adventures and new experiences. Everywhere you look the clouds are so low it looks as if they are trying to kiss the tops of the buildings. The land is seriously drunk with rain but still seems thirsty. It’s an interesting climate where tropical and rainy are in perfect harmony with each other. I wish I could describe the vibrations of the area more clearly but I guess if you’re reading this I advise you to just travel here and see it all for yourself. I’m currently sitting with some of my friends on the trip, laughter and the smell of incense fill the room with a perfect touch of coziness. There are kittens all over the back porch of the cafe trying to keep dry from the gentle flow of rain and baby cacti line the inside window panes. While we are waiting for our veggie burgers and tamales we have befriended some Australians who are studying organic farms. Last thing I want to mention is that there are ads on the wall for yoga farms. Can I just move here now? South America I love you.