Biking Through Ecuador Day 9: Baeza to Quito

This post was written on my previous blog while working on a fleet of National Geographic Ships and before I started Two Wheeled Wanderer, so it’s a bit different than my ‘typical’ posts.

Galapagos, Here We Come!

Well, we’re sitting at the Quito airport, waiting for our flight to Guayaquil, and I thought it would be a good time to catch up on our final day of biking through Ecuador.

Actually, we didn’t do any biking, but it was still our final day of our Biking Through Ecuador adventure with Arie.

After a terrible night’s sleep in Baeza due to a hostel made entirely out of wood with paper-thin walls and a group of male college-age students drinking rum and cokes, we woke up groggy and not in the mood for biking.

Luckily, we were heading to Papallacta, a hot spring resort about an hour northwest of Baeza. We were back in the cloud forest, so it was pretty chilly, but once we changed into our bathing suits and stepped into the warm thermal springs, I was in heaven.

The steam rising from the pools mixed with the misty air gave the place a mystical feel. There were about 10 different crystal clear pools all with different temperature waters coming straight from underground thermal springs.

We arrived early, thankfully, so it wasn’t too crowded, but people started to trickle in and the pools filled with locals and travelers alike. 

We soaked for about an hour before I started feeling dizzy and rubbery, so I emerged from the pools and snapped some photos of the resort.

Then it was back in the car for a drive through the green mountains toward Quito.

We passed numerous waterfalls and more scenic vistas along the way. When we reached the top of the pass, Arie inquired if we wanted one last descent by bike into the suburbs of Quito. Despite the sun and blue skies, C and I were way too relaxed and warm to change into our biking clothes and get back on the bikes.

Part of me wishes that we did – it was our last chance to ride! – but at the moment I was pretty content to just sit in the car and enjoy the beauty out the window. So that’s what we did.

We stopped at Arie’s wife’s bar just outside of Quito for some nachos and then Arie drove us into the city and back to La Casa Sol where we said our goodbyes.

All in all, it was an amazing trip. There were a few things I wasn’t too impressed with – like the lunches of white bread and little else – but C and I had a great time biking and hiking around Ecuador’s mountains, lakes, rivers, and volcanoes.

Would we do it again? Absolutely. We’ve even been questioning each other about where we want to do our next multi-day bike holiday. South East Asia is top of both of our lists. I did a day ride in and around Bangkok with Grasshopper Adventures, and it was awesome. 

Even though our Biking Through Ecuador trip has come to an end, it’s not the end of our Ecuador travels. We’re heading down to Guayaquil today and then embarking on the National Geographic Endeavor tomorrow for an 8-day trip around the Galapagos.

Then our plan is to base ourselves in Cuenca for a few days and do day trips to surrounding areas of interest before C needs to return to the ship in Baja. I’ll spend a week and a half in Vilcabamba relaxing and rejuvenating in the Valley of Longevity before I have to go back to work in Baja. So stay tuned for more adventures!