Monday 27 February 2012 Today was Deanna's and Ian's last day, they were planning to leave after breakfast, but we were also expecting some new volunteers, whose numbers - and arrivals - always seem to change. You can only believe it when they arrive! I did the mula run this morning - 60 litres, as measured by the milkman, for whom I was just in time. I felt for the mule as it struggled with its heavy load, slipping and sliding, once quite badly, and so o...

Sunday 26 February 2012 We had decided to go to the thermal baths in the morning and then try for a massage, so we headed off for the Piscinas de la Virgen, which is the only hot thermal baths and is also apparently, the most appealing of them, and which is also located at the bottom of a waterfall. My guidebook had recommended getting up for sunrise but admitted that most gringos don't make it there that early. After paying our $2 entrance fee, I could s...

Saturday 25 February 2012 - Banos In the morning, having found that we'd missed the festival of flowers and fruits (which was at the same time ascarnaval) at Ambato, we decided to go to Banos, as Ambato is really only worth visiting at carnaval time. Everyone I've spoken to about Banos has really enjoyed it. So after going to an Internet café and cabina for Eva to make some international phone calls, we grabbed a taxi back to where the bus dropped us off a...

Friday 24 February 2012 - Waterfall hike and Ambato We had a waterfall hike this morning, and were warned that it was a steep walk, but that as we would also be doing river crossings we would need rubber boots. We set off from the stables and the path was very overgrown and also very steep, not made any easier by having the puppy, Essie underfoot all the time. Walter told us (via Alex, the intern) that there used to be 2 routes to the waterfall but the other...

Friday 17 February 2012 I left for Quito after breakfast, with the intention at some point of replacing my lost pink alpaca jumper at La Mariscal (what I call mini-Otavalo) and ended up buying a purple hooded cape as the first several stalls didn't have cardigans/jackets that I liked or were the wrong size for the ones that I did like. This evening , at the hostel, I was told by the two Argentinian girls that I was sharing with that I might have difficulty ge...