Hi all!

Another update for you lovely folk still reading our blog! We are currently in Quito Ecuador and as we may have told you once or twice all excited about our excursion to the Galapagos...TOMORROW no less!!

So in the meantime we have travelled from the pretty, but rather uneventful, city of Cuenca in the South of Ecuador, then after a MENTAL bus journey we arrived in the beauteous town of Banos.

Just a word on Ecuadorian bus journeys...not only do the drivers drive round mountain roads at breakneck speed with terrible disaster movies on in Spanish at full volume, they also stop at petrol stations for 45 minutes to have a three course lunch while the passengers sit in the bus waiting!! So random. On the bus journey yesterday we had a bored French kid sitting in front of us. At first we thought it was cute that he was playing drums on everything, then he started leaning over the back of the seat in front and playing drums IN OUR FACES!! If that wasnt bad enough he started trying to catch our hands and bite us, luckily we had most of our jabs!! Finally he dived over the seat and landed right on our laps, much to our amusment, he seemed a little embarrassed after that and sat back with his feckless mother!

So, Banos is a town completely created for health and wellbeing. {also the word for toilets in South America}. It is very Swiss in appearance, surrounded by high rolling green mountains. Brad called it vertical England. We endulged ourselves with spas, saunas, jacuzzis, hot springs, and a very strange steam box in our hostel where we sit with our head out the top and periodically have to get out and pour a bucket of ice cold water over our heads. It ended up with us being hosed down by the hostel owner, prisoner of war style. Quite relaxing really!

We also attempted another hike, buoyed up by our Inca Trail success. Unfortunately we managed to take the wrong path and literally sliding down the side of the mountain. I resorted to going down on my bum!

Banos was topped off by a messy night with a huge gang of Ecuadorians providing us with endless beer!

Quito is nicer than we expected. We had heard from everyone that it was very dangerous, but we have just been strolling around the old town for a few hours and there are lots of beautiful plazas and churches etc. Last night I endulged my inner teenager and Brad and I went to see New Moon at the cinema!

So as we have just one week left in South America we are now in a position to rate our favourite countries and at the moment Ecuador is hot on the tails of previous heavyweights Argentina and Peru, great people and lush food! Also covered in active volcanos though.

So next time you hear from us we will be all snorkelled and sunned out and probably a lot pinker than we are now.

Until then xxx