Quilotoa and Banos

We woke this morning to a delicious home-cooked meal and then went to view the Quilotoa Volcano and Lagoon. The water was a crazy blue color, and perfectly reflected the surrounding mountains. We hiked down about half way, and then decided that we better not go all the way, since we had to hike back up and we were still feeling the effects of the altitude. We were hiking on sand and rocks, all the while looking down on the beautiful lagoon. We then drove out of Quilotoa on our way to Banos. I was blown away by the roads we were driving on the night before! They were so steep and windy, I was glad that it had been dark and foggy the night before so we didn’t have to see what we were on! Today is La Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, and we saw a whole village spending the morning in the cemetery, where they had brought their loved ones meals and gifts. The holiday is primarily a day for them to celebrate their deceased family members. It is not a day to be sad, but more of a celebration of the life they had and to give them gifts to have with them in the afterlife. We arrived to Banos and checked into our gorgeous hotel, Sumari Inn and Spa. We had lunch and then walked around Banos for a while. Betty showed us the cathedral and we got to try some sugar cane on the street. Marcelo had gone to watch soccer, and mom and I decided that we deserved a massage. After swimming in the pool with the kids, we got our massages and went to bed in our huge comfy beds.