01.09.09 ‘Pailon del Diablo’, Cable Car Across Pastaza Valley

Pailon del Diablo (the Devil’s Cauldron) is ferocious and frightening, as I stood, mesmerized by the force of the water, on a small stone balcony being sprayed with waves of waterfall mist. Next was a tight fit through a small tunnel on the side of the cliff to reach another balcony under the waterfall itself. I felt like Gollum from Lord of the Rings as I scrambled through on hands and knees and was soaking wet by the end of it.

After lunch, we went with Emer and Mark across the valley on a rickety cable car to visit the cascadas and indigenous farming communities on the other side of the Pastaza Valley. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, which we enjoyed from the back of a truck on the way back to our lodge. We’ve become accustomed to hitching on pickups, as it’s a great way to view the scenery having no roof over your head.
Later on in the evening we all headed out to Banos to visit it’s most famous asset, the hot springs. La Piscina del Virgen is a set of hot and cold sulphurous pools which have been filtered to remove some of the chemical. It was a busy Monday evening with many locals enjoying a hot soak followed by a freezing dip in the neighbouring pool to get the blood circulating. The hot pool must’ve been 45 degrees centigrade. They tap into the thermal waters beneath the volcanic earth and the subsequent waters are deemed to be of great health benefit and I must say, the water felt very ‘soft’ in my hands.
The Central Sierra has been a stunning, mountainous region and tomorrow we journey south to Cuenca.