31.08.09 Pequeno Paraiso, Rio Verde

17km from resort town Banos, in the Pastaza Valley (Central Sierra)
The small town of Rio Verde sits in the stunning Pastaza Valley, a green oasis of steep mountains, studded with a multitude of gushing rivers and waterfalls. One of the world’s top ten waterfalls, ‘Pailon del Diablo’ (the devil’s cauldron) is only 1km away and it’s spectacular entrance through what looks like a tunnel in the rock face attracts foreign visitors and Ecuadorian holiday-makers alike.
Edinburgh born Rich and his French girlfriend Bea run Pequeno Paraiso, a lovely lodge with muralled walls, t-shirts from around the world strung from the ceiling, and a constant cool music soundtrack. He tells us he also went to Dundee University- what a small world! We take a muddy trek up the side of several waterfalls and in the afternoon journey on the back of a truck, whose driver offers us a cheap ride, to local town Banos.
Volcano Tunguhurua, 8km from Banos, is currently active, so the town is prepared for possible evacuation in the event that a repeat of what happened in 1999 were to occur. It didn’t erupt but thousands were made homeless for months as the town was closed off by military police, who were later accused of looting some of the homesteads while they were vacant.