Up 7.30am, as breakfast isn't served at our accommodation we must go to restaurant where we had dinner last night but is included in our tour costs, very good spread I have ham, cheese and onion omelette, bread roll, croissant, coffee and fresh juice with Julia, Sarah and Sang we eat well as we have a big trek ahead of us. We leave 10am to tackle Tungurahua volcano otherwise known as "The Black Giant" this is an active volcano the largest in Ecuador yet the most easily climbed apparently since Banos is already set on its hillside, periodic drills keep residents and visitors aware of the poitential risks. It is 5.016 metres straight up but I am trying not to think too much about that as I really don't like walking up hills and this one is continuous with no reprieve until we reach the top but me being the determined creature I am will not let it beat me. I find the going very difficult with the altitude and the heat and my heart is nearly pounding out of my chest, Julia on the other hand being Swiss is very used to hills and does it easily with those long legs of hers taking three strides to my one and she hardly breaks a sweat and at the same time manages as always to still look gorgeous. The ground is very uneven and even the formed path, if you can call it that is very rocky with lots of exposed tree roots so have to watch every step. We take a couple of wrong turns as guided by Julia asking for directions from the locals in her broken Spanish (but at this stage she knows more than the rest of us) . Thank goodness one of these wrong turns leads us to a rather ramshackle looking cafe but they are advertising coffee which twigs my interest so we decide it is a good excuse for a well-earned break, I ask for cafe leche (coffee with milk) but alas being a remote Sth American cafe they don't have milk so I accept it black, the female owner comes out with a chipped mug washes it in a large plastic container of water (I hope that's all it is but goodness only knows how clean it is or how long it has been sitting there) then returns with what is the worst cup of coffee I have ever had so when she isn't looking I tip most of it out in the garden so defeating the purpose of a caffeine fix, the others opt for bottled soda drinks yes much smarter than me I am thinking but I really wanted a coffee. After taking some photos of the cafe's very cute puppy and cat we once again head off, it is now raining quite heavily making the going very slippery as it just turns to mud but finally we arrive at Luna Runtun Resort and Spa at a height of 2.260 metres for a very well deserved lunch in Cafe Del Cielo I have a delicious curry vegetable crepe, cake and yes a very good white coffee and I think I've more than earned it. The views from the restaurant looking back down over Banos are more than worth the effort to get here, just spectacular. It rained quite heavily during lunch so we have decided not to continue our climb to the top but none of us are actually looking forward to the trek back down either as we think it is probably going to be harder and perhaps slower than coming up, yes we were right it is precariously slippery and Sang lands on his backside a few times but I do much worse while tring to look for firm footholes I tread in a hole and like Alice in Wonderland almost disappear into the bowels of the earth covered in mud, oh what a sight, I call for help and Sang comes to my rescue with his trusty walking pole which he passes to me to hang onto while he pulls me out as there was nothing else that I could get a grip onto oh my little Chinese hero I now am a bit reckless as I am already covered in mud so don't care if I slip over but do manage to stay upright for rest of the descent but Sang is still slipping and sliding so I very wisely decide not to follow in his footsteps and make my own way down. Meanwhile a very fit and surefooted Julia and Sarah have ploughed on ahead unaware of my plight. We arrive back in Banos at 3.30pm after 11km the trek taking us 5 1/2 hours which when we set out thought it would take a leisurely 3 to maybe 4 hours. I have a very enjoyable shower fully clothed in order to remove some of the mud and then spend quite some time trying to clean my raincoat. I have a back, neck and foot massage booked for 5pm which I am now really looking forward to so has Rebecca, Sarah is having a pedicure and Julia is having a manicure at 6pm so Rebecca, Sarah and I head off together. Rebecca and I are put in same room to await our fate, and I would have to say it is the best massage I have ever had I feel so good after I could nearly climb another volcano (just joking). We all meet at 8pm for dinner at our breakfast restaurant and another excellent night is enjoyed by all, we are all loving Banos very pretty place with lots of activities and all agree we could easily spend a week here.
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