Baños and the Tungurahua volcano (5,016m)

Ahoy me hearties...

Having myself a fine old time in Baños, a spa town almost directly south of Quito. It´s lovely and warm being at the bottom of the valley, and surrounded by mountains (real ones, Scotland eat your heart out!)

Spent yesterday morning soaking in the hot springs, Baños de la Virgen, for the knock down price of $1.60. Baaargain, as TC would say.

Then I hired a quadbike and took it up the volcano.

Marco (the man who owned the quadbike) was a friendly sort, and we got chatting...well, he was talking to me, I still just nod and smile like a demented gimp whenever I get into these ´chats´. Which happens on a regular basis.

Any doubts I had that soccer is a very close second religion to Catholicism in South America, were banished when he asked me where I came from. When I told him I came from England he grinned broadly and said ´Davis Beckham´! Pure brillance.

The volcano was literally awesome...and she (are they ladies?) snorted a plume of smoke and ash at us, as if to remind us that she was definitely queen of all she surveyed. There was some discussion among us as to what would happen if she exploded properly. Given that lava can travel at 90 kph and that Baños is probably only 5kph away from the top of the volcano, I didn´t

rate our chances of escape too highly.