New Year in Baños

Spending New Year’s Eve in a different (warmer!) country, surrounded by other travellers, gives you the chance to do something a little different to normal.

We still had time planned in Quito, where we had spent Christmas,  but having heard that it was a good place for more active pursuits, we decided to jump on a bus to Baños for a couple of days over New Year. 

And that’s how we found ourselves with an early start on New Year’s Eve, crammed into neoprene, crammed into the back of a 4x4, and heading up a hill.

There was more heading uphill still to come – this time on foot.

But we were really there for the ‘down’ bit;

Abseiling down the waterfalls to be precise! 

I had always wanted a go at canyoning, and although I was feeling a bit shy in the group setting, it was still good fun :)

I can often be identified as the shortest person in a picture...

 

Returning to the town after a fun-filled few hours, we discovered that everyone gets dressed up in crazy costumes for New Year. They roam the streets messing around, stopping cars or grabbing people for money (just small change in the name of fun – not actual kidnappings!)  Masks feature heavily, as do wigs and drag costumes. 

A group of young guys in drag surround someone until they are given some money. Sounds more sinister than it was!

I put on my brightest t-shirt, and popping into some local shops we join in with the spirit of the night.

You can't quite tell, but I had multi-colour glittery fake eyelashes to match the wig!

 Drinks flow, out on the streets and inside the bars

Not sure what this drink was, but it was warm and tasty. And that lady has a fine taste in crazy wigs ;)

Flaming welcome drinks - if you drank them in one they were on the house.

At midnight came fireworks, and the torching of the various papier mache models that had been created for the night. Think a mixture of Guy Fawkes night and American-style Halloween, on steroids...

~ Adventures can be cultural too!