Arrived in Baños on Wednesday, having heard that it is a relaxing little town with lots of lovely walks to do in the mountains nearby..and massages.. Aware of the risks of being only a few kilometres (and directly in one of the lava channels) of Volcano Tungurahua, an active volcano for which the locals will take you up to watch `nightly eruptions´. So when our beds started shaking at 7am on Thursday morning I looked out the window to see if anyone on the street was reacting (and more importantly following the evacuation arrows!). Nothing seemed to be happening outside but the beds continued to shake. We jokingly discussed what we should do if it was an earthquake but then the shaking stopped and we went back to sleep.. Surprised to hear later that morning that an earthquake of magnitude of 6.9 had occurred about 100 kilometres from here, fortunately 200 kilometres deep so there was no damage.. So the moral is that you can be prepared for one natural disaster but you never know when another might take its place!

Continuing today to climb high, high in the Ecuadorian Andes..closest mountain is 6,310 metres..often driving above the clouds..ethereal..