![\"IMG_2933.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/chronotonic.com\/southernexposure\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/02\/img-2933.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nThe only highlight of this day’s ride was playing leapfrog with a local riding south. He was on a 250 and liked to ride fast, but the 250 was no match for the uphill grades above 10,000 ft. He would fly by us going downhill, catching air over speed bumps, and then we would cruise by him on the next uphill. The scenery was unremarkable today so this was our entertainment.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nWe descended into Ba\u00f1os, located at the bottom of a narrow valley surrounded by steep, green mountainsides. We found the hotel we had made a reservation at the night before without too much trouble as Ba\u00f1os had actually bothered to put up street signs. The hotel seemed nice enough and continued our run of oversized rooms. <\/p>\n
It was early afternoon when we arrived, so we thought we would take advantage of the town’s namesake, natural hot springs heated by the nearby volcanos. We put our bathing suits on and walked down the street towards the waterfall which marked the location of the public baths.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nWe climbed towards the base of the waterfall, so we could get a view of the hot springs before paying admission. The hot springs were swimming pool like squares filled with brown water and plenty of locals. Nothing about it was enticing so we decided to head back to the spa we had walked by. They were advertising hour massages for $25, which was hard to pass up considering we had an afternoon to kill.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nWe each got massages, and while Inna stayed to get a facial, I walked around the small downtown. If I had been here 10 years earlier, I probably would have loved this place. It’s the South American Interlaken, dedicated to outdoor sports. Small dune buggies were everpresent in town, and half the stores were renting motorcycles, mountain bikes, or horses. The rest were selling tourist junk or expedition stores.<\/p>\n