Banos Ecuador

Last year we spent 45 days in Ecuador and along the way we discovered wonderful healing Qi Gong massage therapy done by a really personable Chinese lady in Baños. My husband had very encouraging results for his back. He has back trouble relating to a helicopter crash in Viet Nam. He talked me into a facial that was equally beneficial. Same wonderful therapist.

In Vilcabamba I discovered a mud facial mask made of forest green clay and an ointment made of plants from "the valley of longevity" that worked wonders on my skin.

I managed to get quite ill in Vilcabamba and our host produced the leaves of a tree in the yard that cured me almost instantly.

We decided to spend six months on our upcoming exploration of Ecuador and Peru to focus on alternative and natural healing methods. We both teach Reiki and enjoy learning about other modalities. And thus I begin this blog. I hope you will find the ride interesting.

Don't expect helpful planning tips - we don't plan. Do expect lots of photos. I prefer pictures to a lot of dry descriptions. Ecuador is too beautiful to describe!

I promise that this is my only plunge into sentimentally on this blog. 

It seems as if every village and town in Ecuador has at least one fountain and I am quite sure that most cities have numerous fountains. Anywhere you go you can find the sound of falling water. That sound is refreshment for the human soul.

Water is such a healing substance. It cleasnes our bodies, both internally and externally. It soothes us and heals us.

And sometimes it even kills us. And for that we respect it, though a remarkably small percentage of the population on planet will surcumb to the dark currents of water in its deadly forms. For most of us it seldom produces anxiety, let alone death.

I have been through floods and hurricanes and nearly drowned at least once and I still find the sound of falling water soothing, and the roll of water over smooth stone to be hypnotic. Waves sounding on a empty beach will cleanse me of grief quicker than any sound I know.

Water is my great healer. Fountains are my deepest joy.

The spire of this church, streatching toward heaven, was visible from our balcony. Here is the healing power of faith.

A sense of humor is essential to healing.

The waiting room of a very effective healer in Banos. She combined Qi Gong with massage and left my husband relatively pain free for several days. I can attest that her facials are superb.

This healer is a Chinese lady who has practiced all over the world. I wish I could give you her name but I was still under the effects of a facial when she told me. I will be returning to Banos this year. I'll update this info then.

If you do find yourself in this room have a seat, she'll be with you in a moment. It is worth  the wait!

Can you think of any after dinner therapy better than a walk through a city like this?

The church is known as Iglesis de Nuestra Senora del Agua Santa (Our Lady of the Holy Water). In the nave are paintings depicting instances when the Virgin saved the faithful from the wrath of Tungurahua. These scenes date back to the seventeenth century. Upstairs is a collection of crutches and canes left behind by those healed by the Virgin. 

We rented a dune buggy in Banos and took a ride out of town to the site of this waterfall. even as far above the falls the roar was pretty loud, an audible reminder of the powers of water and gravity. 

This is about as clear of cloud cover as I ever saw Tungurahua volcano. Perhaps what I taking to be clouds is actually steam.

You can rent Go-Carts, bicycles, horses, or cars. what ever your level of adventure or fitness, there is a way to get around.

Proof Positive! Yes, you can farm verticle land.

 Some of the flowers we passed along the way.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Healing-in-Ecuador to see the lovely town of Baños

http://hubpages.com/hub/Ecotour-Otavalo-and-Cotacachi for a look at Cotacachi.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Vilcabamba gives you a look at the Valley of Longevity

http://hubpages.com/hub/Bahia-de-Caraquez for a look at Bahia de Caráquez, a beautiful and peaceful (except for the parades) beach city.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Otavalo-Shopping-Therapy-for-the-Craft-Obsessed for a comprehensive view of Otavalo’s famous indigenous market

http://hubpages.com/hub/Zaruma for a look at this famous gold mining city. This one is a work in progress as we will be returning to Zaruma to explore the possibilities of using it as a permanent base.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Ecuador-Favorites to see many of my favorite photos taken in Ecuador with commentary.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Ecuador-Favorite-Photos for pictures of some of my favorite places in Ecuador with commentary.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Ecuador-Folklore to see some interesting talismans I have come across in Ecuador.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Bahia-de-Caraquez-the-Malecon to take a closer look at the Malecon during a holiday.

http://hubpages.com/hub/San-Clemente-to-Bahia to discover the beach that becomes a road at low tide.