Road between Baños and Ambato, Ecuador

Ambato, Ecuador lies in northwestern South America. Ambato (San Juan de Ambato) is a city in the centre of Ecuador, lying on the banks of the Ambato River. It is the capital of the province of Tungurahua, at an elevation of 2,600 meters above sea level. The population is about 155,000.  The city is a leading commercial and transportation center on a fertile region near the northern foot of the volcano Tungurahua, which is still active with a major eruption way back in August 2006. Look at the below pictures of this monster as taken from an Ambato home. It is towering over the city, ready to crush it.

Baños de Agua Santa is a city in eastern Tungurahua Province, in central Ecuador. It is the second most populous city in Tungurahua, after Ambato, the capital, and a major touristic center. It is known as the “Gateway to the Amazon,” as it is located on the Pastaza River in the Amazon River basin, and has a newly paved road to Puyo. Baños is located on the northern foothills of the Tungurahua volcano. It is named after the hydrothermal springs of mineral water located around the city. The city is also a Roman Catholic religious center, as some Catholic believers say that the Virgin Mary appeared nearby a waterfall. So a sculpture of the virgin, called Virgen de Agua Santa, was placed in the cathedral. Baños is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ecuador and is well known for the mom-and-pop stores where they sell taffy (Spanish: melcocha) made from cane sugar, and for the excellent small arts and crafts shops, a favorite spot for tourists.

(Text and map of Ecuador adapted from: Baños and Ambato. From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia)

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