Category: hiking

Baños: Ecuador’s Adventure Capital

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Baños de Agua Santa (Baños) is a small mountain town in the cloud forest, initially unimpressive.

But it’s the nation’s gateway to the Amazon. And legitimately touted the Adventure Capital of Ecuador. Activities similar to what you are offered in New Zealand, but for 20% of the cost. Or less. (MIGHT be some compromises on safety and liability, however. 😀)

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I came for the hiking and cycling. And for altitude acclimatization. It’s at 1,820 metres (5,971 feet). Next stop for me is Kilimanjaro.

Tour guides tout rafting, kayaking, canyoning, bridge jumping, and horseback riding.

BEST for me was the 25km downhill cycling “Ruta de las Cascadas” (Waterfall Route). Rent a bike for $7-10 / day. They hand you a map. And GO.

En route I stopped for a stand-up zip line over Cascada de Agoyán. $2.

And a seated zip-line.

Returned on foot by a LONG Tibetan Bridge over 170 metres high. Cost for both was $25.

On the cycling route, BEST for sure is Pailón del Diablo (Cauldron of the Devil), Ecuador’s largest waterfall.

You can access the Falls from either side of the river. The short route, originating from Río Verde, includes more views and shows nearby San Miguel Waterfall.

I took the longer, wetter route because it includes dramatic staircases, tunnel Grieta al Cielo (Crack to Heaven) where you crawl hands & knees, and a chance to get behind the Falls.

Across from the parking lot, I enjoyed an excellent enchilada. Fried trout is a popular dish here, as well.

A taxi will take you and your bike back to town for about $10. I lifted my bike on the local bus for a $1 ride back to GeoTours, which looked to be the best bike rental spot. They’ve been in business since 1991.

Of course I did a lot of steep day hiking, as well. You can climb in every direction up to more tourist attractions. Most interesting for me was a challenging, overgrown walk to pretty La Casa del Arbol.

Everywhere has installed swings that fly you over a cliff edge. I tried a few.

I was happy to find the city bus ending a route here. 😀 It got me back to town for $1,

I finally tried one of these set-ups where your phone spins around.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

I stayed 3 nights at a fairly dirty hostel in town. 😀

Then moved on up to pretty Mama Tangu about 5km outside of the centre.

One disappointment was famed and popular hot-springs Termas de la Virgen. Not nearly clean enough for me. And you’re required to wear a hideous bathing cap, something I’d never seen before around the world. Not recommended.

Baños itself is must see. The tourist destination in the nation after Quito.

In October 1999, all 17,000+ residents were forced to evacuate Baños for weeks. Tungurahua volcano was active.

Visiting Quito, Ecuador

On By Rick McIn hiking, travel1 Comment

At 2850m, scenic Quito is second only to La Paz as the world’s highest capital city.

I’m in Ecuador for hiking, cycling, and climbing — to train and (possibly) acclimatize for Kilimanjaro which is my next destination.

The 17th-century ‘Old Town’ was the 1st city to be granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

First up was an excellent walking tour.

I like the city best at night. It’s evocative.

The people here are mostly devout Catholics.

Around every corner you’ll find something interesting. Or funky.

Cobblestone street of La Ronda

Like many cities in South America, the street art is a highlight.

I stayed in the best hostel in town ➙ Secret Garden. Fantastic rooftop vistas over the old city.

In the crowded mountain valley, there are a surprising number of large parks.

I was impressed by the very modern airport and subway system. … Isn’t this an earthquake zone?

I only had 3 days in Quito to start. But I’ll be back as this is the best jumping off point for high altitude hiking.

Rick’s Travels in 2026 ⛰

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travel1 Comment

So far — I’m planning to keep traveling in the new year.

I start Kilimanjaro on Feb. 14, 2026.

To train and gain some altitude acclimatization, I’ll be in Ecuador above 3000m for some weeks prior.

I have flights booked through to Kenya. And will be deciding my East Africa itinerary from there.

Then most likely to Dubai. And Oman for hiking and cycling.

Then back to Calgary for some spring skiing.

After that …

… living every day as if it’s my last. 😀

Love the Mediterranean Climate

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

December in Southern California is perfect weather for me.

Sunny and dry. Not too hot. No humidity.

La Quinta Cove, California

Here’s where a Canadian snowbird wants to spend part of the winter.

Mediterranean climates typically offer 250 to over 320 sunny days per year.

Shorts and t-shirt every day. ☀️

The main cause of Mediterranean, or dry summer, climate is the subtropical ridge, which extends towards the pole of the hemisphere in question during the summer and migrates towards the equator during the winter. …

Areas with this climate are also where the so-called “Mediterranean trinity” of major agricultural crops have traditionally been successfully grown (wheat, grapes and olives). As a result, these regions are notable for their high-quality wines, grapeseed/olive oils, and bread products.

… Because most regions with a Mediterranean climate are near large bodies of water, temperatures are generally moderate, with a comparatively small range of temperatures between the winter low and summer high.

Southern California is a great place to visit …

Christmas in California

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, McCharles family, travelLeave a comment

California in December is amazing.

Trump welcomed me into the USA — then had me attacked by wild horses. 😀

California is a great place to visit in winter. I’ll be doing plenty of cycling and hiking.

For 2025, it’s Christmas here with my brother Rob and his wife Yvonne. And their dog Charlie.

We’ll have our official Christmas dinner in Calgary on January 11th. The Great White North.

Ho. Ho. Ho.

Wrapping up 4 Months in S.E. Asia

On By Rick McIn anti-smoking, cycling, gymnastics, hiking, travel2 Comments

I did make the best of the past 4 months in Asia — but not likely to return.

I traveled Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines, and Taiwan (which is actually in Asia, not S.E. Asia).

S.E. Asia is ideal for young party animals without much money — who want to ride a crappy rented motorcycle in a thong bikini while drinking cheap beer on the way to the beach.

It’s not great for me as multi-day hiking and cycling cultures are near non-existent.

MOST of the outdoor activities are water related. 🐟

I believe the ocean should be avoided due to box jellyfish and sea monsters.

I’d only gone to S.E. Asia because two Gymnastics competitions were scheduled there. Both excellent. I was happy to be at both with a media credential.

  • World Championships 2025 Jakarta
  • World Jr Championships 2025 Manila

BEST of my Holiday

If offered a private jet to fly back to just one destination ➙ perhaps the Gili Islands, Indonesia.

Click PLAY or watch Vietnam highlights on YouTube.

Problems for the Tourist in S.E. Asia

I hate personal motor vehicles. But it’s literally the only way to get around.

S.E. Asian cities are polluted, littered, and mostly should be avoided.

Even in Manila, public transit is too lined-up to be time efficient.

Super keen to finally get to Taiwan, ultimately I was disappointed as a tourist.

I got used to the heat and humidity of S.E. Asia. NOT my favourite climate, however.

On the upside, I saw very few mosquitoes. Only one cockroach. Second hand smoke is not nearly as bad as Europe.

MANY rats. Most in public parks eating garbage litter and around outdoor street food kiosks.

Many would list food as a highlight of S.E. Asia. Personally, I quickly tired of rice based meals. Most of my cravings were for western comfort foods. Toast, in particular. I ended up in McDonalds often as it’s clean, fast, and you can pay by credit card in a machine.

One pet peeve is trying to check-out of any grocery or convenience store. I can’t recall Canada EVER being so slow. Philippines has dozens of people in a grocery store doing something, but still makes customers. spend 20 minutes in a check-out line.

Cash based economies seem so backwards to me now.

S.E. Asia, in general is super inefficient. I do love Singapore, however, exactly the opposite. Everything is fast and well organized.

Many things are closed. Nobody knows why. Nobody knows if and when they will ever reopen.

What Asian nations will I likely visit in coming years?

Mongolia. I’m planning an adventure there in the next year or two.

Pakistan too.

Oman.

Nepal, of course.

I’ve only been to South Korea once. Would love to get back.

Visiting Clark, Philippines

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

The only reason I flew to Clark was for a joiner hiking tour to Mt. Pinatubo.

I’d booked a month in advance. Sent in my passport. Sent in a doctor’s confirmation of health. AND still wasn’t allowed to join the group.

Nobody can tell me why.

It’s yet one more example of inefficiency in most of the S.E. Asian nations. (Singapore a HUGE exception.)

On the upside, the Facebook only group who couldn’t get me on Pinatubo, offered an alternative next day. And I did enjoy my hike to the Aw Sen waterfall with Filipino young people.

Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone serves as a hub for business, industry, aviation, education, and tourism in the Philippines, as well as a center for leisure, fitness, entertainment, and gaming.

You know the name because Clark Air Base grew into the largest U.S. military installation outside America.

Controversial with citizens, the U.S. returned the base to the Philippines after the terrible 1991 Mt. Pinatubo eruption.

I did a recommended walking tour around the Clark Parade Grounds.

Nice — but short.

Clark Museum was interesting. Tourist Information and the 4D Video attraction both inexplicably closed, as are so many things in the Philippines.

Rented a mountain bike and did about 30km of touring green spaces.

This no nonsense character was selling used golf balls.

Cycles and Brew had an all day breakfast deal with good coffee.

One thing that is very impressive in the Philippines is shopping malls.

I hung out quite a bit at SM Clark Mall.

They LOVE celebrating Christmas in the Philippines, starting in September !

Visiting El Nido, Philippines

On By Rick McIn food, hiking, travel1 Comment

One of the most popular destinations in all 7000+ islands.

First morning I signed up for the Taraw Cliff Via Ferrata Canopy Walk.

Easy access right from the main tourist area.

It rewards with a great overview of the town and harbour.

There’s another Canopy Walk, similar, but it’s about 4km out of town.

Click PLAY or watch some drone footage on YouTube.

El Nido is one of the most popular tourist traps in the Philippines.

El Nido town itself isn’t exactly charming. Crowded, kind of messy, and very touristy.

Dozens of feral dogs roam the streets at night, making me nervous.

The beach is no hell — but I liked it better in the evening with fewer tourists.

Public transit is non-existent. Cycling near impossible due to traffic. The only way to get around is by tricycle or “trike”.  Most are crappy, rickety motorcycles with a sidecar somehow welded on.

With all the dollars coming in, I’m surprised El Nido’s not been improved. Boracay is modern, by comparison.

My best meal was Calzone in a stone oven.


Cycling ’round Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan

On By Rick McIn cycling, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Sun Moon Lake is a highlight for everyone visiting Taiwan.

748 m (2,454 ft) above sea level, temperatures are more moderate than the coastline.

In 2020, the number of annual tourist visits was 4.65 million people. Yet it didn’t feel crowded to me.

Surrounding the lake are biking and hiking trails for visitors. 

I did both.

Cycling around is about 30 km + side trips. I stopped at most of the side trip attractions. Several temples.

The highlight was seeing indigenous Formosan macaques at play. They are much shyer than the macaques I’d seen in S.E. Asia.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Highly recommended.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Visiting Jiufen, Taiwan

On By Rick McIn food, hiking, travelLeave a comment

Almost every tourist itinerary includes Jiufen.

It’s a tiny seaside town outside Taipei City. 45 minute bus ride.

I went, actually, for the Teapot Mountain Trail — but Jufien was terrific, as well.

Jiufen Old Street is the main attraction, a narrow, winding alleyway with shops, teahouses, and restaurants that offer tourists something of a view of traditional Taiwanese life.

It was positively packed when I arrived at dusk.

Happily, I found a restaurant balcony providing a view of the chaos below. 😀

The lanterns are evocative.

There is an incredible variety of foods to try in the night market.

Old street closes early when the ice-cream mini-trucks arrive. Actually, small garbage trucks play music, trying to get tourists to get out of the way.

I stayed just above the impressive Jiufen Zhaoling Temple.

Definitely an excellent stop.