We gathered our belongings, packed up the car, and made our way down the Pan-American Highway to Baños where we would stay for a night before we continue on down into the Amazon. The trip took about four hours. Hard to miss were the many volcanoes that dotted the road on either side of us. Much of Ecuador is a volcanic chain, and the highway meanders between them on a plateau that runs down the middle of the country from north to south. Our destination was at about halfway, where we veered off to Baños. We began descending quickly into a valley. The air soon became more humid, signaling the start of the tropical ecosystem we were about to enter. On the way I saw dozens of lithophytic bromeliads with large red inflorescences steadfastly growing from the steep cliff sides along the road.

We finally arrived in Baños, aptly referred to as the Gateway to the Amazon. The town of Banos is a popular destination for travelers. It is a small, cozy, mountain town nestled in the Andes in a valley carved out by the Rio (or River) Pastaza. We met up with others in our group and later met at a local resident's house to make travel arrangements to our hostel for the night.

During our stop, I heard rumbling, and didn't think much of it—it sounded like thunder before a storm. Then someone told me it was Volcano Tungurahua! I went outside—it was around 6pm—and the clouds that normally covered the peak were cleared away enough that I could see puffs of smoke clouds rising skyward. It was quite a thrill to see an active volcano, and something I've never seen (or felt) before.

On my previous visit nine years earlier, she was another dormant volcanic peak bordering one side of town, and a popular climbing destination for adventurers. This isn't the case today. In 1999, she awoke from her sleep with an eruption of smoke and ash that forced evacuation of 25,000 residents. She has been active ever since then. Another major eruption occured again in August, 2006, soon after our trip.

After our break, we packed our small backpacks with enough clothes and gear for a night and proceeded by car 15 minutes down the valley to the hostel. We passed a hydroelectric power station and drove through some tunnels until we reached a parking area. It started to rain, so we quickly gathered our things, put on our ponchos and also our headlamps (this was probably one of my most useful items I purchased for the trip). With my headlamp, I could glimpse the lush plantlife as we made our way down a stone path. I heard a waterfall, faintly at first, but slowly grew louder as we neared our destination. After several minutes downward, we stopped. The waterfall was a roar now, although we couldn't see it in the darkness. Our remaining hurdle was to cross a cable bridge with a gate at the far end. Our guide, Jonathan, shined a light onto the bridge to help us cross. At first, it was a bit intimidating, a cable bridge swaying under our feet and no spatial sense of how high we were in the darkness. But I regained my confidence and picked up the pace. I was eager to get to get to the other side, to hostel El Otro Lado, which by no coincidence means "The Other Side". We were lucky enough to have a bridge to cross tonight, but I can imagine the one who first named this place didn't!

We were treated to a delicious dinner up at the casa by the bridge, overlooking the large waterfall. Here I met employee Yuturi, an indian from the Amazanga Community (who are associated with our project). Paul Malo, hostel owner, and avid conservationist, took us on a hike over to our cabanas. In the dark, I was awed by all the teeming plant life dripping with moisture, sparkling under the glow of our headlamps. I recognized several species of philodendrons, one of my favorite plant genuses. It's one thing to grow them at home, but quite another to see them growing here in nature all around you with abandon.

We later migrated over to the main cabin where they started up a bonfire in an adjacent meadow. It began to rain again, so we all found shelter by the nearby cabin. There we gathered to drink guayusa tea and share stories. I stayed for an hour or two more—it was hard to tell how long without a watch—before my tiredness overcame me and I had to retire for the night after what had been a very long and stimulating day.

Next: Part Four: The Other Side

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When he's not helping TRC, Tom Vincze runs a graphic design business. In his spare time, he grows and collects all kinds of exotic tropical rainforest plants, the likes of which include philodendrons, anthuriums and bromeliads.