After our visit to the blood god in the tourist hotspot of Baños, we continue to follow the valley that merges into the Amazon. The valley itself is spectacular and would be worth the drive for the view itself. Mountains, jungle and waterfalls… it’s very idyllic.

Wir erreichen Rio Verde – wenig kreativ, aber passend: das “Grüne Tal” – und übernachten dort, um am nächsten Morgen einen spektakulären Wasserfall, den Cascada el Pailón del Diablo zu besuchen.

Instead of a devil’s grimace, however, the Pailón is advertised with the image of a hummingbird. That’s a lot less. scary.

Day 6 without a Breakdown

The place is small and is off the main road towards Amazonia. Only a sharp descent after one of the many tunnels leads there. We find an empty, large parking lot where we can stay there as long as we want for a dollar. The course is right on a stream that comes down from the mountains. That we also sleep there doesn’t bother anyone.

It’s incredibly beautiful. I explore the village with Leon and we find coconuts for Sara. Also, I’m looking for a restaurant for our dinner. Most restaurants are closed. Why it’s not a season just remains a mystery to me.

We have a peaceful night and a magical morning. It’s raining a little and veils of cloud are moving over the treetops on the mountains around the valley.

We have a light breakfast in the only open restaurant, then we are ready for the waterfall.

A path leads from Rio Verde through the jungle. It goes downhill and the dense greenery occasionally reveals a view of the breathtaking valley.

It’s raining heavily today and the rainforest lives up to its name. Ragged clouds waft over the treetops.

We climb down the gorge and have to walk up some stairs again. Then we come to the waterfall. The “hummingbird” thunders down a steep wall with all its might. A rock stands in front of it like an island and separates the water into two streams, which also flow down the valley with a lot of noise.

Leon sees water and wants to touch it immediately. We take some selfies together. We don’t make it to the last viewing platform. To do this, we would have to crawl down an extremely low passage. That’s not possible with Leon.

It goes over a suspension bridge, from which you get a different perspective. The rain is not noticeable at all, as the waterfall itself creates clouds of thick water drops. No amusement park attraction can replace this experience. It’s impressive, but also exhausting with Leon in your luggage. Changing diapers in these conditions is not that fun.

We shoulder the swaddled child and have to climb back up the mountain through the jungle. Then it goes on to another, “beautiful valley”.