Dancing at the Leprechaun

Baños may be a tiny little town, but it's party time down here, 7 nights a week. And of all the places to party on "bar street" (the street that we're staying in), the Leprechaun Bar has gotta be the most kicking. Patrick and I came here for the first time last night (after our Tungurahua tour), and we scored the customary free shots of Flaming Bob Marleys. Tonight, there were so many hopeless gringos trying to dance salsa, that we ended up virtually having a salsa class right there on the dance floor!

And this was on Monday and Tuesday nights — imagine what this place is like on the weekend. :P

As far as I can tell, from my short stay in Baños so far, Peña Mocambo (otherwise known as "Terry's Bar") is the best place to go earlier in the evening. Perfect spot to have a few games of pool, to sip some entrée beers, and to enjoy the excellent mix of classic rock, Latin pop, and Reggaetón music. After that, a good next move is the Jack Rock Café, where you'll find more good music, a fussball table (where I discovered that I suck at table football), a bit of light dancing, and of course more drinks.

But after that, you're mad if you don't head to the Leprechaun, and even madder if you don't stay there all night. Grab yourself a few extra drinks for dessert, by all means; but when you're in the Leprechaun, it's time to dance, dance, dance! Since leaving Cusco, I've discovered that places where you can hang out with gringos, and dance to the Latin grooves, 7 nights a week, are not to be taken for granted! Baños is the first place I've seen, in over three months, that even comes close to comparing with the nightlife scene in central Cusco. And that's saying something.