We had a clear day and the views were just terrific as we went through the Cajas, the mountains which surround Cuenca. It still amazes me that we can look down on clouds and not be in a plane. I am not sure of the exact height we reach going thru the mountains but it does exceed 14,000 ft. One can feel the difference breathing at that height. We even saw a few llama, who really didn't care that we were passing by.
We made our first stop at a hostal in Ballenita " The Farrilon Dillon" When the call was made for reservations we were told we would each have a room with a balcony and an ocean view. We made the reservation for one night with a deposit. The owner then called to tell us we had to stay two nights if we wanted the rooms. We agreed and that was how it stood until we arrived and our rooms were not as we had requested. Others had booked before us, we were then told. We could have the rooms we requested for the second night and so we stayed. We had no other option at that point. As it turned out this was just the beginning of a bad stay. The rooms were not very clean. There was a musty smell in the room and the pillows had a definite odor and the bed was comparable to sleeping on the floor. On top of this the food at the hostal restaurant was overpriced and not very good. Some food had to be sent back and other meals were left with half the food still on the plate. We were certainly not happy about the situation.
It really is a shame because the hostal could have been a real nice place. I think that maybe it was a nice plade a long time ago but the owners seem to be taking in the money and not putting anything back into the hostal. The marine museum part of the hostal was interesting but once we started down the wrong path I only saw it as clutter.
We left the next morning following our "continental" breakfast of coffee, cold toast, butter and jam. um,um, good
 |
| A shot from our bathroom window |
 |
| looking down on the stairs to the beach from the hostal |
We were on to Puerto Lopez, a day early, hoping a room could be found. We went to the Hotel Pacifico and found a room that was clean and comfortable. It was on the main road across the street from the ocean. The people were very nice and accommodating and we stayed there one night before moving on to Manta.
We didn't have a reservation but were lucky enough to find a very nice hotel overlooking the ocean. The rooms were clean, with air conditioning and a comfortable bed. Things were definitely looking up. We were able to relax and just chill until it was time for dinner and then we were given directions to a very good seafood restaurant. After a nice meal it was back to the hotel for some more relaxing and a good nights sleep.
In the morning it was back to Puerto Lopez where we were to stay for 2 nights. We had more good seafood and found a the Hostal Mandala where the food was good and the prices were very good. We didn't see the rooms but we can recommend the food. The following day was a great day Joan and I went to the Isla de la Plata. We went out on the boat the "Explora I " on the way to the island we saw a mother humpback whale with its calf . The boat came to a stop and we were able to watch as the whale came out of the water and actually came within a few yards of the boat
So that was the highlight of our trip. We spent the night in Puerto Lopez and came home to Cuenca the following day. And as always, it's good to be home. One thing I would like to point out is that Cuenca is a large city , the third largest in Ecuador and has a pretty good infastructure. Not everyone in Cuenca has a lot of money but we don't have the poverty that is along the coast.
So Hasta Luego and best wishes to all
No comments:
Post a Comment