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Published: February 21st 2007
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Lake in the Cajas
1 of over 200 lakes We thought that the beach with friends was a better idea than staying in Cuenca during carnival. Ecuadorians like to throw water balloons, buckets of water and douse everyone with big squirt guns. And a big ball-headed gringo makes a great target. So off to the beach we go. From Cuenca to Olon the road goes through the Cajas around Guayaquil and up the Ruta del Sol. Driving down out of the Cajas is a spectacular trip with picturesque views at every turn. About 90 minutes out of Cuenca is Restaurante Mirador de los Andes, it is a little road side café that does a omelets for breakfast or a nice three course lunch. On a clear day you can see the Volcano Chimborazo at 20700 ft sticking its snow capped head above the clouds. Down the road a bit more we stopped at a roadside produce stand to buy some bananas. I asked the vendor how much for the bananas he replied $1.00. I said fantastico give me a dollars worth. He pulled down an entire stalk of around 100 bananas and handed them to me. I couldn’t believe it. When I got back in the car, Cristie wanted
Bananas anyone?
A Dollar's Worth, Please. to know why I had bought so many. I told her that the whole stalk was only a dollar. The smoothies and daiquiris that we made were, also fantastico.
A dramatic change in climate happens just out of Cuenca, the temperature goes from around 70 degrees to 40 degrees while you are in the Cajas, and then in the span of about 2 hours goes up to 90 degrees while you are on the road to Guayaquil. I will write about the port city of Guayaquil in a future blog.
After going through Guayaquil, we set out on the Ruta del Sol headed north towards Montanita and Olon. This 50 mile strip of coastal road between Salinas and Olon is dotted with small fishing villages. Most of the boats go out at night and are back in the early morning with their catch. There are cevicherias everywhere along the route, most situated along the beach in cute little cabanas, with the most spectacular tasting ceviche. The Ecuadorians lightly cook the ceviche in a heated lime water and put all types of seafood and shellfish into it. We had ceviche almost everyday, lobster, shrimp, squid, tuna, sea bass, mussel,
Rooster
Good Morning to You clam, and octopus.
Our friend, Mike, has a great beach house in Olon, a sleepy little village just over the hill from the international surf spot of Montanita. Olon is laid back and relaxed with not much to do other than hang out on the beach, lay around and watch the sunset. Montanita, on the other hand, is party central. Party all night, get up at the crack of noon, eat breakfast, surf for a few hours, shower, nap, eat dinner, and party all night. Meanwhile back at Mike’s… we get up before the crack of noon, have some coffee, listen to some music (could be Mike on the guitar), and watch the day come alive. Here along the coast, the beach in long and flat with a couple of sets of 3-9 ft waves rolling in. At night we bring the chairs, blankets, and drinks down to the waters edge and enjoy the sunset, peace, solitude, and spirits. One of my favorite things in the morning, around 8 am, is to see and hear the fishermen hawking the days catch from the backs of their motorcycles or bicycles. Usually it is mahi-mahi (the fish so nice they named
it twice), sea bass, squid, or shrimp. So our choices for dinner are always great.
The last time Cristie and I were on the coast we stayed in a great little place called, Hosteleria de la Valdivia, about 20 minutes from Mike’s in San Pedro. For $30 a night we got a bungalow on the cliffs edge over-looking the Pacific, and a cool crisp infinity pool to soak away the days drive. I got in the pool and the owner came over and ask if I needed anything. Of course a cold Pilsner would hit the spot. When he came back he also brought me an electric bell to let him know when I needed another. I saw him every 20 minutes for the rest of the afternoon. While I was in the pool, my adventuresome wife decided to hike down to the beach (about 300 ft down a steep and winding path). I couldn’t quite understand this since we could easily drive down there with no walking at all. Anyway, while she was coming back up, a para-glider kept lazily flying by both of us, up and down the cliff and over the beach. He ask Cristie if
she would like to fly, naturally she made a bee line for his take off /landing spot. She flew around for 40 minutes and I got some great pics (none of them digital). Our flyer’s name is Oliver and he is a Swedish professional para-glider that has a school here called, Latitude Zero.
One morning after breakfast, in Montanita, with Mike and James (another friend), we ran into Oliver and set a time for them to fly. Here are a few pics of them. By the way, Mike’s house is at the far end of the beach in the picture. You ask why I haven’t gone up yet, well… I was never any good with physics, but when I weigh 250 pounds more that the chute and I here that gravity causes most accidents… I get a little nervous. Maybe next time.
Now back to food, just north of Olon in La Entrada, a small fishing village at the end of the beach, where the locals catch squid that get trapped in the rock crevices at low tide, there is a little piece of heaven, a tiny little pastry shop that is run by a former pastry chef
from Guayaquil. What the shop lacks in size, it makes up in flavor and variety. The chef creates sumptuous coconut flans, tart passion fruit tarts, crispy almond torts, and sweet lemon pies (to be found nowhere else in Ecuador). He has only two rickety tables and six plastic chairs, but while sitting there with our friends, we were given a good morning greeting by a healthy coastal rooster and watched his broods weekly egg delivery to the pastry shop.
Until next time….
Love,
Norris and Cristie
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D&P Brommel
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Your Blog is enticing and illuminating
Your pictures and creative descriptions make for pleasureable reading. Can't wait for the next blog. Thanks for sharing with us here in the states.