October 31, 2010

Up for breakfast which included tea, coffee, bananas, toast, scrambled eggs, blackberry juice and blackberry jam.  Quite filling and tasty.  Our flight to Cuenca was at 5:00 PM, so we finished packing, retrieved our valuables from the wall safe and went down to checkout.  We left our bags in storage at the hotel and returned to the artist's market we visited earlier in the week.  This was Sunday and the market was about 90% open when we arrived about 11:30 AM.  We wondered around and revisited some of the stalls.  Looked at a leather jacket but they did not have in my size and color.  Same result with a panama hat I liked.

We were ready for a cerveza or two by about 1:00 and it had warmed up.  Stopped at the same Coffee Tree restaurant and enjoyed the people watching.  On Sunday in this area they apparently close several blocks to motor traffic and there were plenty of walkers, joggers and bicyclists.   We found a taxi and returned for our bags, then on to the airport to arrive early for the flight we hoped would finally get us to Cuenca.  Checked in, cleared the weapons check, and found comfortable seats to read and people watch.

Flight was packed.  I sat next to a young Ecuadorian lady who was going to Cuenca to be with a friend for the weekend.  She spoke very good English and we had a good conversation.  She was going to be flying to USA in two weeks to visit her mother and then on to visit friends in Pullman, WA!

We arrived safely, found our bags and took a taxi to the Villa Nova Inn http://villanovacuenca.com/  We had written down the name and address, and this helped the driver better understand where we wanted to go.  We had to detour near the hotel as there was a huge street fair in progress.  We arrived and were warmly received, then introduced to our rooms (directly across from the reception desk).  We changed  our clothes and attacked the street at about 7:00 PM.  Music and joyful people made for an enjoyable stroll. 

We then went to a Sushi restaurant a few doors from the hotel for dinner.  We ordered the mixed meat kabobs and chef's selection of Sashimi, and dos cerveza, por favor.  Gala was interested in dessert so the waiter suggested fried bananas and sorbet - it was special!  Gala was all smiles and forced me to help finish it as it was too much for her.

We returned to the hotel and sat on the terrace watching and listening to the people and music.  We met Leone, a retired military man from Iowa.  He was visiting with his wife and her daughter.  They were up from Guayaquil, Ecuador, the largest city, which is located on the coast.  He's traveled quite a bit and had some stories for us about his travels in Peru and Costa Rica.  The outside parties continued through the night with occasional fireworks lighting up the sky.  I dozed and later awoke to several guests arriving, ringing the outside gate doorbell, then talking and walking up the noisy stairs to their rooms on the upper floors.  Comfortable double bed and we enjoyed the change.