Banos, 10 minutes from Cuenca, It is the small Banos

Today we have been to Banos, which is a suburb of Cuenca and you hardly know when you have left Cuenca and entered Banos.  There are volcanic steam sources in this quaint little village.  We had been told by numerous different people that the best destination in town was the Hosteria Duran.  So that, of course, is where we headed.  There were six of us, three couples.  Valerie and Will our next door neighbors and Rocky and Misty some new friends of our who are going to move here permanently, also.  The entrance to the bath complex was $5.00 each.  It is a large pool with very warm water, 36 degrees centigrade, which is just a little over 110 degrees F. So a soak in the pool proved terribly relaxing, then we headed for the gender segregated steam baths that were pumping ecalyptus steam for our bodies to soak up and detox with.  Very invigorating.  Then we dressed in dry clothes and headed for the restaurant which has a outstanding reputation, apparently the chef is French.  Well the dining experience did not disappoint.  We truly sampled a variety of the menu.  Will and Val opted for the daily special, a three course extravaganza that included: seafood quiche for the first course, trout done with an wonderful sauce for the entree and dessert was some wonderful cake with sauce that pleased, I could tell by the looks on their faces it was exceptional.  Misty and Rocky opted for two variations of red meat, a milet mignon with portebollo mushroom sauce for Misty and a Chateau Briand with some kind of wonderful butter sauce made Rocky's look absolutely good enough to eat.  And he did eat every bite and I was not sure he was not going to lick the plate, I think it was that good.  Bill had Spagetthi Bolognese, which was excellent and I had Lasagna de Mariscos, which is seafood lasagna.  It was to die for.  However, it was rich and I could only manage about half of it.  It came in a round, rather large casserole with cheese on top and the most wonderful sauce holding together all the goodies from the sea.  Then Bill and I split a dessert and so did Rocky and Misty.  We were speculating what a meal like this in the states tab would have been??  Very worthwhile and very beautifully served.  So all the following pictures are from Banos and the Hosteria Duran.  We recommend it highly. 

Guess what the total bill was, including tax and gratuity?  Then scroll to the end of the photos for answer.  Remember this is a top  notch restaurant.  Don't peek!!

The pool at the Hosteria Duran

Steps to the second floor colonade.

A fountain treasure along a walk on the grounds.

The colonade outside of the rooms.

The grounds were treasures of native Ecuadorian plants.

View from the second floor to adjacent houses near the property.

This is the dining room where we had lunch.  Gringo's exiting.

Just outside the dining room where we had lunch.

Staircase from lobby to dining room on second floor.

Front of resort where you go in.  Lunch with tip and 12% tax was $69 and some change.  We thought the quality of the food would have been at least twice that amount in the States. 

CIAO,  Dean and Bill

Juxtapositon of the Mall and Feria Libre Mercado

While we have been absent on the blog for awhile, we have still been busy.  Today we are going to share with you a tour of the "Mall",  Del Rio Mall.      The Mall is as sterile and uninteresting architecturally as any mall you have ever visited in the US.  We were there to specifically try to find a battery for Bill's new digital camera.  We had no luck.  All I picked up was food poisoning at the Food Court.  So not such a fun excursion.  But, Bill is posting some pics for you to see.  

 

  

Bill had a burger and fries from BK.  I opted for Chinese stir fry.  It was a mistake.

 On Tuesday this week I was invited to join two friends for a "ladies lunch".  This was fun for me, since before,   I have never had time to do ladies lunches.  When I lunched, in the past, it was a business meeting and we talked business, usually in an executive dining room.  So this was fun because I got to dress casually, walk to the restaurant and the food was outstanding.  This was all overseen by a very handsome chef who I am told in Colombian.  Much too tall to be an Ecuadorian. We ordered a specialty dish for the three of us, using the counsel of the two women I was with.  I do not have photos since the photographer was not on the junket. 

The Feria Libre Mercado is a huge public market that is somewhat overwhelming when experienced the first time.  Bill and I had been there once before, however it was not on my list to revisit, until our new friends and neighbors Will and Valerie, from Wisconsin told us that going early in the morning was a better experience and we could get big shrimp for $3.00/pound.  The flowers and the fish are fresh on Wednesday and Fridays.  So Friday a.m. about 9 we began a trek to the market with Will and Val.  They have been here somewhat longer than us and know their way around.  So they were going to show us where the best shrimps were, the freshest flowers and the vitamin store.  In addition, I connected with another basket to us in my kitchen.  Photos are below.  I got a great bouquet of tuber roses, baby breath with interesting leaves.  Our whole apartment smells wonderful due to the tuber roses. I don't know how many of you are familiar with these.  They are used in the States in bridal bouquets.  Very rarely in arrangements.  My first job in the world was in a florist and that is why I know about them.  They are very expensive in America.  Here I paid $2.00 for a bouquet that filled my vase.  So check out the pics of the market below:

            

         

      

Isn't this pic a work of art.  Bill has a "eye"!

His mother was looking on adoringly.  She ran a stall at the Mercado.

The first time I bought one of these hens I was afraid it was old and touch because it is so big.  But they are corn fed and it was delicious.  I roasted it and made all kinds of things with it.  Tender, good flavor and not dry. 

I still have a little trouble buying meat at the open market.  I get most of our at the coop or Supermaxi.

This is the vitamin store.  I did not find natural Vit D.  But I will keep looking.

  

These cutey pies started poising for Bill after they saw their picture instantly.

These are the shrimps I bought.  I bought a kilo, 2.2 lbs.  Six dollars worth.  I am about to have some now.

  This little guy sold my friend Valarie a bag of fresh peas, she bargained down to .50, but I think he did it because he wanted to get his photo taken.  He hung around we we habla' ed with him as best we could.

L-R:  Dean, Misty, Valerie, Will, Rocky at the Mercado

The basket to hold the fruitas and vegs on the kitchen counter.  She asked $2.00 I do not have the heart to bargain when something is $2.00.

Last night we were invited out to eat with some old friends who wanted us to meet some new friends.  We went to a Mediterranean

restaurant run by a man who immigrated here from Milan several years ago.  We had real Italian pizza done in a brick oven.  It was great.  Then we walked to a favorite dessert house for a treat.  Life is rough, but someone had got to give it a go.  A great evening with friends both old and new.  

On Monday, this coming week we will get the key to the new condo.  We will be camping out for awhile since the household goods have not yet left Long Beach.  Also on Monday we will meet with our lawyers to sign some papers and ship our packet of documents to Quito, so our permanent residence visa will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.  WE HOPE!!!  All for now,  

Dean and Bill