Teleferico Cable Car to the Top of the Mountain

We then grabbed a cab to the gondola or teleferico on the side of the mountain. It was a partially cloudy day but we figured we had better take it. Tomorrow might be worse and it might even be raining.

After a quick bathroom break at the base we rode the cable car to the top. The ride is somewhere around 20 minutes. Being a Monday in the middle of the off season the lineups were non existent and the cars not filled to capacity. BTW bathroom use at the top is 50 cents and the bottom is free.

We immediately began hiking up the trail to get the valley views over Quito. When the compass app showed we were at 4000 meters altitude we stopped for some photos and video. Then pushing on we hiked over a couple of small hills and arrived at a place selling horse rides. I opted for an hour ride up into mountains for $10. Well worth the time. You get to ride some small, bored and often uncooperative horses up and up into the clouds. You can see a couple of volcanoes, a few condors and some other birds. Lots of vegetation even at this altitude as the rich topsoil is thick and black.

I'm not a horseman so riding up and down over the rough terrain with a GoPro in one hand and my HD video camera in the other was like trying to ride saddle bronc at the rodeo. Most of the time it was both hands and arms in the air with the reins tied around the horn. I might be sore tomorrow.

Eventually we finished with the sightseeing and headed down. At one point I asked the guide what the altitude was and he said 4050 meters. Although that is what the sign says right when you get off the gondola. Oh and he walked the whole way as our group of three used up all his horses so he had to walk.

We took the free shuttle down the mountain avoiding the taxis. Then at the base we avoided the taxis again and took a group taxi for only $1 to the Foch district to get something to eat. They let us off when we spied a place called Toro Carni. The name and the photos did well to attract our attention.

We took a look at the menu and each ordered the first item. It was a meat eater's sample platter. We each got a large steak, three pieces of chicken breast, large blood sausage, large ballpark frank, and a large pork chop. Also a lettuce salad with sliced tomatoes and carrots. Choice of drinks and fries. We had watched while the chef cooked our meat on his large coal fired BBQ grill. Then the meat arrived on small individual coals heated grills brought to the table.

This is by far the best tasting meal this whole month in Ecuador. The price was well under $20 each. It is a great place if you are a meat eater. Veggie people stay away. Two people could easily enjoy this one meal and by the raised eyebrows of the server when we ordered I suspect it is more often ordered that way. But hey, I'm a carnivore.

 

After a stop in the marsical market to buy an Ecuador flag we took a taxi back to the Hotel San Francisco de Quito in the historical area. Realizing we had not had enough coffee for the day we went up the street to Galletti Coffee Roasters for a cup of black coffee and a delicious cheesecake.

The city wifi reaches the coffee house so I sat and typed today's blog.

With this kind of dessert in the coffee houses I will not lose any weight even though I am walking much more here than at home.

In other news. They moved me again this morning. Something about the drain in my room leaking to a room below. I'm in a suite again. Comes with a jacuzzi tub. I did not bother using the tub as I do prefer a shower- especially in a stranger's tub.

But the room was nice except for the wifi which only worked in the bathroom. This large suite was just too far away to pick up the signal.

10.5 Km walking today

Saturday at the Torremar then off to Big Ralph's

It rained most of the morning in Salinas. But don't let that fool you when at a beach. The people just show up anyway and the rain stops and the day is great by noon. It's the weekend and thousands showed up.

I found the building manager and asked him if there were any units for sale in the Torremar. He showed me two. One on the sixth floor above us on the side apartments needed about 15k in renovation according to him. Another larger one on the whole front of the building was in need of very little work but was only on Piso 2. It had an awesome front view but it would have been much better on the sixth. At 130 k and 150 k nobody is going to even venture a nibble. Far too much when you compare others available on this street that have pools or hot tubs.

Our Torremar building. We were around the side and not right on the front facing the street.

 

I walked down the beach and came across a music group shooting for a music video. Lots of playing and shooting different angles by the camera guy. It took them more than half an hour to get all the shots I saw and they might have enough for the one song. Nice job.

Here is a video on Youtube of the group pretending they are playing while the camera guy takes cutaways of each of them.

At about seven in the evening we walked over to Big Ralph's Fish and Chips.

We began with the appetizer of deep fried shrimp in the same batter as the fish is fried.

Then we ordered beef oso with mashed potatoes and vegetables, curried beef with deep fried onion rings and rice and beef steak with rosemary sauce, fries and salad.

All of these were great dishes. Ralph is originally from England and does not use the Ecuadorian method of salt as the only spice. He has several recipes and the ones we tried were all great with his homemade sauces.

And finally for dessert was a chocolate brownie with strawberry sauce and ice cream.

2.2 km walking

Steaks at the Parrillada Entrefuegos

Dad's birthday today. Happy 92nd Dad.  Here is happy birthday in Spanish. Part of a concert in 2013 in Salinas.

This evening we decided to go out for a nice meal. The Salinas Stuff Facebook group had some proprietors pushing their restaurants so we decided it would be one of those. We spent a couple of hours looking at reviews to make the choice. It's amazing how some places can hope to exist and yet do not post their address. Assuming everyone knows where you are is not good for business in a tourist town where new people arrive each week. Just my opinion.

We chose the Parrillada Entrefuegos because it had an address we could walk to after dark. Amazing enough though we walked right by another one that had been poorly promoted in the Facebook group and we did not know where it was. With better advertising it could have been our choice. 

We ordered T-bone steaks medium well, chorizo, baked potato, and a beef cut that the phone ap could not translate. We suspected a problem when the chef could be seen salting on the BBQ with a restaurant sugar dispenser. The t-bones were rare but the other cut arrived on its own small griller so we were able to use it to add more cooking to our cuts. But that third chunk of meat was so salty it was sent back. It literally was like putting a spoonful of salt in your mouth. There was a ring of dried white salt around it on the grill. Terrible. 

Anyway we received a new one without salt. We sliced it like fillets to get it thin enough to cook on the small grill as it arrived quite blue rare. 

The wine was good enough for this town and they seem to be knowledgeable about the Chilean liquid quality as hundreds of empties are displayed on the wall as if in a cellar. 

The Parrillada bills itself as a place for those with a passion meat, and it uses imported Argentinian beef. But this place needs to try and help itself. Try offering some BBQ sauce, even black pepper could help. Oh yes, even the salad was salted before it arrived at the table! Marginally achieved, but the best meat on the table was the chorizo.

It is a good thing there were many locals eating there because word will travel in the expat community. This will not be a popular spot for expats used to seeing these same prices on a good tasting piece of meat. Too bad this is as good as the locals can buy. 

1.7 km walking

The Power Goes Out for the whole Ibiza Building

Another day in Salinas and it started off overcast, windy and rainy. It was into the early afternoon before we went out walking. This time we went two blocks back of the malecon and headed west. Sure enough on the far side of the road we found Jhimy's Foods. A few locals were having some food. At least now I know where it is.

We kept walking a long ways down until we got back to the Cafe Jazz. We were hoping to run into Victor as he had been messaging with me about a day trip up the coast. But the place closes for the afternoon and will reopen later in the evening.

We proceeded over to the malecon and stopped in at the Casa Grill for some liquid in the hot afternoon. The place is also a hotel. We did not order food at this time but the menu seemed promising so we likely will go back for a meal.

On the walk back to the Ibiza we purchase more junk food and drinks. The walk was too long to trust a purchase of ice cream to be frozen for long. Ice cream will have to wait for a later day.

At about five o'clock much of the power went out in the apartment leaving no AC or internet. Some lights and some power outlets still work. The front door staff say the electrical people have been called and the think it will be fixed this evening. We shall see. 

We got the hot tub filled for us but the water was far too cold for me to stay. So after a warmer shower I sat and tried to catch up on the blog. 

Can't cook in the apartment when the only power is from the emergency generator, so I went over to Jhimy's Food for BBQ steak and beer. That was the flavour I needed to finish off the day.

5.4 km walking