Five Reasons to Love Salinas

For years we've been hearing from our friends, the kids that we teach and from our Ecuadorian neighbors how wonderful Salinas is and the old refrain, "You're going to love it there." Well, I was skeptical because I also heard how it's not so great six months out of the year. There are so many conflicting stories, so we decided to check it out for ourselves. Surprise, surprise, surprise...I loved it.
Here's why:

Reason #1: It's sunny. I guess that's not a big surprise. We're heading into the rainy season in Cuenca and after five days of rain, I'm ready for a change. Salinas showed us its sunny side all five days, so much so that I forgot all about Cuenca and that four letter word R-A-I-N. Blue skies, white fluffy clouds, warm ocean waters, and a beach umbrella and I'm one happy camper.

Salinas Yacht Club

Reason #2: It's modern. I already pictured the high-rise condo buildings because I had seen pictures on the Internet, but what I wasn't expecting was a modern mall, new and modern bus station, a beautiful new airport, and a Mi Comisariato that makes MegaMaxi pale in comparison.

Reason #3: People walk around in shorts, flip-flops, and bathing suits -- even in the grocery store. Can you imagine if you did that in Cuenca? It reminded me a lot of Miami; there's no dress code. You roll out of bed and onto the seashore.

Reason #4: Restaurants. I thought we had a lot of restaurants in Cuenca. Oh my goodness, we dined at the Italian Gourmet on pizza night (Wednesdays) -- all you can eat -- for $5.00. Yep, you heard me right...on the terrace with a gentle breeze and great conversation. It was perfect. Right next door was the Common Grounds Waffle House. In fact, there were so many restaurants, I simply stopped counting.

Reason #5: Sunsets. I guess it's no surprise that I love sunsets (I'm a California girl) and we saw plenty of those during our stay. In fact, we stayed at El Faro Hosteria and the owner, Gabriel, took us on a tour of Chocolatera at sunset and I was almost ready to sell our condo in Cuenca and set up house in the lighthouse. It was simply breathtaking with the ocean waves crashing against the rocks, the pinkish red skies and the blow holes spraying water like a geiser. Gabriel was kind enough to show us all around Salinas, including the yacht club where he's a member and I decided Salinas wouldn't be a bad life!

La Chocolatera

Blow Hole at La Chocolatera

Sunset at Chocolatera

Sunset at El Mirador

La Puntilla

We stayed at El Faro (The Lighthouse) in a tropical paradise with exotic flora and fauna, so it was easy to fall in love with Salinas. Who wouldn't enjoy a private beach and garden filled with every type of bird imaginable and listening to wind chimes? As soon as my head hit the pillow every night, I was out for the count. After the second day, I decided I wanted to apply for the job of groundskeeper, so I could hang around a little longer and pay for my room and board. By the way, if you want a great place to stay -- away from the crowds and noise of the Malecon -- then El Faro is the way to go.

El Faro Private Beach

The Lighthouse

Dining Area

Tortuguita

Pathway to the Ocean

As much as I loved our stay in Salinas, I don't think I could live in an air-conditioned society full-time. We had that life in Miami, Florida and after three years, I wasn't so fond of it. It's a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there. And, unfortunately, mosquitoes adore me. They lick off the Off Spray, call their friends for a mosquito party, and I'm the honored guest. I came home with welts the size of sand dollars and now I'm recuperating with Calamine Lotion all over my body. I look like a pink leopard. I'm not sure what it was because I've never been devoured like that before and we go to Puerto Lopez every year.

I understand the attraction to Salinas -- the resort city of Ecuador. I would like to go back (as soon as I heal from my bites). But I think my pictures of the sun, the surf, and the ocean will have to sustain me through April and May.

In the end, I'm so thankful for Cuenca's weather without the need for air-conditioning and bug spray. I love Salinas, but only for a visit!

Until next time...hasta luego,

Puerto Lopez Revisited

It's no secret that we love the coast, but we live in the Andes! So any chance we get, we head to the coast -- Puerto Lopez.  We made one last escape at the beginning of September before Mark started teaching again at CEDEI and we're so glad we did.

We stayed at the Mandala Hosteria and enjoyed spectacular views from our suite. Just listening to the ocean waves, relaxing in a hammock with a good book or combing the beach for shells made us feel like we were in a different country. Maja and Aurelio (the owners of the Mandala) make sure that all their guests have the best possible experience and our last visit was no exception!

One of our favorite side trips is Los Frailes (about 20 minutes north of Puerto Lopez). We used to travel by mototaxi, but now a taxi will take you and pick you up for $15. We arranged for (ida y vuelta), which means the driver drops you off and you arrange for a time to be picked up. The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., so I suggest arriving early. Unlike four years ago--when there was just the beach and nothing else--there are now shower and bathroom facilities, beach umbrellas to rent for the day, a gift shop and ice cream and drinks for sale. Los Frailes is one of the most pristine beaches we've ever been to and definitely one of the most beautiful.

We've been fortunate in that every time we've visited the beach there has been glorious sun (so be sure to slather on the suntan lotion) and wear a hat. When you get out of the water, be sure to apply your SPF generously because you can end up with a nasty sunburn like I did (on the back of my legs).

Since it was "Labor Day Weekend" at Los Frailes, we decided to explore the other side (La Tortuguita and La Prieta). A short 20-minute walk will bring you up to the Mirador which gives you an unobstructed view of the Ecuadorian coastline. But before you get to the Mirador, there is an unmarked path that will lead you to La Tortuguita (Little Turtle) and La Prieta. We had both beaches to ourselves for the day, so we have endearingly named it "Playa Pombo."

At low tide, you can actually walk to the rock (La Tortuguita) and enjoy views that are unparalleled. We timed it just right and were able to explore the rock and swim in the water. Be careful in this area as the current is swift and there is an undertow that will grab you, so be sure it is low tide and don't think you can mess with Mother Nature. It may look calm, but it carries a powerful punch.

If you follow the path beyond La Tortuguita, you'll arrive at another beach (La Prieta) which is one of my favorites. At low tide you can find a treasure trove of shells and shallow water that allows you to enjoy swimming and snorkeling at its best. The sand is black, in other areas pink, and also white. We had the beach to ourselves once again until a group from a tour bus arrived, so we made a quick exit.

The same area can be reached by taking the path at the entrance of the park which takes about 45 minutes or you can take the path marked "La Fragata" once you're at Los Frailes. And definitely not to be missed is the lookout tower (El Mirador), which is a fabulous spot to take pictures and soak up the views. If you arrive early at the park, you'll also get to experience a variety of birds including the Blue Footed Booby.

We bought an underwater camera which has been one of our best investments, especially if you're going to spend a lot of time in the sun, sand and water. We purchased it for our trip to the Galapagos and haven't regretted it. Sand in your camera lens is something you don't want, so to protect your equipment be sure to get a beach friendly camera. We purchased an inexpensive Fuji which takes excellent pictures.

Since we've been back, I've been doing a lot of writing and finally revising Living and Retiring in Cuenca: 101 Questions Answered. I've got a few other e-books up my sleeve which I'll share with you later. Also, I just got news that I'm a finalist for Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Forgiveness which will be released December 16, 2014 so you can be looking for that.

We're back in our school routine and enjoying life in Cuenca along with taking Spanish intensives once a week. After four years of living in Cuenca, we still can't imagine living anywhere else--except maybe Italy!

Venice, Italy

Until next time...hasta luego!


Connie & Mark



Chicken Soup for the Soul:Say Goodbye to Stress contains Connie's story on "Just Breathe" their arrival to Cuenca.