Flying Button Ranch: A look at Salinas

We loved Salinas and the little slice of view that it gave us of Ecuador.

(great video/music translated to Spanish)

NOS GUSTA SALINAS!

The weather for the first 2 days was sunny, blue skies, a little cool, but very comfortable!

A permanent fixture on the malecon (and almost right across from our hotel)

The sign reads "Apoye el arte" (Support the art)

The view from across the street of the Casablanca Suites.

On the beach in Salinas. A busy weekend, and it isn't even high season!

View of the high rise buildings in the distance

From the malecon walk way. Look for holes and dog poop on your walk!

Our friend, Alfredo works at the Barceló Colón Mirmar Hotel teaching English to their employees. He has some nice benefits at this beautiful resort hotel, including use of the gym. He took Ron along a few times to work out there.

Ron in the gym at the Barceló, working off the all the beer, rice, verde frito and Budín de Pan he's eaten (bread pudding cake from our favorite bakery)

Alfredo showing off the results of working out at the Barcelo.

View of the malecon from the bridge of the Barceló. ¡Un día hermoso!

Great view of the entire coastline. The sky that day? Beautiful!

View back to the Barcelo while standing on the bridge.

Mi nueva amiga (y estudiante de la clase Inglés de Alfredo) Carmen.

My mission that day (as directed by Alfredo) was to talk with her in English. We had a great time chatting as she prepared the fresh juices for the day, in a mixture of English and Spanish while the guys were in the gym. Carmen works at many different areas of the hotel. This was her post for the day, and her favorite, the outside pool service area. She's a real sweetheart and I loved getting to know her and look forward to seeing her again soon.

After the workout, relaxing outside at the pool and bar at the Barceló.

On the bridge at the Barceló.

Con mi pana, Alfredo

“A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”

John Steinbeck

A DAY IN LA LIBERTAD

We decided to run a few errands, and see a few things. We headed by taxi (Salinas to La Libertad for only $2!) One stop was to Botones y Algo Más (Av # 529 and Second Street Guayaquil, La Libertad, Santa Elena). I collect old buttons, and decided to to see if I could find a few for my collection. What they had was overpriced buttons that could be found anywhere, but I picked up a few cute children's buttons for myself, and a few for Alfredo's daughter Annette.

The next stop was to get Alfredo a quick haircut (I think it was $3) and then we were off to a large market, similar to the indoor Swap-mart we have here in Arizona. Lots of small vendors with everything from food, clothes, electronics, movies and more. I didn't buy anything (how'd THAT happen??), and we stopped off to get a nice fruit smoothie at one vendor.

Ron seems like El Gigante compared to the locals! We will never blend in here in Ecuador! LOL

Ron has a happy face (notice I do not have any bags with purchases in them!).

The guys (they held up pretty well for a shopping day!)

Next we headed to a large modern mall (El Paseo). Tons of security in the parking lot. We decided we needed to get cash. We had set up a special checking account with a debit card for each of us just in case we had a problem with something being stolen (purse/wallet) so there wouldn't be any access to our other accounts back home. Our bank assured us that several of the banks there were partners with them and the card could be used at any of about 4 banks in Ecuador. Well, that's not quite right. Our card was refused in the mall at every cash machine for several different banks that we tried. We started to panic. We still had about $65 dollars cash left (plenty for beers, dinner, more beers and breakfast the next day). We decided to head home and go to to the branch office of Banco de Guayaquil the next day., with Alfredo to translate. We headed home and decided to meet up with Alfredo and Veronica after we ate dinner at Luv n Oven, on the malecon.

Coffee, beers, Cokes (with my handy flask of Rum to make them better!!) and good conversation with our friends. Poor Veronica... the only one who didn't speak English. We tried to keep her in the conversation and we gave Spanish a try most of the time (with Alfredo helping to translate English and help me fill in the blanks with Spanish words that I couldn't come up with).

Le gusto lo todo!

JUST ANOTHER DAY IN ECUADOR

After a quick breakfast (and some of that great coffee) Alfredo, Veronica and their son Mathias meet up with us to go to the Barceló for the morning. I grab up my laptop and we stroll about 1/2 mile to the end of the malecon. Veronica and I sit outside with Mathias (el tornado) and I try to catch up a bit on emails and my facebook group.

Veronica... watching the tornado.

Ron after his workout.

Alfredo and Mathi.

My friend Carmen was working outside again. She talks with her Profesor (Alfredo) while Veronica and I decide we need a drink and some food!

Carmen and I.

On the walk back, we buy Ron a nice black T-shirt that says SALINAS from a little store and then we find a cart with nice fresh oranges. The rinds are pealed off in a spiral and the top is cut open so you can squeeze it and suck out all the juice. YuM!

Waiting for all the oranges to be prepped.

Veronica went back home to wait for the other two kids go get home from school and to prepare a snack for us all later. The guys decide to go over to the volleyball court and practice a little (me? I'm sitting on the front patio watching them from our hotel). Ron decides he isn't cut out for volleyball anymore.

Evening snack with at Alfredo and Veronica's apartment where we get to meet and spend time with Verónica's father (Don Miguel). Finger sandwiches with colored filling (cheese of some kind, really good!), fried verdes (green plantains) cut thin and fried, called Chifles and served with a celery dip. Some coffee and tea. YUM

I get a good workout with speaking and listening to conversation in Spanish (with Alfredo and Veronica's father, Don Miguel). Alfredo still translated a lot!

Mamá Bruja con el palo de madera (Mama witch with the wooden stick)

Everyone behaves when that's on the table (except for me!)

I had missed sending Christmas gifts (sooo expensive to ship a box to Ecuador!), so I brought everything with me in that extra bag (that traveled for free, thanks to American Airlines *kisses*). So, we had La Navidad en Augosto! Mathi first!