On the benefits of small towns.

We left Riobamba behind on Monday, but we´re still discussing the devil train. We caught a bus Monday morning (actually got seats) for the town of Latacunga. We really didn´t have any reason to be in Latacunga, its just a largish town with a bus station on the way to the Quilatoa region. We have reservations for the weekend at the Black Sheep Inn, an ecolodge high in the cloud forest, and Latacunga is on the way. We got to Latacunga and immediately decided to leave. Its big and noisy and dusty, something we´re trying to avoid. We took a chance on a small town called Sacasili. It´s on the map but not in the guide book. It was a 20 min bus ride but very different. It´s a little town, centered around a square with the best tended gardens I´ve seen down here. We´ve watched two guys constantly working in them since we arrived.

We´re staying in a hotel on the square, with a balcony and a great view, but no working sink. We´ve also noticed a deluge of water coming through the roof on the floor below ours. I´m wondering about the plumbing.



On that note here is a picture of our shower. Yes, that is a large electrical switch right in the shower with you. I think the equivalent would be bringing the hair dryer in. This is actually not even a little unusual. The switch is for the showerhead which heats the water with an electric coil, right before it drips on your head. These are fairly universal. They don´t always have the switch in the shower with you though.

Last night we sat on our balcony and ate pinepple and cheese empanadas for dinner. Katy once again took the lead in Rummy, (I was enjoying a brief two day lead) and drank warm beverages of Coke and something that passes for whisky.

We´ll be in Sacasili until Thursday morning when we head to Chugchilan and our weekend of luxury at the Black Sheep Inn. Tommorow wep´re taking a day trip to another small town nearby just for a change of scenery.