Visiting Ecuador

A Day Trip To Ballenita And Farallón Dillon (continued)

The gallery wall at sunset (from the back).		The gallery wall after sunset (from the front).

This view is from Yolanda's balcony and shows the sun setting over Salinas.

After we took our leave and walked away, I was quite awed. I thought they were such a grand couple, and their charm as well as their accomplishments made a big impression on me. We walked through Ballenita in the early evening darkness on our way to the bus stop. A vehicle suddenly passed us from behind then pulled over and stopped. A person got out and held the door open. It was Yolanda, with the captain at the wheel. They were headed to Salinas for a major event (there had been an international surfing competition, and tonight was the big party). They graciously offered to give us a ride to La Libertád. As it turned out, the busses stopped running at seven, and it was already past seven. We would have had a long walk, hours long, but instead, we had a speedy ride in a private car, thanks to the captain and Yolanda.

When we got back to the boat, everybody was tired and we retired shortly. We all agreed it was a very interesting day. What started out as a 25-cent bus ride to explore something new turned into an opportunity to meet a fascinating couple, explore their estate, and enjoy their hospitality. You just never know what's going to happen when you head off into the unknown.