Hotels

The staircase from the Grand Hotel in Quito-- had once been very grand and has huge potential but current owner is not investing money fast enough for upgrades. Under the very ugly and worn carpet in the hallway is probably hardwood flooring.The room doors still had openings with grates over them for room service trays (grates now nailed shut) can't see through the grates, and had some lights on in the hallways (unlike other places we looked at to stay that night). Cost - 24 dollars a night. Courtyard was at the back of the building which our friends enjoyed but some of us had rooms at the front-- very noisy side street at 6 a.m. The sheets drying on the line were probably back on our bed the next morning-- the towels were lined dried too-- rough, not smooth and soft because there was no wind to blow out the wrinkles. The question is-- were they machine washed or washed by hand-- nice new hotel in Riobambe - 24 dollars a night-- a dollar fifty for breakfast in the restauant next door-- eggs, fresh juice, fresh rolls, hot chocolate, cheese. Over the Andea mountains and coming back close to civilization-- Flat tire number 2-- not too many hundred feet away was a family restaurantwith a spit and charcoal firepit roasting a half dozen coy (guinea pigs) a delicasy in Ecuador. I'd like to say they taste like chicken but that would give chicken a bad name. I wasn't sure if it was the idea of those cute little critters stretched out on the spit or the tase that made me spit it out.