Hotel rooms

I realize that one potential pitfall to blogging is that we paint too rosy a picture of traveling.  Yes, we've been accused of engaging in real estate porn.  To set the record straight, here are some pictures of our recent accommodations.  

High in the Andes, steps from Quillotoa Crater, we stayed in a tiny Quichua community.  The hostal featured (delicious) communal meals, wood burning stoves, a toilet smell, and this bedspread, which Ruby and I found to be the perfect blend of ugly chic.

The next night we stayed at the foot of Chimborazo, at 6,310 meters, once thought to be the highest mountain in the world.  We slept at another Quichua-run hostal with a fireplace on the first floor but no heat in the bedrooms upstairs.  Bathrooms were communal and downstairs too. Oscar felt right at home, relaxing in bed after a hard day's bike ride.

There was a pleasant sitting area outside our rooms.  The air was smoky from the fire below.

And the setting was spectacular -- just sky, paramo, llamas, dogs, and kids.

Here's Ruby before breakfast on the day we rode down Chimborazo.

We have found our niche in hotels that are a notch above backpacker hostels, but far below first world luxury standards.  Simple hostals with a good vibe work for us too.  In Quito, we spent a pleasant two days at a Swiss hostal filled with young backpackers and older European couples traveling independently.  It was cramped but very mellow and friendly.  We have not run across many Americans in such places.  Maybe most of them are on tours and/or at nicer hotels?  So far, we've met mostly Argentinian, Italian, German, Dutch, Swiss, French, and, of course, Ecuadorian tourists.  English is the common language, except when it comes to the Italians and French, who speak better Spanish than English.  Naturally, we practice our Spanish with the South Americans too.

Now that we're in Baños for a week of downtime, we took the time to scout out hotels all over town.  We ended up at the Hotel Monte Selva, a sprawling spa complex with a great view of the town.  It's not fancy, but it's great to have space to spread out, a view, and the pools and spa.  

I do have a pet peeve about lighting.  All Ecuadorian hotels in our price range use depressing overhead florescent lights.  I suppose they're better for the environment than incandescent bulbs.  But, I'd really love to find a place with warm, ambient lighting.

Our room at the Hotel Monte Selva is utilitarian but has a gorgeous view.  One downside is that we have no wifi in our rooms.  That is perhaps the biggest hardship for the kids.

Baños is a resort town set below Tungurahua, an active volcano that last erupted in 2006.  We can see it smoking and sometimes lava flows can be seen at night.

I'm not a fan of our bathroom, but maybe I'm just getting too picky.  It is relatively spacious and odor-free.  

In conclusion, we are not just staying in idyllic places full of hammocks!  I'll try to keep it honest as we continue on our journey.