Bar Alley

September 29, 2010

After just a couple of days at Casa del Sol, Todd and I feel like we are on a holiday(taking a “vacation” from our “vacation”).The atmospherehere is relaxed, yet industrious.

It’s the slow season and TJ & Jeff are taking advantage of this time to improve the property. The beach bar is undergoing an imaginative renovation and rooms and gardens are being upgraded. Whitney’s Yoga studio is ready. Our room (Room 10—on third floor in the back, is spacious and comfortable, has a killer hot shower, and best of all, WIFI that is reliable and fast).  Because it is the low season, Todd and I are virtually the only ones staying here, and we have TJ’s & Jeff’s permission (Whitney is currently in the States) to store food and cook occasionally in the commercial grade kitchen for the next 3 weeks, which I suspect Todd can’t wait to utilize – he loves to cook, and he’s a dang good one. Which is a blessing, since my cooking skills leave a lot to be desired.

One of the funky hostel/residences
nearby.

Casa del Sol is a 5-7 minute beach walk north from Montanita (about the same time it takes to walk along the road – Ruta del Sol – if you don’t mind dodging the drivers, especially after dark). It is close enough to Montanita to feel the vibe, yet far enough away to hear nothing but the waves, a few crackling beach fires, and occasional fireworks. Oh, and maybe few bongo drums now and then.

This place abounds with charm and kitties. TJ and Whitney fixed the youngsters, and are looking for a few good homes, but I suspect these adorable and affectionate cats are here to stay. We each have our favorites. My favorite is “Tingo”,   and Todd’s is “Free”.  We think “Monkey” is the mother; they’ve been named after well known surfers.  All of them are trying their best to barge in our room for affection, and we are trying our best to honor TJ & Whitney’s request not to let them in, but it’s tough since they are so lovey.  “Cacique” (Ca-see-kay – also the name of a colorful black and yellow local bird) is the resident dog who loves to fetch heavy 2x4’s and 5-pound bricks and is friendly and protective with those he knows.

An interesting shrine in the
courtyard of nearby hostel.

This is a mellow barrio – a laid back and relaxed neighborhood, with a shady tree-lined main road and several unique hostels, and we are totaling digging the atmosphere.

We’ve been taking pleasant beach walks to Montanita for meals and savoring the slow season in town. In another couple of months when high season is in gear, this little village throbs with people, music, venders and street entertainers, but for now, all is quiet and calm in Montanita. Sure, Bob Marley still serenades and Ecuadorian techno music still booms from bars and restaurants, but the vibe is friendly and familial.   Kids play on the street at night, lovers stroll along the beach, and without the distraction of tourists, the locals are chatty and affable.  Todd and I are enjoying this time to get to know our local friends better, and scout out the less touristy places to eat in Montanita. We are really liking a new little pizza place on the side street across from Hola Ola, called La Leona Guason which is conveniently open most days as well as nights. We’ve also discovered a couple of street stands that sell tasty “Sanduche de Loma” (similar to a Philly Steak sandwich – I have mine without the fried egg and large corn kernels) for $1.50. Several street stands also sell thin hamburgers that are just okay, but at a $1.50 each, cheaper than the restaurants’ $6-8 burgers.

On weekends, Montanita is still pretty lively, with many in the crowd gathered along the cocktail stands on “Bar Alley”, the northern most east/west street in Montanita proper. It also known as “Whiskey Road”/"Whiskey Alley"/“Cocktail Lane” and grown-up drink vendors line both sides of the street, each with a few plastic chairs and maybe a table or two to accommodate customers. They all offer potent, imaginatively named, and generally fruity concoctions for around $2-3. It’s a cheap and fun place to party, and filled with wall to wall people during the busy season, but now we have our pick of spots. Our favorite watering hole is “Galán’s”, on the north side of the road, a short left at the end of the main drag. Galán is a friendly and fun guy who makes a mean drink (I think our neighbor Randy was the first to discover him), and we all drink there now whenever we go to Bar Alley.

Sitting on a balcony terrace overlooking Montanita tonight, I was thinking how very blessed Todd and I are now – even if this last year’s path getting here was  grim and trying at times, especially during our “sell everything” phase. We are in a bit of a nomadic chapter now, which is a little uncomfortable for a nester like me, but both Todd and I feel like we are experiencing an exciting time to be living on the coast of Ecuador, integrating with and enjoying the local community(s), and grateful to be exposed on a daily basis to this wonderfully diverse culture and landscape.