With our sympathy and our love to our neighbor, Balbina Camacho, who died the 18th of July 2016.
“You are not wealthy until you have something that money can’t buy” .
Garth Brooks
If there is something that I have learned living in Vilcabamba since 2008 it is that health is not something that money usually buys.
This statement requires a little bit of clarification.
What is the secret of health?
Sure money can buy better medical care. With money, one can go to a private clinic like San Agustin in Loja instead of relying on the free public system (and get his prostate taken out to treat kidney stones as happened to an Ecuadorian friend of mine).
Money can also buy expensive supplements available from the Juice Factory in Vilcabamba or on line or get a full set of essential oils. Money can buy everything organic, usually at double or triple the price of the non organic equivalent.
But does health really depend on good private healthcare and on supplements ?
I live in a small village a few kilometers from the “buzzing metropolis of Vilcabamba” (:-)) and there one can still witness some people, not so many unfortunately, living the old way, wandering around on their donkeys, eating their traditional diet which they do not call “organic”, and certainly not “raw”, they don’t even know the word “organic” and have never heard of “raw diets”.
Living healthy in Vilcabamba and Loja Ecuador
These people look very healthy, they are skinny, they are fitter and stronger than 30 year younger typical westerners. Most are not rich and some are really poor.
These people represent what to me is the real “secret of longevity” that nobody will find in the Vilcabamba water or in the air or in the Iniger lab.
Old man in Vilcabamba – Every single day he goes really slow but still does his own shopping – Must be well over 90
The secret of longevity
The secret is a complex. multi-dimensional combination of factors involving lifestyle, diet, exercise, water, air, emotional state, stress, possibly genes and certainly others that I forget to mention or am unaware of.
What is certain is that money is not one of them.
Balbina harvesting yuca in Sacapo – San Pedro de VilcabambaChristmas Present
Balbina is well known in Sacapo. I never remember her age although I have asked her several times. Is it 95? or is it more? It does not really matter in the end. She is skinny, too skinny now because she is getting old and won’t probably last many more years. She was a midwife and a reputable one.
Balbina Camacho y Pierre VolterLily, Balbina Camacho y Martha Jaramillo
We asked her to be our midwife for our now 3 year old daughter but she declined saying that she could no longer handle it and no longer had the strength.
But ten years ago when she was “only 85”, she was very active, always out, walking along the river, always doing some physical work. She still managed to help my wife a lot during pregnancy, alleviating the back pain for example and putting the baby back in a good position with gentle movements and massages. She obviously knew what she was doing. She was very sweet and I will never forget her.
The point I am making is that her health, she does not owe it to money but rather to her lifestyle.
Balbina harvesting yuca
When foreigners come to settle here, my very first piece of advice is for them to keep a low profile, watch and learn and not come here to teach the people of Ecuador about their own beliefs. Everything is relative. I am sure that there is value in raw food diets and in gluten free diets and in vegetarian or vegan diets. However let’s not forget that we are here in the “Valley of Longevity” and that our hosts were here well before we had even heard about the place.
“They are considered among the most important in the world. They are characterized by their variety, the result of regional and cultural diversity, but also by their refinement. Their influence is felt in almost every kitchen in the Western world, which have incorporated into their recipes technical knowledge of French and Italian cuisine .” Wikipedia.
Now, Dumas is not a French restaurant nor is it an Italian one. It is an Ecuadorian restaurant of “French/Italian inspiration” where the food is a fusion of different styles. We have already introduced Roberto Delgado, the restaurant owner, a talented and very likeable 30 year old chef, in our previous note Dumas Restaurant – Traditional lunch with a gourmet touch in Loja Ecuador . It is true that the lunches are delicious but, as we were to discover that night, they are nothing compared to the a la carte dishes served Monday through Friday from 4 to 9 PM.
So? you fool haven’t taken her out yet for dinner at Dumas restaurant?
I have, and I am delighted to let you know that she confessed to me that it was the best meal of her entire life.
We started with the Dumas salad, a true symphonic piece of work by itself. Roberto brought us a plate full of colors, a mix of greens with mozzarella cheese and crispy caramelized onions, edible flowers that had a pumpkin flavor, olives, sauteed mushrooms with garlic and honey and mustard vinaigrette with sesame seeds.
Dumas Salad
At Dumas just forget about what you do not like
I am not a great lover of salads I must admit, but she is. However, both of us we liked it so much that it left us speechless. The truth is that if you do not really like something, like there are people who do not like onions, or I do not like very much olives, my advice is to forget about these preconceptions and simply let the magic of Roberto do its job. You may simply find that you did enjoy what you never used to like.
Then we ordered two entrees, the “Bourbon Ribs” and a Pizza. As the menu says, the ribs are nothing short of spectacular and they are so tender that they melt in the mouth like butter. The BBQ sauce is, it goes without saying, 100% home made, courtesy of Roberto. They come accompanied with something called “rustic patatoes” and a Dumas salad it could not be otherwise. With a good house red it was really something from another world.
French Italian Gastronomy in Loja EcuadorFrench Gastronomy in Loja Ecuador
Bourbon Ribs – Absolutely SpectacularMaking the Pizza
Roberto prepares his pizzas from fresh and personally selected quality ingredients . He said his handmade mozzarella cheese is the best one can find in this country (from Cuenca). He also prepares the tomato sauce himself. He only uses extra virgin olive oil.
Dumas – Pizza a la piedraDumas – Stone Pizza
We had the pleasure of spending a few minutes with Roberto who came to sit at our table and we asked him to tell us a little more of his life.
Roberto Delgado – Dumas Restaurant Owner
His parents had a restaurant in Loja before named “Gino Ginelli” and it was quite a success too. At this time he was still at school and helped his parents out in his spare time but did not really pay too much attention because he had other plans and gastronomy was not something he was interested in yet. His desire then was to study medicine.
“Then I had the opportunity to leave the country in 2004. Apparently at that time Argentina was very convenient for those who wanted to make their higher education abroad. So I went and then decided to study at the school of gastronomy “Gato Dumas“.
Hence the name of his restaurant in Loja. In Argentina, Italian and French cuisine are well known and widely practiced. Then when he left school in 2007, he worked in Buenos Aires in a restaurant of typical food where they attended 500 people each night. Wow! He later returned to Ecuador and worked at a French restaurant in Quito as we explained in our previous article .
Dumas – The best customer service
What is really noticeable in Roberto’s attitude, besides his good humor and smile, is his high level of commitment and customer service. While we were talking, customers were coming in, and every time Roberto stood to greet them personally and show them a table.
This surely is the result of his experience outside the country and this should be an example for the many businesses in Loja who have not yet understood the tremendous importance of customer attention and service.
The nail on the coffin. The desserts.
After so much of this rich and tasty food accompanied with red wine, my girlfriend and I were barely standing when they brought us two plates of their special homemade desserts: crème brûlée and chocolate fondant.
Crème BrûléeChocolate Fondant
The crème brûlée or burnt cream is also called Catalan cream . You can read about this wonderful dessert on wikipedia here . I already knew it from my previous life in Belgium, a country neighboring France, but for my girlfriend it was the first time. We must say that there are as many versions of crème brûlée as there are chefs who prepare it, some better than others, but, once again, the Roberto’s version of it was one of the best I’ve had.
As per the chocolate dessert, it was so yummy and so rich that I really do not recommend it after eating too many other things or possibly share it between two people.
Social events
One very important thing I want to mention is that “Dumas” also caters for social events such as baptisms, first communions, confirmations, friends gatherings (but no bachelor party, too messy 🙂) etc …
Book your event with just one phone call and enjoy the best …
conclusion
The conclusion is that there is no conclusion because the story does not end here. Roberto told us, but it is a secret and please do not repeat it to anyone, that he is preparing a new menu with new dishes. Then he will surely surprise us again and we will have to revisit our current conclusions whatever they are. Stay tuned.
What is true and will not change is that if you want to experience some fine dining in the city of Loja, and this without killing your budget, Dumas is the ideal place. It offers typical lunches and at night it offers gourmet à la carte dishes at affordable prices.
I can not resist one last comment. Whatever your religious beliefs, it is true that what is done with pleasure and love is always better that what is done out of duty or for money. And love abounds in this place. Only watching how Roberto puts his arm around his mum’s shoulder speaks volume. She helps a lot in the kitchen and has years of experience in restaurants including her own.
Dumas – Made with Love
I’m not very religious myself but while the flavors of the bourbon ribs were filling my mouth a thought came to me, sweet like a caress but strong as a revelation,
” Dumas must be the proof that God does exist! ”
The bbxmusic.com team at Dumas Restaurant in Loja
Thank you, Roberto, our friend from Loja, for these magical moments we lived together on this night of the 15 of July 2016.
To you who read this note we recommend the following.
Do not wait even one more day to visit Dumas restaurant and please do tell us your opinion in the comments section below.
Dumas Restaurant – A cozy place of French and Italian cuisine in Loja EcuadorDumas Restaurant – Gastronomy at affordable prices in Loja Ecuador
Contacts
Address: Jose Antonio Eguiguren y Bernardo Valdivieso, Loja, Ecuador Tel: +593 (0)7 256-1494 Social networks: https://www.facebook.com/dumastrattoria Opening Hours: 12:00 – 21:00 hours
¿Quien no ha escuchado hablar de la gastronomía Italiana y Francesa?
“Están consideradas entre las más importantes del mundo. Están caracterizadas por su variedad, fruto de la diversidad regional, tanto cultural como de materias primas, pero también por su refinamiento. Su influencia se deja sentir en casi todas las cocinas del mundo occidental, que han ido incorporando a sus bases conocimientos técnicos de la cocina francesa y italiana“. Wikipedia.
Ahora bien, Dumas no es un restaurante Francés ni tampoco Italiano, es un restaurante Ecuatoriano de “inspiración Francés – Italiano” donde la comida es una fusión de diferentes estilos. Ya hemos presentado a Roberto Delgado, el dueño del restaurante, un chef talentoso y muy simpático de apenas 30 años, en nuestra nota anterior Dumas Restaurant – Almuerzo tradicional con un toque gourmet en Loja Ecuador . Es cierto que los almuerzos son deliciosos pero, como lo íbamos a descubrir esta noche, no son nada comparados con los platos a la carta que sirven de lunes a viernes entre 4 – 9 PM.
¿Como? ¿Aun no has llevado a tu novia a cenar en el restaurante Dumas?
Yo si, y les cuento que después ella me confesó que fue la mejor comida de su vida.
Empecemos por la ensalada Dumas, una obra sinfónica en si misma. Roberto nos trajo un plato lleno de colores, un mix de hojas verdes con queso mozzarella y cebolla crocante caramelizada, flores comestibles con sabor a zapallo, aceitunas, champiñones salteados con ajo y una vinagreta de mostaza con miel y ajonjolí.
Ensalada Dumas
En Dumas olvídate de lo que no te gusta
Yo no soy un gran amante de las ensaladas, mi novia si. Pero a los dos nos gustó tanto que nos quedamos sin palabras. La verdad es que si no te gusta mucho algo, como por ejemplo hay gente que no quieren cebolla, o a mi no me gustan mucho las aceitunas, mi consejo es olvídate de estas ideas preconcebidas y simplemente deja que la magia de Roberto haga su trabajo.
Luego pedimos dos platos fuertes, unas Costillas Bourbon y una Pizza. Como dice la carta, las costillas son nada menos que espectaculares y tan suaves que se deshacen en la boca como si fuera mantequilla. Acompañadas con papitas rusticas y la ensalada Dumas no podría ser de otra manera y con un buen vino tinto de la casa fue realmente algo del otro mundo.
Gastronomía Francesa en Loja EcuadorCostillas Bourbon – EspectacularPreparación de la Pizza
Roberto prepara sus pizzas a partir de ingredientes frescos de calidad que selecciona personalmente. Me comentó que su queso mozzarella es artesanal de la mejor calidad de Cuenca. La salsa de tomate es preparada por el mismo. Utiliza aceite de oliva extra virgen.
Dumas – Pizza a la piedra
Tuvimos el placer de pasar unos minutos con Roberto sentado en nuestra mesa y le pedimos que nos comparta un poco mas sobre su vida.
Roberto Delgado = Dueño de Dumas Restaurant
Sus padres tenían un restaurante en Loja antes que se llamaba Gino Ginelli que tuvo un buen éxito. En este tiempo el aún estaba en el colegio y ayudaba a sus padres en su tiempo libre pero sin pararle mucho bola como el dice porque estaba en otra onda, menos la gastronomía. Su deseo en ese entonces era estudiar medicina. Luego tuvo la oportunidad de salir del país en el año 2004 al parecer en aquel tiempo Argentina era muy conveniente para quienes deseaban hacer sus estudios superiores fuera del país. Así que se fue y es entonces que decidió estudiar en el colegio de gastronomía “Gato Dumas”. De allí el nombre de su restaurante en Loja. En Argentina se conoce y se practica mucho de la gastronomía italiana y francés. Luego, cuando salió de la escuela en el año 2007, trabajó en Buenos Aires en un restaurante de comida típica donde se atendía a 500 personas cada noche. Guau! Posteriormente regresó a Ecuador y trabajó en un restaurante francés en Quito como lo hemos contado en nuestro articulo anterior.
Dumas – La mejor atención al cliente
Lo que se nota en la actitud de Roberto, ademas de su buen humor y sonrisa, es su alto nivel de compromiso y de atención al cliente. Mientras estábamos hablando, clientes entraban, y cada vez Roberto se levantaba para saludar personalmente e indicarles una mesa.
Esto seguramente es el resultado de la experiencia fuera del país que tuvo Roberto y debería ser un ejemplo para muchos negocios en Loja que todavía no han entendido bien la tremenda importancia de la atención y del servicio.
La estocada a muerte. Los postres.
Después de tanta comida re-rica, mi novia y yo estábamos apenas vivos y conscientes cuando nos trajeron dos platos de los postres especiales de la casa: la crème brûlée y el fondant de chocolate.
Creme BruleeFondant de chocolate
La crème brûlée o crema quemada se llama también crema catalana. Se puede leer información sobre este magnifico postre en wikipedia aquí. Yo ya la conocía de mi vida anterior en Bélgica, un país vecino de Francia, pero para mi novia era la primera vez. También hay que decir que hay tantas versiones de crema quemada como hay chefs que la preparan y que una vez mas, la creme brulee de Roberto Delgado es una de las mejores que he probado.
Eventos Sociales
Algo muy importante que deseo mencionar es que “Dumas” ofrece sus servicios para eventos sociales tales como: bautismos, primeras comuniones, confirmaciones, reuniones de amigos (pero no despedida de solteros 🙂 ) etc…
Reserva con tan solo una llamada y disfruta de lo mejor…
Conclusión
La conclusión es que aquí no termina la historia y que entonces no hay conclusión. Roberto nos contó, pero es un secreto y que nadie por favor lo repita, que el esta preparando una nueva carta con nuevos platos. Entonces, seguramente nos sorprenderá otra vez y tendremos que revisar nuestras conclusiones sean cuales sean.
Lo que es cierto y no cambiará es que si ustedes quieren experimentar un poco de alta gastronomía en la ciudad de Loja, y esto sin matar su presupuesto, Dumas es el lugar ideal. Ofrece los almuerzos típicos al mediodía y platos gastronómicos a la carta a precios asequibles en la noche.
No puedo resistir un ultimo comentario. Sea cual sea su creencia o religión, es cierto que lo que se hace con gusto y amor siempre supera lo que se hace por deber o por dinero. Y amor y gusto, es verdad, abundan en este lugar. Solo basta ver como se abrazan Roberto y su querida madre quien le ayuda en la cocina.
Dumas – Hecho con Amor
Yo no soy muy religioso pero mientras los sabores de las costillas bourbon me llenaban la boca me vino el pensamiento dulce como una acaricia pero fuerte como una revelación, que
“Dumas debe ser la prueba que Dios si existe !”
El equipo de bbxmusic.com en el restaurante Dumas
Te agradecemos, Roberto, nuestro amigo Lojano, por estos momentos mágicos que vivimos esta noche del 15 de julio del año 2016.
A ustedes que leen esta nota les recomendamos lo siguiente. No esperen ni un día mas, visítenlo y cuéntennos su opinión en la sección de comentarios de abajo.
Dumas Restaurante – Un lugar acogedor de gastronomía Francesa e Italiana en Loja EcuadorDumas Restaurante – Gastronomía a precios asequibles en Loja Ecuador
Contactos
Dirección: José Antonio Eguiguren y Bernardo Valdivieso, Loja, Ecuador Tel: +593 (0)7 256-1494 Redes Sociales: https://www.facebook.com/dumastrattoria Horario: 12:00 – 21:00
Sea cual sea la fórmula correcta para tener un restaurante exitoso en Loja, parece que Dumas la encontró. Existe este “no sé qué” que hace que uno se sienta inmediatamente como un cliente habitual a pesar de que podría ser la primera vez.
¿Podría ser el agradable y relajante clásico rock – jazz – 1950/60/70 que se está reproduciendo como fondo?
Podría ser la cara siempre sonriente de Roberto, que te invita a sentarte y disfrutar de su gastronomía de inspiración francesa?
Dumas Restaurant – Roberto Delgado – Propietario y chef
¿Podría ser la atmósfera social que impregna el lugar donde las familias vienen a comer juntos o individuales que están dispuestos a unirse a una mesa con desconocidos que se convertirán en nuevos amigos?
O podría ser la decoración, los muebles de madera y las pinturas originales en la pared?
O podrá ser el típico “almuerzo con un toque gourmet” que Dumas ofrece todos los días de la semana?
Lomito de cerdo con salsa de ciruela – pork tenderloin with plum sauce
¿Podría ser que los postres sean tu punto débil y que en Dumas encuentres la fortaleza?
Dumas Restaurante – Postres hechos en casa
O podría ser el servicio con clase, profesional, súper rápido y siempre amable que Roberto y Patricio su garçon con mucha experiencia proporcionan?
Dumas Restaurant – Patricio
A mí me parece que es una combinación de todo lo antes mencionado!
A la carta o menú del día?
Al mediodía, Dumas ofrece “almuerzos”, por lo general una sopa, una opción de dos platos principales y un postre.
Para aquellos que no están familiarizados con la vida en Ecuador es muy importante saber que la palabra “almuerzo” siempre tiene un significado de “económico”. Un así llamado “almuerzo” nunca es caro, algo alrededor de $3 por persona todo incluido, a veces menos, mientras que “a la carta” es por lo general el doble de ese precio.
Dumas no ofrece menús a la carta durante el día, excepto si ya se han terminado los almuerzos. Sirven a la carta por la noche sin embargo este tema trataremos en el próximo artículo.
Parte 1 : Hora del almuerzo
Este hermoso día martes soleado llegue a eso del medio día cuando las cosas aun estaban en calma es al rededor de la 1pm que este lugar se pone en su apogeo. Es el famoso “almuerzo” es a esta hora del día que todo llega a un punto de paralización en Loja, cuando las personas salen de la oficina, las tiendas cierran sus puertas y la gente se centra en una sola cosa: COMER.
Dumas se encuentra convenientemente ubicado a tan solo unos pasos del parque central de Loja.
Mientras que toda la ciudad de Loja se pone en pausa, Dumas entra en frenesí sirviendo sus deliciosos almuerzos. Para que nadie se asuste, quiero decir que estas comidas no son complicadas. Este no es el momento para la gastronomía (en otro articulo hablaremos de las meriendas a la carta). Este es el momento de reunirse y de compartir con la familia, amigos, colegas de trabajo, parejas etc…para disfrutar del almuerzo tradicional de su agrado pero algo muy importante con un toque gourmet como yo lo llamo:
“the gourmet touch“.
Este día, después de la tradicional sopa del día, tuvimos “lomito de cerdo con salsa de ciruela” (pork tenderloin with plum sauce) y de postre sirvieron una torta casera de zanahoria. Yo personalmente lo disfrute mucho con una taza de café expreso.
Roberto hace todo por si mismo a partir de ingredientes frescos, lo que significa que su día empieza mucho antes de la hora de comer, prepara postres, pan, salsas… Roberto Delgado es un chef calificado, talentoso y muy amable que a pesar de su corta edad (30) ha tenido toda una carrera interesante. Roberto ha realizado sus estudios superiores en “la ciudad de la furia”, Buenos Aires Argentina, luego regreso a su tierra natal para trabajar en “Chez Jérôme” en Quito para Jérôme Montelier, un chef francés de fama internacional. Roberto dice que fue su ayudante de cocina, el “sub-chef”. Después de trabajar 2 años en un barco en Galápagos fue que finalmente decidió abandonar el “sub” de “sub-chef” y convertirse en su propio “chef” en su restaurante llamado “Dumas” en la ciudad de Loja – Ecuador.
Dumas Restaurant – Santiago hermano de RobertoDumas Restaurant Loja Ecuador – Empresa Familiar
Toda su familia trabaja allí, lo que para mi es una prueba más de la gran unión familiar que existe en la gente Ecuatoriana.
Esta su hermana Salome encargada de la contabilidad, su madre dirigiendo en la cocina, su hermano Santiago ayudando con las mesas, eventualmente su padre también les hecha una mano durante las horas pico.
Yo llegue temprano y tengo que admitir que con el solo hecho de mirar todo lo que estaban preparando medio mucha hambre. Asi que me senté en un extremo de una de las mesas grandes y disfrute de mi almuerzo tranquilamente mientras de a poco el restaurante se torno repleto.
Recomiendo encarecidamente a la gente que lea este post, si le gusta un tiempo tranquilo para comer, hacerlo temprano (antes 12:30) o tarde (después 2PM).
Mas tarde la gente vino a sentarse a mi mesa y charlamos. Algunas personas me comentaron que comen en este lugar todos los días. Lo que mas me llamo la atención es que todo el mundo esta riendo y pasando un buen rato. Me levante para observar y tomar algunas fotos, también tienen una segunda planta así que fui arriba y de igual manera todos parecían felices relajados y nadie parecía estar esperando su comida.
Todo el mundo esta riendo y pasando un buen ratoDumas Restaurante en Loja Ecuador – El almuerzo momento felizDumas Restaurante en Loja Ecuador – Tiempo para todas las generaciones compartiendo grandes momentos en familia.
Conclusión
Si haz probado el almuerzo en “Dumas”, seguramente habrás notado algo especial y tu paladar se volverá más exigente…después de esto quizá te sera difícil satisfacer tus gustos con almuerzos tradicionales de otros lugares. ¿ Por qué pagar el mismo precio en otro lugar para obtener un 90% de arroz blanco con un pequeño pedazo de carne sin mucho sabor cuando por el mismo precio puedes conseguir este toque gourmet, este “gourmet touch” y disfrutar de una buena receta con un nombre francés que cuando lo pronuncias suena muy bien?
Para un mejor desarrollo turístico de la ciudad y provincia de Loja deberían inspirarse en lugares como “Dumas”, despertando su talento culinario y la creatividad, experimentando, haciendo fusiones, y brindando un tipo de gastronomía tradicional pero con un toque diferente.
Definitivamente felicitamos por su gran potencial a Dumas Trattoria y Restaurante y a su amigable propietario Roberto Delgado.
Hazle una visita y haznos saber tu opinión en la sección de comentarios de a bajo.
Dumas Restaurante – Almuerzo tradicional con un toque gourmet en Loja Ecuador
Contactos
Dirección: José Antonio Eguiguren y Bernardo Valdivieso, Loja, Ecuador Tel: +593 (0)7 256-1494 Redes Sociales: https://www.facebook.com/dumastrattoria Horario: 12:00 – 21:00
Whatever the correct formula might be for a restaurant to be successful in Loja, it seems that Dumas found it. There is this “je ne sais quoi” that makes one immediately feel as a regular customer although it might be the very first time.
Is it the nice relaxing classic rock – jazz – 1950/60/70 something that is playing ?
Is it Roberto’s always smiling and inviting face, making you want to sit down and enjoy his French inspired gastronomy?
Dumas Restaurant in Loja Ecuador – Roberto Delgado – Owner and Chef
Is it that social atmosphere that permeates the place where families come to eat together or individuals are happy to join a table with strangers who will become new friends?
Dumas Restaurant in Loja Ecuador – A Place for Families and Friends
Or could it be the decoration, the wooden furniture and the original paintings on the wall?
Or the typical “almuerzo with a gourmet touch” that Dumas has on offer every single day of the week ?
Pork tenderloin with plum sauce
Could it be that deserts are your worse sin and Dumas is your redemption ?
Dumas Restaurant – The home made deserts
Or could it be the classy, professional, super fast and always friendly service that Roberto and Patricio his very experienced garcon provide ?
Dumas Restaurant – Patricio
To me it seems that it is all of the above combined.
A la carte or set menu ?
At noon, Dumas offers “almuerzos”, usually a soup, a choice of two mains and one desert. For those who are not familiar with life in Ecuador, the word “almuerzo” of course as the dictionary says means “lunch” but it also has another meaning.
Firstly, it means a three course meal made out of a soup of the day, a choice between 2 or some times 3 mains (a meat, a fish) and a small desert. It also includes a non alcoholic beverage such as horchata or juice. Portions are rather small, in my view anyway, but that is what people want here because they also eat at night.
Secondly and most importantly the word “almuerzo” conveys the meaning of “economical“, not expensive, something around the $3 dollar mark per person all included whereas “a la carte” is usually at least double that price.
Dumas does not offer a la carte menus during the day except wen they run out of almuerzos. They do serve a la carte at night though and that will be covered in the next article.
Part 1 : Lunch Time Set Menu
I arrived on this beautiful Tuesday at around 12 noon when things slowly pick up until the place gets in full swing at around 1 PM. This is the famous “almuerzo”, this time of the day when everything comes to a grinding halt in Loja, when people leave the office, shops close their door and people focus on one and only one thing: EAT.
Dumas is conveniently located only a few steps from Loja central square
While the entire city of Loja goes to sleep, Dumas goes into a frenzy serving their delicious lunches. These lunches are not complicated. This is not the time for gastronomy. This is a time and a place for families, friends, colleagues and couples to eat the typical lunch that they are used to but very importantly with a touch of something that I call
“the gourmet touch“
This day, after the traditional soup of the day, we had a “lomito de cerdo con salza de ciruela” (pork tenderloin with plum sauce) and a homemade carrot cake for desert which I personally enjoyed with a good cup of espresso coffee.
Roberto makes everything himself from fresh ingredients, meaning that his day starts way before lunch time, making bread, making pastries, making sauces … Roberto who is only 30 studied and worked 4 years in Buenos Aires, then came back to his home land Ecuador to work at “Chez Jérôme” in Quito for Jerome Montelier, a french chef of international reputation. Roberto told me that he was his “sous-chef”. Then after working two years on a boat in Galapagos he finally decided to drop the “sous” in the word “sous-chef” and become his own “chef” in his restaurant called “Dumas” in Loja Ecuador.
Dumas Restaurant – Santiago hermano de Roberto
His entire family works there which is yet another proof of this amazing family spirit that Ecuadorians have.
His sister is at the counter, his mother runs the kitchen, his brother helps at the table, even his father lays a hand during peak time.
I was early and I have to admit that just watching all this food being prepared in anticipation of the peak hour made me very hungry. I sat down at the end of one of the large tables and enjoyed my lunch while there were still few people.
I strongly recommend people who read this post and who like me enjoy a quite time to eat to go either early (before 12:30) or late (after 2PM).
Later on, people came to sit down at my table and we chatted. I found out that many people come here every single day. The entire place started looking like a beehive. It struck me that everybody was laughing and having a good time. I got up to wander around and take a few photos. I went upstairs. They have two floors. Everyone seemed happy, relaxed and nobody seemed to be waiting.
Dumas Restaurant in Loja Ecuador – Lunch and HappinessDumas Restaurant in Loja Ecuador – Time for all generations to share great family momentsEverybody having a good time
Conclusion
After having lunch at Dumas, you may no longer want to have an “almuerzo” anywhere else. Indeed, why pay the same price to get a very plain tasteless 90% white rice “almuerzo” somewhere when for the same price you can get that gourmet touch and enjoy a nice recipe with a french sounding name?
Other places should follow the example and learn to develop some culinary imagination to provide better lunches. That would certainly benefit Loja and attract more tourism.
Definitely a thumbs up for Dumas Trattoria and Restaurant and his friendly owner Roberto Delgado. Give it a try by all means a let us know in the comment section below what you think.
Dumas Restaurant – A gentle gourmet touch in Loja Ecuador
Contacts
Address: Jose Antonio Eguiguren y Bernardo Valdivieso, Loja, Ecuador Tel: +593 (0)7 256-1494 Social networks: https://www.facebook.com/dumastrattoria Opening Hours: 12:00 – 21:00 hours
Ecuador ha sido un país productor y exportador (mayormente de café verde) desde mucho tiempo. Pero consumidor no tanto. La maquina de expreso es un fenómeno nuevo y se encuentra en pocos lugares, básicamente en los centros urbanos nada mas. La disponibilidad de un buen café expreso ayuda al turismo porque muchos extranjeros, especialmente Europeos y Norte Americanos, están acostumbrados a consumir este tipo de café de alta calidad. Por eso es bueno que Loja, el primer productor de café del Ecuador, se interese mas en el aspecto del consumo y no solamente a los aspectos de producción y de venta.
Así que poco a poco se están abriendo en Loja mas lugares de consumo de un café de calidad. Hay lugares que no son nuevos sino que se están enfocando mas que antes en el tema del café. Cuando el equipo de bbxmusic.com con el transcurso del tiempo vaya descubriendo mas lugares como estas cafeterías, trataremos de incluirlas en nuestra guía.
Dumas Trattoria y Restaurante
Loja Sabor a Café – Dumas Trattoria y Restaurante – Café de origen en Loja Ecuador
Visitaremos el restaurante Dumas en Loja y publicaremos nuestros comentarios próximamente. Por ahora y con respecto al tema del café Lojano quiero mencionar que ahí se toma otra marca de café Lojano delicioso:
El Cafe Surapo de Chaguarpamba
El cerro Surapo también llamado “Pan de Azúcar” es un componente importante del paisaje de Chaguarpamba, uno de los cantones de la provincia de Loja.
Al pie de este cerro esta ubicado el cafetal de Iván Rojas, productor del café Surapo con quien hable en el hall de la prefectura de Loja.
Iván Rojas y Pierre Volter – Cafe Surapo Chaguarpamba
El produce 2 variedades de café: el así llamado “natural” y el así llamado “lavado” o “pergamino”, “gourmet”, “especial”. El café Surapo se cultiva en Chaguarpamba pero se procesa en Catamayo.
El café “natural” es el café mas común en Ecuador, secado “naturalmente” en el sol (ver el episodio 1 del reportaje video de Gringo al SUR en la piladora León donde se ve esta forma de secar las cerezas de café). Este proceso se llama “la vía seca”.
El café “lavado” requiere mas trabajo pues hay que primero lavar las cerezas, es decir quitar toda la pulpa de la fruta, y luego secar las semillas. Este proceso se llama “vía húmeda” y resulta en un café “gourmet”, supuestamente mejor y mas costoso, aunque las opiniones pueden ser discrepantes (ver nuestro comentario AQUÍ).
Iván Rojas – Cafe Especial Surapo Chaguarpamba
A pesar de su precio mas alto, me comento Iván, la gente nacional compra este café especial.
Esta semana estoy desayunando cada día con una rica taza del café Surapo lavado que me regalo Iván. Yo no soy ni catador ni barista y dejaré a los especialistas la responsabilidad de etiquetar este café con las palabras técnicas correctas. Solo voy a decir que me gusta, que no me parece ni demasiado ácido ni amargo, tiene una buena “presencia”, es decir que me llena la boca y no tengo la impresión de tomar agua colorida insípida.
Un pequeño detalle que quisiera mencionar. Para abrir el paquete de café no tuve que luchar con tijeras, el paquete del Surapo lavado es el mejor envase de café que he visto hasta ahora, se abre sin esfuerzo, solo con los dedos sin cortar nada y luego se resella fácilmente para conservar el sabor.
Lo probé también en Dumas Trattoría y Restaurante. Ellos utilizan el café natural y lo preparan con la maquina de expreso lo que para mi es muy bueno. Ademas me lo sirvieron con uno de estos riquísimos postres que Roberto prepara con maestría. Al final para mi es como le digo siempre a mi esposa cuando me pregunta mi opinión sobre un vestido. Le digo que hay que verlo puesto porque depende de la chica 🙂 . De la misma manera, un café expreso de calidad se disfruta mejor cuando esta acompañado del postre adecuado (o del tamal, de la humita, de la empanada de viento, del quesillo o de lo que sea la tradición para ustedes que me leen) y ademas tomado en un lugar acogedor.
Ecuador ha sido un país productor y exportador (mayormente de café verde) desde mucho tiempo. Pero consumidor no tanto. La maquina de expreso es un fenómeno nuevo y se encuentra en pocos lugares, básicamente en los centros urbanos nada mas. La disponibilidad de un buen café expreso ayuda al turismo porque muchos extranjeros, especialmente Europeos y Norte Americanos, están acostumbrados a consumir este tipo de café de alta calidad. Por eso es bueno que Loja, el primer productor de café del Ecuador, se interese mas en el aspecto del consumo y no solamente a los aspectos de producción y de venta.
Así que poco a poco se están abriendo en Loja mas lugares de consumo de un café de calidad. Hay lugares que no son nuevos sino que se están enfocando mas que antes en el tema del café. Cuando el equipo de bbxmusic.com con el transcurso del tiempo vaya descubriendo mas lugares como estas cafeterías, trataremos de incluirlas en nuestra guía.
Café Bourbon Arte Latte
Los mejores lugares para tomar un café de origen en Loja Ecuador
Creado por el primer barista certificado de la ciudad de Loja, Hubert Ontaneda, el Café Bourbon Arte Latte es un lugar acogedor con muy linda decoración ubicado a mas o menos 6 cuadras del parque central de Loja, en la avenida Orillas Del Zamora. Ahí se venden los cafés de origen Arábigo León Toledo y Uchima, dos marcas de café creadas por la familia León de Vilcabamba, y también se prepara una variedad de tazas, desde el tradicional café filtrado hasta el expreso corto y el capuchino.
La originalidad de este lugar es que Hubert hace todo de forma exacta, se podría decir casi científica. Todo esta controlado, el numero de lote de la fabricación, la cantidad exacta de café en el filtro (Hubert utiliza una balanza), la temperatura del agua, el tiempo de filtración etc… Los resultados son espectaculares en términos de sabores pero también con respeto a la experiencia. De hecho, la preparación se hace “a la manera Japonesa”, es decir todo frente al cliente. Hubert pone todo el equipo necesario en la mesa frente a los clientes y ahí mismo se preparan las tazas.
Donde saborear un delicioso café de origen en Loja Ecuador
Le felicitamos por la originalidad de su forma de trabajar y le deseamos un gran éxito.
“… me llena de orgullo poder decir ante todo el mundo lo asombroso y maravilloso que es sentirme Lojano cafetero, caficultor, y soñador al poner un granito de arena para conservar y aportar al desarrollo de nuestra hermosa ciudad… ” Hubert Ontenada.
Dirección: Av. Orillas Del Zamora Y Virgilio Abarca, LOJA
En las crisis mientras unos lloran otros venden pañuelos.
Si ustedes quieren “vender pañuelos” en lugar de llorar, ya es tiempo de dejar de quejarse de la crisis y ponerse en marcha.
No se olviden que es ahora que se están sembrando las semillas que harán florecer su negocio rentable mañana, en el próximo año y en la próxima década. En otras palabras:
Hoy es el mañana de ayer
¿No es verdad? Entonces es lo que hicimos o NO hicimos ayer que determina lo que estamos viviendo en este día. Y es lo que hacemos en este momento que determinará lo que viviremos mañana.
Nosotros, el equipo de bbxmusic.com, hemos decidido que no nos dejaremos aplastar por esta crisis económica que esta afectando a todos en este año 2016 en nuestro lindo país Ecuador. Mantenemos la sonrisa y tratamos de hacer las cosas con mas eficiencia para lograr mejores resultados con menos recursos. De esto se trata.
Nuestro mensaje – Nuestra Propuesta
Tu negocio ha bajado, no hay tantas ventas como antes, los clientes no vienen y si vienen no compran mucho.
¡Achachay! ¿Que vamos a hacer?
La respuesta que ofrecemos es sencilla y practica:
mejora tu imagen
hazte conocer de otra forma
saca tu negocio a relucir
se mejor y diferente de los que lloran
Y todo esto sin gastar mucha plata. ¿Es posible?
Si, es posible gracias a un buen marketing digital.
Todo el mundo puede hacer una “Paginita Facebook” con fotos de baja calidad y poca información útil. Hay miles y miles de estas páginas en el Internet. ¿Funcionan? Mas o menos. Es cierto que reciben “me gusta” de la gente, quizá reciben buenos comentarios … Y es bueno, no estamos diciendo que una página FB no sirva. Pero los posts en FB son muy efímeros especialmente en los grupos. Tu post pronto desaparece bajo un montón de otras publicaciones y la gente se olvida. Se necesita algo mas permanente.
Proponemos lo siguiente:
redacciones detalladas con fotos de buena calidad
redacciones en Español y en Inglés profesional
vídeos y entrevistas.
publicación efectiva en el Internet con técnicas de optimización de motores de búsqueda
Publicaremos la redacción de tu negocio en varias páginas web visitadas por gente Lojana y extranjera. Y por supuesto, una vez que un buen articulo bilingüe esta elaborado y publicado por nosotros, tu también puedes compartirlo en cualquier red social.
Y lo mejor de todo es que este tipo de promoción que ofrecemos no cuesta una fortuna y trabaja por ti todo el año.
Visita nuestra página para ver algunos ejemplos de nuestro trabajo. Te damos los enlaces a continuación.
Contactanos ahora !
Para contactarnos, haz clic AQUI y escribe tu mensaje.
Si prefieres nos puedes contactar también por nuestra pagina de Facebook
Todoloja ayuda a los negocios Lojanos a superar la crisis económica
A continuación algunos ejemplos de nuestras redacciones
Tu farmacia en Vilcabamba – Tres generaciones de la mejor atención
¿No es cierto que odiamos estar enfermos? La medicina natural, una buena dieta y una vida sana es seguramente la mejor manera de mantener una buena salud.
Sin embargo a veces necesitamos ayuda de la farmacia. En este caso es momento de hablar con Guicela Riofrío de la farmacia Reina del Cisne en Vilcabamba. Es una mujer competente, comprometida, dulce y muy paciente.
Para saber mas, lee nuestra redacción detallada en AQUÍ
AGAVEBLU – Comida Mexicana Autentica Orgánica en Vilcabamba
La comida mexicana toca todos los sentidos, y sin duda tocó todos los míos cuando tuve la oportunidad de probar una selección de algunos de los mejores platos del restaurante AgaveBlu. La presentación fue tan impresionante que me quedé observando por un momento la variedad de colores y de texturas de los diferentes platos….
Para saber mas, lee nuestra redacción detallada en AQUÍ
La Ramada de Noé – Jambeli Machala – Paraíso en Ecuador
Ubicada en la Provincia del Oro, Machala es la ciudad costera más cercana a Loja. Se tarda alrededor de 6 horas en autobús desde Loja para llegar hasta allí con la cooperativa Loja Internacional. Luego un corto paseo en taxi ($ 3) al puerto (Puerto Bolívar) y la verdadera diversión empieza. Una lancha pequeña pero cómoda le llevará desde el puerto hasta la isla de Jambeli. Solamente se tarda unos 20 minutos, pero querría que tome más tiempo porque el paisaje es realmente impresionante.
Para saber mas, lee nuestra redacción detallada en AQUÍ
Studio K Loja Iluminación – Que se hagan la luz y la música
¿No es verdad que a todos nos gusta que nuestra casa sea acogedora, un lugar donde podamos sentirnos bien y relajarnos? Si nos fijamos en la iluminación y audio de calidad en nuestro hogar, necesitamos a un experto con la capacidad de diseñar y ofrecer algo distinto, original, chévere, moderno, … Studio K en Loja es sin duda alguna un lugar a considerar.
Para saber mas, lee nuestra redacción detallada en AQUÍ
Lighting – Design – Automation – Sound – Ambience – Remote Control – Home Theater – Intelligent Home
Don’t we all love our home to be nice, to be a place where we feel good and can relax?
Of course the criteria vary enormously from one person to another with respect to what exactly makes one feel good at home. Having said that, to a certain extend I believe that we all agree that lighting is an important part of it, being the latest hi-tech-state-of-the-art-remote-controlled-LED-system all the way down to oil or Himalaya salt lamps and candles. It is all about lighting and the common denominator is to create the ambience that we love.
As you probably guess from the headline photo, Studio K in Loja does not sell candles and oil lamps. They do offer an astonishing range of modern lighting options for most tastes and budgets. Their lighting systems can be automated and remote controlled from any smartphone.
Audio
Once the light is good, it is no less important to think about the sound. Studio K is I believe the only company in Loja offering hifi audio solutions and mid to up-market home theaters, not the most expensive systems in the world but very good ones. “The best quality/price ratio on the market”.
Studio K – Marantz entry level home theater (the smallest of 3)
“The brands that we have in audio are Monitor Audio (speakers from the UK, Marantz (Amplifiers USA), Denon (now fused with Marantz) and also SpeakerCraft (in-wall in-ceiling speaker systems, USA)”.
Design
Getting the best results is not a matter of throwing lights and speakers all over the place, the more the merrier. Design is the name of the game. Studio K does the design free of charge, meaning that they go to your house, take photos, draw some sketches, get back to you with ideas, listen to your feedback, change the drawings … until getting to a final agreed design with a price that suits the family budget.
This is it in a nutshell but there is more to it. Time to to meet Israel Reyes, the owner of Studio K Loja, and listen to what he has to say. Israel is a young and clever engineer. Listening to him it becomes immediately obvious that he loves what he does and that he knows what he is talking about. I did no tell him that I am an engineer too. I played “middle of the road reasonably educated customer” and did not hear anything incorrect or exaggerated in what Israel told me. You won’t find a lot of that in tech shops around Loja.
Studio K Loja – Israel Reyes manager – a young dedicated and smart engineer
Studio K in Loja is only one year old. It is a franchise of Studio K in Quito, created by a German. The company in Quito has been operating for 33 years. There is another Studio K in Manta.
Lighting
This is their first and main area of expertise. I won’t attempt to describe all that is available. It is all modern, either white or black, some but few colors, no flowery designs, no strong reds, no plastic, nothing pop.
“That is what people want around here”, Israel explains, that is what the architects and the designers, their main customers, seek. Straight lines, some smooth curves. Nothing cheap but nothing horrendously expensive either. For example, the lamp that we see on the photo above costs $200. It is very nice and comes with a warm LED light bulb and of course it can be dimmed. There are cheaper and more expensive options.
“There are two things that are exclusive to us, the design and the automation. We provide the design free of charge and our lighting systems can be remote controlled”.
Installation
“A cozy home has light elements in the ceiling, in the floor and inside the walls. With this combination of elements providing light from different angles, we can create really cozy and stylish ambiences.”
Then, it is a matter of combining lighting with sound. This can be a home theater, a stereo system or a multi-stereo system, one that is distributed throughout the entire house.
With the various possibilities of automation (in wall dimmers, remote control by phone) of both lights and sound, it is easy to understand that things can become rather complex indeed. This is why Studio K has a specialized installation team.
Studio K – Electricians specialized in installation of remote controlled lighting and audio systems
Combining with classic or rustic designs
Saying that what I have seen is all modern does not mean that it cannot be combined with more rustic or even antique “Louis 15” designs. This is important to mention for foreigners living in Cuenca or in Vilcabamba who seem to like more the type of natural rustic earthy and woody architecture.
Typical design at San Joaquin Vilcabamba
A few years ago, Joe Simoneta showed me his San Joaquin development in Vilcabamba. He is an architect and uses a lot of timber in his designs.
I revisited some old photos that I have and looked at the lighting.
It struck me that the type of house that is common there could readily benefit from the inclusion of some of what I saw in Studio K showroom.
Rustic adobe house in Vilcabamba
Adobe blocks, rammed earth, guadua bamboo and other earthy type homes would not be hurt either. It is all a matter of creativity.
LEDs and energy saving light bulbs
First, a brief mention of the so called “energy saving light bulb” that is so widespread in Ecuador. It is a fluorescent tube, it contains mercury vapor, the light that it produces is cold, unpleasant and harmful to your health. It does save energy compared to the incandescent light but because of the mercury that inevitably always ends up in the environment it should not really be called a green solution. I hope it disappears soon from residential properties. Their use can still be justified in offices and factories.
LED (Light Emitting Diode) is another thing altogether. It is not really new but the world of LEDs has changed a lot over the past few years. They are no longer prohibitively expensive and no longer white, cold and weak. Israel showed me some rather good looking and small spots that consume 5 Watts of energy and give a strong yellow warm light just light the old Thomas Edison light bulb.
Studio K dimmable LEDs
Studio K even sells a range of LED lights that can be dimmed (dimmable LED light bulbs) which is not the case for those that can be found in the hardware shops. They last forever and pay for themselves on the reduced power bills.
Why not enjoy a nice romantic diner by the candle LED?
The show room
Time for a tour of the showroom upstairs which also happens to be the Reyes family home, lucky them! A huge modern and bright room, all open, with a kitchen, an office, a dining room and a small cinema.
Here, Israel explains that they can demonstrate both the remote controlled lighting and the audio/home theater together. People can even try it out on their own phone. Israel rapidly installs the Lutron app and configures it. It gives people a real thrill and sense of ownership to drive all the lights and the sound from their own phone.
Remote controlled lights
“The Audio is usually the masculine part and the man is the one who decides whereas the lighting appeals more to the female side and it is the woman who decides… For budget reason he may have to drop one sub woofer in order for her to get that foot lamp that she so much desires!”. It is all about negotiation !
Of course I could not help asking for a demo. Israel launched YouTube that popped up on his larger than life monitor and selected one of my own songs. We sat in the couches and it took half a second for the dog to jump on my knees and settle there. It was day time. I would love to go back once at night time. It must be even better.
Enjoying the Studio K 7.2 Home Theater
Life can be good 🙂
Conclusion
There is so much more to say. This is by no mean an exhaustive review of what Studio K has on offer. More like a teaser. Better to see and hear for yourself. Israel is a very approachable person and will be delighted to show you all his wonderful gadgets. If you look for quality lighting, quality audio, need someone knowledgeable who can design and deliver something cool, trendy, modern, original, energy efficient … for your home, Studio K in Loja is definitely a place to consider.
Contacts
STUDIO K – Loja
Juan Jose Peña 13-52 y Leopoldo Palacios
Do pharmacies have a heart? Or are they just pill pushers? Most modern pharmacies appear to be in the business of selling as many drugs as they can per unit of time.
Not so at Reina del Cisne in Vilcabamba. This is family business since 4 generations and its current owner, Guicela Riofrio, is definitely a lady with a heart who runs her business with a gentle hand.
Where indeed, more than in a pharmacy, does one need good friendly and discrete attention? You go there with your boo-boos, your ailments, your intimate problems. Are you expected to spit it all out to some hurried employee dressed in white overall in the middle of a crowd?
At the pharmacy Reina del Cisne you will be attended by the owner herself. She has plenty of experience, plenty of patience and will do her best to make you feel that you are in good hands. As per my usual way of collecting information for a write-up, I gave her a live interview with the camera and invited her to tell me about her story and her day to day professional life.
Guicela Riofrio
Guicela is Nelly Toledo’s daughter, the person we see on the right side of the photo below. Mrs. Toledo has dedicated her life to pharmacy as well and so had her own mother. Today, Nelly’s daughter has taken that role with the help of her own eldest daughter who we see on the left. Her youngest, also on the photo, albeit still too young to participate is no doubt watching, listening and learning.
Three generations working together to provide the best service
I spent a few hours in the pharmacy watching people coming in and out. It was entertaining I must say. I was amused to watch one of two young guys who were sitting drinking beer on the pavement opposite to the pharmacy stand up, walk to the pharmacy and ask for “two pills for the liver”. One lady popped out of a car to buy two “pills for the flu” (whatever that might be)… There is a pill for everything. Then an old lady, “Luchita” was her name, needed new rubber gloves for her kitchen but had trouble remembering her size. So Guicela spent about 15 minutes assessing whether a number 7 or a number 8 was best putting the lady’s hand on top of the shrink wrapped gloves.
Trying out the rubber gloves
Privacy is important, she told me. “Many times, people only want to talk to me. We move a little to a corner so that no one can hear. Some times they want to show me a pimp, a lesion, some rash and that is not something people want to do in public of course”.
Watching these people I mentioned above buying “liver pills” or “flu pills” didn’t sound too good to my natural medicine oriented ears and made me want to ask Guicela about the status of health in general around Vilcabamba. She told me that it was not very good. Constipation, fatty liver, parasites in children, psychological problems as well, there is a whole range of ailments in this small paradise of Vilcabamba.
Natural medicine and pharmaceuticals, are they compatible ?
I asked here whether in her opinion there was a contradiction between natural medicine and the use of pharmaceuticals. She said no, they go hand in hand.
“Normally, people here go for natural remedies first and when it does not work they go to see the doctor”.
“In the case of fatty liver for example, if they don’t eat less fatty food and fried stuff they won’t get better fast. They can take silimarin and B complex tablets and it will help but it is a slow process…”
I wish to make a small parenthesis here. I am not Ecuadorian, I am from Belgium and I liaise with expats in Vilcabamba and Loja, some of whom are knowledgeable in the field of natural health. These people would absolutely not agree that natural medicine and pharmaceuticals go hand in hand. On one hand, strictly speaking and in an absolute world I don’t agree either. We know that tablets interfere with the body and make natural medicine less effective.
On the other hand we don’t live in an absolute world. Now that I have observed Guicela’s world, I understand it better. It is a relative world made of real people and made out of compromises. She knows that it would be better to tell people to stop smoking, stop drinking, eat less bad fatty acids and fried stuff, eat less white rice and white bread, turn the cellphone off, go for a walk, just to give a few examples. Less pills would be necessary. She knows that and certainly does advise people about these things day in day out. It is hard though to change people’s habits. In this context of relativity, what she says about natural medicine and drugs being complementary makes sense.
“Many people come to me because they know that I try to give them other options, not just drugs”.
A few natural products available at the pharmacy Reina del Cisne
To me this pragmatic, realistic attitude that takes into account people’s bad habits, while at the same time advising them of the other options they might have, is really what is needed in a place like Vilcabamba. That is the attitude that I witnessed. Sometime you have to give people the pill that they’re asking.
What? Anxiety and depression in Vilcabamba?
“There are many people with depression here… Family problems … Economical problems … the husband drinks … no help is available … children don’t do well at school …. “.
“Normally I try to give people something natural like valerian passionflower and chamomile… Mind altering drugs no! I almost don’t work with these.”
She surprised me when she said:
“… it is not so much the locals but more the foreigners that seem to suffer of anxiety and depression … It saddens me to watch some people getting worse over the years… There is a problem with alcohol as well”.
One in the morning and one at night
I asked her about her English. She laughed and told that she does understand most of what people say and can speak enough to explain a posology for example: “one tablet in the morning with breakfast and one at night”.
Enemas – Colon cleanse kit
A product that the pharmacy has sold a lot albeit almost exclusively to foreigners is the enema kit.
Colon cleanse or Enema Kit
With this kit, one can do a coffee enema. This is an ancient therapy that can be dated as far back as the Egyptian Pharaohs. Enemas are not a new fad or something that’s only performed by those obsessed with their health. It wasn’t that long ago that enemas were routinely prescribed by doctors as part of a normal cure for illness.
The enema can safely be done at home. It bears no risk whatsoever and in many cases can be very effective almost immediately. Suzy Cohen, also known as “America’s Pharmacist,” declares that coffee enemas are safe when performed by holistic physicians and even at home in her Ask The Pharmacist column. Cohen goes on to say that coffee enemas can be used as therapeutic treatment for a number of conditions, like constipation, fatigue, liver detoxification, and even cancer. Research has confirmed the effectiveness of administering therapeutic agents through the colon instead of the mouth.
If you haven’t tried before and are interested to give it a try, please contact us or contact Guicela who will contact us.
Conclusion
Guicela Riofrio – Reina del Cisne – Pharmacy with a heart in Vilcabamba Ecuador
At pharmacy Reina del Cisne, you will find something special that has become rare in our modern world: quality service and professionalism delivered by a real human being with a heart who can listen to you and give you sensible advice.
English version
Guicela Riofrio
