Tourism Archives - bbxmusic Ecuador

Zaruma Ecuador- A gem not far from Loja (part 1)

Español AQUI NO es una traducción humana!

Part 1

Zaruma is a small city of approximately 22,000 people in the province of El Oro. For those who don’t know, the El Oro province is just next to the Loja province and is one part mountain (sierra) and one part coast. Machala is this province main city and is on the coast whereas Zaruma is in the mountains.

How to get there

It is extremely easy to go to Zaruma from Loja. Everybody knows how to get to Catamayo which because it is where the airport is located. From Catamayo one needs to drive to San Pedro de la Bendita, then to El Cisne and finally to Portovelo/Zaruma

It takes about 4 hours from Catamayo to Zaruma however I recommend to allow more time because there is a lot to see in between.

Zaruma El Oro Map — How to get there : Loja -> Catamayo -> El Cisne -> Portovelo -> Zaruma

Zaruma in just a few words

For the impatient here is what Zaruma is all about:

a wonderful climate, warm just like Vilcabamba or even better with more water and greener vegetation (a bit like Zamora but not so humid)
stunning architectural landscape made out of traditional wooden houses and buildings
lovely relaxed atmosphere
friendly people
not expensive (unlike Vilcabamba)
not far from Loja, if you can go to Zamora and think it is not too far, then going to Zaruma will not look like the end of the world
food traditions and great coffee
gold, silver, copper and other minerals

On the way to Zaruma

The great thing about going to Zaruma is that the trip is really nice. Here below are a few photos that I took on the way

El Cisne

Regardless of your personal religious beliefs, if you saw what I saw, you’d have to admit that the display of faith that can be seen in el Cisne in September each year is something truly amazing. I was told that 1.5 million people visit the cathedral each year around that time. What can be seen on the right side of the first photo above is a line of parked buses. There are hundreds of them. People sleep anywhere they can, on the floor, they sell esteras (straw mats) to sleep on. Every single room or corner of a room is for rent. It is an unbelievable display and I was so lucky to drive through El Cisne just at the right time of the year

In the clouds

After El Cisne, we drive to Ambocas which is the boundary between the Loja province and the El Oro province. The road is unsealed for approx 30 km. I don’t understand why with such an important event taking place each year in El Cisne, they still haven’t managed to seal this important connection between the coast and Loja. Going from Loja to El Cisne is a breeze but going from Zaruma to El Cisne requires about 1 hour of unnecessary suffering on this 30 km long stretch of dirt road. The remaining part after that is perfect all the way to Zaruma.

Immediately after El Cisne you find yourself on high land with absolutely stunning views above the clouds that are close to impossible to convey with photos.

The peace and the silence are impressive. An eagle was flying above us and granted us enough time to take a good shot of him. In Spanish Eagle is “Aguila” hence the design below.

From there we drive though a few small villages like Santa Teresita and get to the end of the Loja province. We cross a bridge and we are in Ambocas.

Ambocas

In Ambocas there is a nice waterfall well worth visiting. It is only 15 minutes from the main road (5 minutes by car and then 10 minutes walk). There you can relax, have a picnic and take a dip. On week days it is deserted but on week-ends the place is quite popular, so beware !

Zaruma

From Ambocas, the road is very good again and in no time we get to Portovelo then shortly after to Zaruma.

Portovelo is nothing really special at first sight and we did not spend any time there. Zaruma is different. It has this “wow factor”. It is really pretty, quite stunning I would say.

Here is a view from the distance:

As you can see, Zaruma is perched on a hill. It is actually quite steep, full of narrow streets, pedestrian steps etc… One has to keep fit to live in Zaruma !

In the distance on the left side of the photo above you can see “the dark side of Zaruma” as I would call it, the green looking ponds containing the effluents of the mining industry. Of course these ponds leak and they contaminate the aquifers. How serious is the problem I don’t know. I haven’t done any research but this is something that is mentioned on web sites (e.g. http://www.elcomercio.com/tendencias/zaruma-ecuador-ciudad-atractivos-turismo.html).

Zaruma Downtown

Wandering around downtown Zaruma is fantastic. The buildings, the clocks, the museums, the churches, the streets, the shops, the restaurants, the hotels everything is pretty. One could almost feel like being in Switzerland. Actually, one of Zaruma traditional dishes is called “Tigrillo”. It is quite a cheesy dish I must say, not as much as the Swiss Fondue but pretty close. So yes, Switzerland is not too bad a comparison.

Zaruma El Oro Ecuador - Parque Central — Zaruma Ecuador- A gem not far from Loja

Even the internet cafe is different, all wooden, all traditional, pretty.

To be continued …

Comments

Do you wish to comment or share some experience? Please leave your message in the section below. You can also contact us through our web page here.

Subscribe to our newsletter

If you wish to be informed about what goes on at bbxmusic.com and receive quality information about Vilcabamba, the city of Loja and the entire Loja province in Ecuador, please do subscribe here.

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Sweet Potato – Living Healthy in Vilcabamba and Loja Ecuador

Español AQUI NO es una traducción humana!

Todoloja researches the topics of health and longevity in this part of the world (Loja Ecuador).

Good health starts with good nutrition.

SWEET POTATOES – DID YOU KNOW?

Sweet potatoes are native to Central and South America and are one of the oldest vegetables known to man. They have been consumed since prehistoric times as evidenced by sweet potato relics dating back 10,000 years that have been discovered in Peruvian caves.

Sweet Potato - Living Healthy in Vilcabamba and Loja — Camote – sweet potato

Sweet potatoes belong to an entirely different food family than either yams or the common potato that is (unfortunately) such a large part of the common diet.

One difficulty in describing the health benefits of sweet potatoes is knowing where to begin. There are a surprising number of nutrient categories responsible for the health benefits of this underappreciated tuber. Among these categories are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. Each category brings with it valuable health benefits.

Here in Vilcabamba they grow like weed. On our land, we don’t pay too much attention to them and let them go wild and out of control most of the time but we should give them more care. They deserve it. Despite of that, today we extracted this monster from our ground in Sacapo, San Pedro de Vilcabamba.

I want to add that there is nothing healthier and more fun apparently for a young child than spending time outside in the “huerto”. This is one of the things that people living in cities have lost. The children are weaker and get sick more often.

One of the factors of longevity is certainly :

More time outside and better food.

Comments

Do you wish to comment or share some experience? Please leave your message in the section below. You can also contact us through our web page here.

Subscribe to our newsletter

If you wish to be informed about what goes on at bbxmusic.com and receive quality information about Vilcabamba, the city of Loja and the entire Loja province in Ecuador, please do subscribe here.

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Pharmacy in Loja – By the people and for the people

English version

Español AQUI

Only a few meters from the “centro comercial” main entrance in Loja, there is a pharmacy. The place is small indeed, so small that you may never have noticed it but his owner is not small and I don’t mean size-wise. Ramiro Delgado is what I would not hesitate to call a “great man”. On this beautiful sunny day I truly enjoyed spending a couple of hours with him.

Ramiro has done many things in his life and occupied important functions. For example, he was involved in writing the Ecuadorian constitution in 2008 in Montecristi and he has been the owner of a 5 floor business in central Loja with an ice cream parlor, a restaurant, a children playground, a dance club… but this place, this small pharmacy is truly his and he explains that it is in this place that he can truly be himself.

“Why own 10 businesses? To live with a level of stress of 500% ? No. It is better to be able to freely say hello to a friend, lend a hand to an elderly to help him cross the road. And be the person I have always been“.

Pharmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador - Ramiro Delgado — Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador – Ramiro Delgado

“My father was a wise man and he used to say that money only has two virtues: it poisons the soul and kills the feelings. Because when you have money you think that you can buy it all, you lose the capacity to love, you lose the capacity to respect and fell compassion.”

So once again in this small third-world country called Ecuador, I found myself exchanging profound ideas with a great and wise man in the middle of a nothing place next to a popular market where people go to buy their potatoes and their chicken. How amazing!

Let’s take a look at the place this man is running, shall we? It is a pharmacy, “the people’s pharmacy” is its name, la “farmacia del pueblo”, but we shall see that it is much more than just a pharmacy. It has all the expected pharmaceuticals for sure but also a range of natural products. We don’t have the space to list them all here and I strongly advise the reader to pay Ramiro a visit and check him out. Below is an example of a popular plant-based products that help people sleep better.

Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador - Pharmacueticals and Natural Products — Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador – Pharmaceuticals and Natural Products

Secondly, it is a small bank, two banks more precisely: Banco de Guayaquil and Banco de Pinchincha. In this pharmacy people come to make deposits and perform other types of transactions without having to queue in a main branch and with the possibility to talk to a real flesh-bone-and-heart human being instead of a human-like robot.

Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador - Banco de Guayaquil y Banco de Pinchincha — Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador – Banco de Guayaquil y Banco de Pinchincha

Thirdly, Ramiro makes copies of most types of keys with an automatic machine.

Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador - Key cutting — Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador – Key cutting

Finally and just as importantly, it is a place where everybody smiles and just that is a therapy that no medicine in the world can beat !

Farmacia del Pueblo Loja Ecuador — Pharmacy in Loja – By the people and for the people

So check him out next time you go to the market or have a need for medicinal products. His English is not great he does admit but he can understand you if you speak slowly.

Comments

Do you wish to comment or share some experience? Please leave your message in the section below. You can also contact us through our web page here.

Subscribe to our newsletter

If you wish to be informed about what goes on at bbxmusic.com and receive quality information about Vilcabamba, the city of Loja and the entire Loja province in Ecuador, please do subscribe here.

Síganos en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todoloja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Simple tips to identify dangerous snakes in Vilcabamba Loja Ecuador

English version

Español AQUI

Let’s be clear and upfront. I am not a snake specialist. I live near Vilcabamba, a small village in the Loja province of southern Ecuador. My house is on a large piece of rural land (una finca) surrounded by beautiful wilderness and yes there are snakes (and scorpions and spiders).

Having said that, I took some time to try to identify simple ways to tell whether one snake specimen is deadly or totally harmless, something that you must admit is good to know when you encounter one.

Like I said, I am no specialist and this write-up is no attempt to cover the subject exhaustively. It is rather an attempt to make simple and easy to understand something scary and apparently complicated. Readers will tell me if I succeeded.

I roamed the land for years without ever bumping into one of those creatures until one day finally I almost stepped on one very large Bothrops Asper, the one that they call here the Macanche, that was having a nap in the sun right in the middle of my road a few meters only from my front door. It was 2 meters long approximately (no I did NOT measure it with a tape) and its body must have been around 10 cm – 15 cm diameter. After a moment of sheer panic, I went to get my camera and since I could see that the creature was very calm and in no way about to jump on me, I sat down a few meters from her and took some photos.

I say “her” because I now know that only the females of that species can be that large. I had no idea then that I was looking at one of the deadliest snake on the planet, let alone a large specimen of it. My instinct was telling me that she could feel my energy and since my energy was good nothing bad would happen. I was very curious I must admit. So below, there she is just like I found her.

Equis Bothrops Asper- Macanche - Vilcabamba Loja Ecuador — Bothrops Asper – Here they call it “MACANCHE”

After a few years without seeing another Equis, recently I had my second encounter, a smaller specimen this time. I had a better camera with me with a better zoom and I took some good close-ups. On the photo below, the shape of the pupil can be seen and it is vertical which is an important parameter.

Todoloja - Simple tips to identify snakes in Vilcabamba Loja Ecuador — Todoloja – Simple tips to identify snakes in Vilcabamba Loja Ecuador

On the photo just above as well as the almost all of them, two reddish dots can be seen between the eyes and the nostrils. This is one of the most important identification attributes. These are called “loreal pits” or “Jacobson’s organ” and are part of the sensory organs along with the tongue that my friend is precisely pulling out in one of the photos above. Using these organs they can sense you and I guess this is also how they “feel” your fear or lack thereof maybe through the pheromones that you emit I am not sure.

To identify a snake one has to look at the shape of the head, the shape of the eyes and the tail, easier said than done I know but that is what it is.

The head and the eyes

Equis has big triangular flat head that sticks out. That is a bad sign. Whereas harmless snakes have a spoon shaped head.

Equis has elliptical vertical pupils as opposed to round pupils. That is another bad sign.

Equis has the two reddish dots, the pits, and that is yet another bad sign.

To compare let’s have a look at another friend who I found comfortably sleeping in my roof right above my head. Our house is a rustic house made of adobe blocks with a sugar cane straw roof and it had been left empty for a long time which is why the snake made it its home.

Harmless snake - Dormilona — Harmless snake – Dormilona

The head is smaller and spoon-shaped rather than sharply triangular, not that much wider than the body, meaning that there is no room inside this snake’s mouth for the venom glands. It also has round eyes.

The one below which we found in a stack of timber in our shed is also harmless. It is a banded cat-eyed snake, totally harmless. It is called cat-eyed because … hmm … it has eyes that look like the eyes of a cat. It also has a relatively small head that does not stick out so much.

The tail

Admittedly the tail is not often easy to see because snake have a natural tendency to make a tight roll of themselves.

Below is the same macanche but this time we can clearly see that her tail is thick and short.

Bothrops Asper- Macanche - Vilcabamba Loja Ecuador — Macanche – Thick and short tail

On the other hand, this one which I found in a water reservoir that I was letting dry in order to do some maintenance has obviously a thin and very long tail. That is good. Equis has a short and thick tail, meaning that the body does not get thinner and thinner over a large part of the body but stays pretty much the same thickness and then ends in a short tail. On the specimen below it is clear that roughly as much as 25% of the body length could be considered the tail.

Harmless Snake - Vilcabamba Loja Ecuador — Harmless Snake – Vilcabamba Loja Ecuador

It is also green and has a small head. Another thing I noticed is that to make matters worse, the bad guys don’t move and just sit completely still whereas the good guys tend to run away. Too bad it is not the other way round.

To sum it up

Look at the head: flat, big, triangular, sticking out IS BAD
Look at the eyes: round pupil is GOOD, elliptical vertical pupil is BAD
Look at the pits: two reddish dots between the eyes and the mouth is BAD
Look at the tail: long and thin is GOOD / short and thick is BAD (*)

(*) A trick to remember which one is what is to think about the rattlesnake that everybody knows is dangerous and makes a rattling sound with its tail.

It would be hard to shake the tail and make that sound if the tail was long and thin, much easier with a short one.

So to remember: short and thick = DANGER, long and thin = SAFE.

Unfortunately there is one exception

Hey, life would not be fun if it was that easy, would it?

In Ecuador, we have the pleasure to host a wonderful and deadly snake that is called the CORAL

One day we were enjoying our breakfast on the porch when this guy just “walked by” as if nothing. I followed him and took some shots. Here he is:

Serpiente Snake Coral (this one is dangerous)

As can be seen it has a long thin tail and we cannot see it on the photo but it also has a small head. However it is very easy to identify because of its beautiful colors.

Coral snake - Loja Ecuador — Coral snake – Loja Ecuador

So beware of that one !

Any comments? Want to share some experience? Please post here below.

Appreciated.

Síganos en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todoloja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Dumas Restaurant – French Italian Gastronomy in Loja Ecuador

English version

Español AQUI

Watch our photo album (3 minutes)

Who has not heard of Italian and French cuisine?

“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.

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.

Dumas Restaurant - Bourbon Ribs — French Italian Gastronomy in Loja Ecuador

Dumas Restaurant - Pizza — Making 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 piedra — Dumas – Pizza a la piedra

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 — 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 — 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.

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 — 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 Trattoria and Restaurant in Loja Ecuador — Dumas Restaurant – A cozy place of French and Italian cuisine in Loja Ecuador

Dumas Restaurant - Traditional lunch with a gourmet touch in Loja Ecuador — Dumas 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

Síganos en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/todoloja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Dumas Restaurant – A gentle gourmet touch in Loja Ecuador

English version

Español AQUI

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 — 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 — 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 ?

Lomito de cerdo con salsa de ciruela - pork tenderloin with plum sauce — 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 — 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 in Loja Ecuador - Classy Service — 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 — 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 Restaurante en Loja Ecuador - El almuerzo momento feliz — Dumas Restaurant in Loja Ecuador – Lunch and Happiness

Dumas Restaurant in Loja Ecuador - Time for all generations to share family moments — Dumas Restaurant in Loja Ecuador – Time for all generations to share great family moments

Dumas - todo el mundo esta riendo y pasando un buen rato — Everybody 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 Restaurante Loja — Dumas Restaurant – A gentle gourmet touch in Loja Ecuador

Contacts

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

AGAVEBLU – Exquisite Organic Mexican Food in Vilcabamba

English version

Español AQUI

D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s

Fresh

Healthy

Colorful

O r g a n i c

Tasty

“We are blessed by the food gods … The whole world is waking up to the infinite possibilities that are inhered in the cuisine of Mexico” Greg.

Mexican food touches all your senses and it certainly touched all of mine when I was given the opportunity to sample a selection of some of AgaveBlu best dishes. The presentation was impeccable, it was as much something that I wanted to look at as something that I wanted to taste and eat.

We set the table for 3 and I sat there alone for a short while, a bit overwhelmed I must admit looking at all that colorful food in front of me while waiting for Isamar and Greg, the AgaveBlu owners to join me.

I noticed that it took them virtually no time to prepare the meals. This is great. Less time waiting is more time enjoying the food.

An efficient well run kitchen is part of what makes a good restaurant. Margarita is the person in charge, she is fast, loves what she does and does it with a smile.

AgaveBlu kitchen - Margarita — Margarita preparing the chicken

Mexican cuisine goes way beyond nachos, tortillas, tacos and burritos. Actually there is no such thing really as “Mexican food” explained Isamar Velez, the Mexican owner who has lived in Vilcabamba for 8 years. Mexico is a big place and each region has its own traditions and uses different ingredients.

“Mole” for example (pronounce “moley”) is the Mexican curry, a paste made out of as many as 10 different varieties of chiles (chili peppers). There is green mole, yellow mole, red mole and depending on what grows in a particular region, the mole will be different. AgaveBlu serves the “dark mole” also called “chocolate mole” because it also contains a small quantity of dark chocolate.

A passion for food

Isamar Velez Garcia is passionate for food, loves cooking and has brought to our small Ecuadorian village the knowledge that she inherited from her parents and grand parents in Mexico city where she used to live. I listen to her with pleasure and attention…

Isamar Velez - Agaveblu Vilcabamba — Isamar Velez – Agaveblu Vilcabamba

“We are all foodies in the family. I started cooking when I was 6 years old. I was in the kitchen with my mum, I was in the kitchen with my grandmother. On Sundays we had a day with just one meal that started in the morning and lasted the whole day. I do recall the smell of olive oil and garlic that brings me back to my grandmother all the time“.

“We take the quality of our ingredients most seriously. We have clients who are allergic to certain things. We use olive oil and real farm butter to cook. I also prepare raw food for people who are raw foodists but only on order because it takes more time to prepare and just the Mexican cooking fills my day”.

Many ingredients she explained cannot be found here in Ecuador. Most of the chiles are sourced in their dry form from Mexico (chile ancho, chile guajillo…). Some she grows in her own veggie garden in Vilcabamba (chile serrano, chile jalapeño).

And that brings us to an essential aspect of the AgaveBlu cuisine: it is almost all organic and almost exclusively locally grown, much of it by the owners themselves.

Agaveblu - del huerto a tu plato — Agaveblu – From the garden to your plate

Agaveblu - Locally grown and organic — AgaveBlu – Locally grown and organic

It does not get fresher than that. I asked to take a look at the garden and we went for a 5 minute drive in a taxi up the hills to Mollepamba.

The garden

Despite being so close to the center of the village, it feels like being miles away. This is still largely undeveloped rural land and that is where AgaveBlu grows its vegetables. They started the garden 8 years ago, it has been a lot of work, Isamar says, and has required a lot of compost. The compost is partly made from what is recycled from the restaurant. We recycle everything.

I noticed a lot of this hardy cabbage variety called “Kale”, a miraculous green that has so many health benefits, still poorly known in this part of the world.

Isamar showed me the 3 varieties of chiles that she grows there, then the parsley and cilantro which are important ingredients of Mexican cuisine, then the herb garden with oregano, rosemary and others, and much much more. Her garden is well developed.

One species that she brought from Mexico and has successfully adapted here is the green tomatillo which is used to make green sauce (salsa verde) that is served with enchiladas and eggs.

“Tart and very savory, but you have to try it for yourself…”

Here they are, Isamar and Greg, with Jorge, their friendly Ecuadorian gardener, showing me what a tomatillo looks like.

Jorge told me that he likes his job very much there and has become a big fan of organic gardening.

If you like fish, you won’t be disappointed either.

All seafood is wild caught and comes from a fisherman in Puerto Bolivar (port of Machala). They strive to offer a variety of fresh fish depending on the season.

Meet and chicken are also organic.

“Apart from the hot peppers and some items that can only be sourced from Mexico, all our ingredients are sourced locally from Vilcabamba or Loja or grown by ourselves.”

“Full belly, happy heart“

“Pansa llena, corazón contento“

The menu

AgaveBlu has an extensive “a la carte” menu with everything one expects from a Mexican restaurants and more. For example they have a large selection of Italian style crispy thin based pizzas.

The 4 dishes that we tried were among the most popular ones:

Nachos (usually served as entree)
Medallon de pollo con mole – chicken medallions in mole sauce – that is the sauce with 10 chiles and chocolate
Tacos de cochinita – a specialty of the house – tortillas filled with pork – served with guacamole
Pizza Sambuca

Tacos de conchinita — Enjoying the tacos de conchinita

I really enjoyed everything but I must say that the tacos were my favorites as well as the chicken with the mole sauce.

Drinks

In addition to the usual Ecuadorian brands, AgaveBlu serves the Zarza craft beer from Loja which they have on tap.

They have a good selection of juices, tropical and green. Their coffee is grown and toasted by a local Vilcabamba family. They serve filter coffee, espressos and cappuccinos.

The deserts

After all this savory bonanza, nothing better than a perfect desert. Many restaurants let you down in the desert department. Not so at AgaveBlu. In no less than a few minutes the table was full again, this time with an assortment of 3 different deserts, cappuccinos and a black espresso for me.

While enjoying the deserts which were all three absolutely delicious, we conversed a little more about life in Mexico, life in general and what it meant to them to run this restaurant.

I wish to leave the last word to Greg who summed it all this way:

“We have been blessed by the food gods and we are very proud to be able to bring Mexican food, the patrimony of Mexico, to this part of the world. Because the food is delicious, and it’s fresh, and it’s healthy, and it’s colorful and tasty. The whole world is waking up to the infinite possibilities that are inhered in the cuisine of Mexico. I am just really fortunate to be part of this presentation.”

Customer Feedback

Alan Kales has been in Vilcabamba for nine months. He is an AgaveBlu regular.

“The food here is always superb. I have never had a bad meal.”

Another one of their regulars, Joseph Connelly, aka “Joe”, from New Zealand and long time resident of Vilcabamba, walks by. He says to me that he comes at least 3 times a week to the restaurant, not necessarily to eat but sometimes just to have a drink, chat with people, watch life goes by. I ask him his opinion about the place.

“The food is supremely excellent… It has taste, texture and flavor and the service is excellent”.

Joe - the food is supremely excellent — Joe – the food is supremely excellent

A special thanks for Greg’s wonderful sense of humor who we see on the photo above handing a $5 dollar note to Joe for his good comments.

“This will cost you much more than that !” says Joe.

That’s the spirit 🙂

Conclusion

If you like tasty, healthy, organic food, if you like it a little spicy, if you like Mexican food, if you like pizzas or if you want to just spend some time watching life goes by while sipping a good espresso coffee, a good craft beer, this place maybe exactly what you have been looking for.

I wish to thank Isamar and Greg for the wonderful time that we spent together. Not only was the food excellent but their personalities, their charisma and passion for what they do, made me and no doubt makes their customers feel great.

AGAVEBLU - Exquisite Organic Mexican Food in Vilcabamba — AGAVEBLU – Exquisite Organic Mexican Food in Vilcabamba

Contacts

Address: Calle Bolivar (parque central) – Vilcabamba
Tel: +593 (0)980881035 +593 (0)959057384
Social networks:
https://www.facebook.com/agavebluvilcabamba
https://www.facebook.com/agave.azul.vilca

Opening Hours

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja

Hotel Paris in Loja Ecuador – Ecuadorian hospitality at its best

English version

Español AQUI

Cheap Hotel Loja Ecuador

Call me old fashioned but, to me, at the end of the day, what really matters and makes a difference is the human factor.

Take a hotel for example. It can have all the best stuff in the world, faster WiFi, larger LCD’s in the rooms, original paintings on the walls of a marbled lobby, not to forget breath-taking views. This is all great. But if the staff is grumpy or merely doing their job, it does not give me this wow factor.

At hotel Paris, located spot on in the center of Loja, amiability and service take a new meaning. For a start, this is a family business, has been since 1995 and is run by one dedicated individual named Marcos Galván. I understood that the hotel belongs to his father, also named Marcos Galván who lives in Malacatos. However, it is Marcos junior, the son, who runs the place.

And man does he like his job ! Every pore of his skin transpires of his passion for hospitality and tourism.

Marcos Galván - Hotel París Loja Ecuador — Marcos Galván – Hotel París Loja Ecuador

… a passion he explained to me that exists since 1995 when they became the owners of this hotel.

The rooms are nice and clean. Some but not all rooms have street windows which makes those a little darker but also quieter. The hotel was 100% full when we visited. Nevertheless it all felt peaceful and there was no noise. Which is great because the hotel is located right in front of the “centro commercial de Loja” aka “el mercado”, on one of the nicest and most typical street of Loja: the “10 de Agosto”.

This is what you see when you step out of the hotel, traditional buildings, street lamps and the big building in the photo is the market. The Loja central park is a mere 2 blocks away on the same street (left of the photo below)

This central location is one of the factors that attracts the regular clients and there are many. Some have been clients for many years, they would not go elsewhere. Most are professionals who travel from all over the country to do business in Loja. But they also have an international clientele from all over the world partly thanks to their web based booking system, more on this topic below.

There is a one lane parking space inside the hotel close to reception and there are rooms on the ground floor next to it. This suits the needs of some clients who travel with bulky merchandise in their car. They can easily transfer the content of the car to the room without using the stairway or leave in the car. This is a convenient sought after configuration for Ecuadorian professionals.

The hotel has no less than 52 room on 6 floors and yes there is an elevator. Room sizes range from single at only $16.80 to double, queen and triple room for families at $45 for the room. There is good WiFi on all floors and TV with 50+ channels. Firm bed, hot water and private bathroom is a given.

They have nice color schemes, below the turquoise look, there is the yellow scheme, the orange one and the red one.

Information and a comprehensive photo gallery with price list can be found on their web site at hotelparisloja.com.

The prices always include American breakfast (what they call “desayuno continental” but is normally called American or cooked breakfast including eggs). Here is a photo of the cafeteria

There you can have breakfast with a view at the cathedral and the mountains.

Apart from its most convenient location, its reasonable prices and the quality of its service, a point of interest is that Marcos is a digital man who has totally embraced the world wide web, a rare quality for most hotels in this category in this part of the world. He has all the gadgets ready on his desk, phone, tablet, laptop and he knows how to use them. His business uses the web a lot.

The hotel has a web site (hotelparisloja.com) which I was told is about to be available in English soon. Reservations can be made on-line on the hotel web site itself but also on the international deal finder system booking.com. I did a quick search on the booking.com site for Loja and hotel Paris came first in terms of “price” and fourth in terms of “reviews score”. However the first three hotels in the by review score listing for Loja have prices two to four times higher than hotel Paris, so really Paris is first in its category.

As a tourist, crashing into a nice and cozy bed is one thing, but then comes the question of where to go and what to do. Not to worry, Marcos being an old timer in the tourism business has all the necessary contacts to make your stay as enjoyable as possible: taxis, bus tours, private guide, maps or whatever unusual requirement you might have.

Marcos does not speak English unfortunately but his coworker speaks reasonably well so that is a plus in a country where some times even in places like the airport or a large bank it is near impossible finding someone who speaks English.

To sum up

Hotel Paris is a great and most convenient place from where to explore Loja as a tourist or do business, a warm atmosphere, an impeccable service with a smile and all this at unbeatable prices.

Thumbs up !

Hotel Paris Loja Ecuador – Ecuadorian hospitality at its best

Contacts

Dir: 10 de Agosto between Universitaria and 18 de Noviembre
Tel: +593 7-256-1639
Email: hparisloja@hotmail.es
Web: http://hotelparisloja.com
Social: https://www.facebook.com/hotelparisloja

#HechoConAmor #TodoLoja #HotelParisLoja

Hotel Villonaco – Your home in Loja Ecuador

English version

Versión Español AQUI

Watch our video (10 minutes)

The customers say it without hesitation: “Hotel Villonaco is like a home to us when we travel to Loja“.

Indeed, at Villonaco, located in the heart of the city of Loja in Ecuador, just a short stroll from the central square, the hospitality, care and comfort, the kindness, trust and warmth that are offered to the guests make a real difference.

The name “Villonaco” is inspired from the name of a tall hill in Loja where wind generator turbines have recently been built supplying a large proportion of the city’s requirements in electricity.

The owner, Mrs. Diana Torres, is an entrepreneur woman who works hard every day to fulfill the dreams she had together with her now deceased husband Fabricio. Life goes on and she strives with all her heart to make Fabricio’s greatest dreams great realities. And she is doing really well with just a team of 3 (not including the staff in charge of preparing the breakfast):

Veronica, the receptionist, or better said the “Guest Service Agent (GSA)”.
She welcomes the guests, registers them, assigns guest rooms and rates, check’s them out and answers a myriad of questions about the hotel and the surround community. For many guests the front office IS the hotel. And she does speak some English too. She loves to be of assistance and be a guide for the tourists.
Nelson and Juan Pablo, uniformed service, door persons, valets, cafeteria waiters and much more … are always available with a good heart and a spirit of collaboration.

Hotel Villonaco Team — From left to right: Diana, Pablo, Fabricio (photo frame), Nelson and Veronica

The hotel mission is to offer a service of very high quality at an affordable price: more or less $15 per person including a solid breakfast. Beat that !!

Wi-fi is available for free, all rooms are equipped with a recently refurbished private bathroom with hot water. There is a tea / coffee lounge downstairs.

There is parking space at the ground floor. In fact as the following photo shows it is one of the few hotels I could ride my motorbike all the way to the front desk. This is extremely convenient for local people who travel with bulky merchandise as they can have a room right next to their car on the ground floor. The other rooms are upstairs and there is a separate entrance for pedestrians.

The beds are excellent, in fact “one of the best bed I have known in a long time” says Pat Williams, globe-trotter, motorcyclist extraordinaire who we met and interviewed during our filming. Check out our documentary on bbxmusic.com and Pat’s blog for more.

Pat williams wheelchair mission — Pat Williams Wheelchair Mission

Breakfast is an important time at hotel Villonaco. As Diana tells us “a well fed person has all the necessary energy that his day will later require“. This was her husband’s motto.

Rosa from Cuenca - Hotel Villonaco - Your home in Loja Ecuador — Hotel Villonaco – Your home in Loja Ecuador

The couple also own The Galtor, a mini-market in central Loja, calle 18 de Noviembre y Rocafuerte, where excellent service at competitive prices is provided according to the same philosophy.

All in all, we found Hotel Villonaco to be a winner, not a 5 star hotel, but certainly a “5 star welcome and 5 star service” at a price which is definitely not a 5 star price.

Check it out next time you visit Loja.

Contacts: 072-570199 – 0958968132
Email: hotelvillonacoloja@gmail.com

BLOG – Life in Loja and southern Ecuador – La vida en Loja y el sur del Ecuador

Ingles

This blog contains our articles about life in Vilcabamba, in the Loja province and the south of Ecuador. Happy reading…
bbxmusic.com

Español

Este es un blog bilingüe que contiene nuestros artículos sobre la vida en Vilcabamba, la provincia de Loja y el sur del Ecuador.
bbxmusic.com