La Vista Hotel

Monday, March 9, 2015 Canoa
Yesterday morning after breakfast, we checked out of the Amalur and walked a few blocks to our new hotel, La Vista. At the Amalur, we paid $25 per night plus 12% tax for a total of $28 per night. At La Vista, we're paying $35 per night including tax so it's only a difference of $7. We have a much nicer, bigger room on the 3rd floor with a balcony overlooking the malecon and the ocean.

After we got moved in yesterday afternoon, we walked the beach, as usual, and then picked one of the cevicherias or beach shack restaurants for a late lunch. It was nice to sit in the shade under the thatched roof and feel the ocean breeze. We ordered ceviche de cameron (shrimp ceviche) for $4 and a tortilla de cameron for $3.50. We thought the shrimp tortilla would be some kind of wrap but it was actually a shrimp omelet with a side of rice, fried plantain and salad. We hadn't really wanted an omelet but it was good anyway. It was so pleasant there in the shade that we had a few beers and whiled away most of the afternoon. It was the weekend, after all.
In the evening, we went across the malecon to a little dirt floor restaurant that always seems busy. We think it's the one that Zack and Annie had recommended. On Sunday evening, it was deserted because all the buses leave at dusk. However, we enjoyed an order of fried fish, rice, salad and fried plantain with a cold lemonade. Total price $6. We had asked for beer but they wouldn't sell it on a Sunday.
The laws regarding Sunday sale of alcohol in Ecuador continue to elude us. We know we can't buy beer in a bodega on Sunday and any liquor stores are closed. However, some restaurants serve beer and some don't. At the Surf Shack restaurant, we stopped to talk to some Americans that we had met and they had been served beer in big teacups in case the police stopped to check. At other restaurants there are beer bottles on the tables quite openly. Mystery.
We like the Hotel Vista so much that we extended our original stay of 1 week to 13 days, so we're here until we travel to Bahia de Caraquez on Saturday the 21st.
This morning we walked down the malecon to another little dirt floor restaurant that we've noticed is often busy. For $3 each we got the desayuno #1 or #1 set breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese (like feta), nice buns, jam and coffee. Most coffee here is instant, for some unknown reason. On the way to breakfast, I also finally bought a T-shirt, which I need since I brought only one with short sleeves. I probably should have negotiated the $10 price but I forgot. Can't remember everything. We're keeping up a torrid pace but somehow we'll manage.