Ballenita, our base in Ecuador

During our two weeks on the Santa Elena Peninsula, Ecuador, we rented a house in Ballenita. There were beds for many more than the two of us and we loved the huge outdoor area with a view of the ocean. Yes, there were container ships parked offshore, but we got used to it.

There was a coffee table and couches, a dining table, and a game table on the porch. When we looked down the coast toward Salinas we could see other houses like ours..

The indoor living room was also spacious and comfortable and there was an ocean view.

The bedroom was comfortable and had its own bathroom. The only down side to the house was the kitchen. A woman is available to cook and clean and apparently most visitors take advantage of this service. At $25 a day, it would be very attractive for a visiting group. As a result, visitors aren’t expected to use the kitchen, where we found an antique toaster oven, a stove with one burner that wouldn’t light and a toaster that toasts only one side of bread at a time. No dishwasher, naturally. Jonathan made do as best he could–which was pretty great. We ate shrimp almost every day.