On my way down to Guayaquil I have stopped at the coastal town of Ballenita. At the recommendation of the manager at Mandala, I am staying in one of the funkiest hotels I have ever seen. It is called Farallon Dillon (meaning Dillon Lighthouse) which is owned by a former sea captain and his lovely wife, Yolanda. Not only does the hotel have a working lighthouse and nautical museum but every wall is eclectically adorned with antique marine memorabilia from around the world. There is even a Canadian moosehead above the big stone fireplace in the lounge/restaurant. It is the only hotel that I have ever pulled up to and chuckled. Any sailor would be mesmorized by this hotel. I don't think I can really give a true sense of the place in writing so I will post some pics.
I was originally placed in a room in the lighthouse. It was small but had an incredible view of the coast. However, after detecting little bugs in the sheet covers I was upgraded to the matrimonial suite which is in the rock cliff itself (kind of like Santorini). It is a truly romantic spot with a balcony hanging over the ocean. Even though I am solo, the romance was not lost on me. It is really quite nice.
What is not nice is finding out that I am the only guest at the hotel and as such dining alone and hearing Dean Martin croone, "You're nobody until somebody loves you.". It does not help dissipate the sense of loneliness that we solo travelers sometimes get. However, that feeling was lessened when Yolanda called me in my room to wish me a good night. It went away completely when I chatted with my niece and nephew, who, before saying goodbye told me they loved me.
So take that Dean, I'm a somebody after all.
