| Date | Rating | Comment
[Guest Comments: 3 positive, 0 negative]
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| 04/17/09 |
Positive
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We spent a glorious vacation at La Solana. The pleasure comes in layers: the house is magnificent, the home of an artist, I craved every detail. The gardens are remarkable - the short walk down the hill to the river like a private park. The neighborhood is always alive with people, voices and music, animals, buses right outside. I attended soccer games half a block away - my team won! The mountains are everywhere. La Merced is tiny, El Tingo a little bigger, Sangolqui is a dream, Quito a magnificent sprawl.
There is a tremendous amount to do in Ecuador - the guidebooks will fill you in. The secret pleasure is La Solana. |
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Lorelei Burns
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| 03/16/09 |
Positive
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We spent three weeks at La Solana over the Christmas season of 2008 and into the New Year of 2009, after traveling two months through Central America. We can only reiterate the comments of Bob Emrick of Boulder, Colorado written in April of 2008 with regard to La Solana and hosts Maria-Teresa Garcia and Ken Farr. They are beautiful people and extremely caring and attentive, wanting their guests to know and love Ecuador as they do.
From the moment we walked through the gates of La Solana we felt the love and careful planning our hosts had put into their country home – the location of the house on a hill looking out to the green, green hills, the view of the snow-capped peaks of Cotapaxi from the upper deck or out the long wooden framed bedroom windows, the terraced gardens and rock pathways leading down through the Eucalyptus forest to the stream below and the abundance of flowers. The warm ambience created inside the villa by artist photographer, Maria Teresa and the obvious input of Ken with his keen sense of humour made our stay so memorable.
La Solana is a beautiful, delightful and tranquil retreat from the busyness of Quito. Its far enough away from the city to experience rural simplicity and the village life of La Merced and Alangasi, yet close enough to access all the modern amenities as you might need them. The bus stops outside the gates of the villa and riding the buses is an unforgettable experience in itself, however anyone planning frequent trips to Quito or visiting many areas of interest outside of an hour bus travel, should rent a car. A lot of time can be spent making the right bus connections.
Despite our lack of Spanish, the people living around us and in the village of La Merced, the bus drivers, taxi and camioneta drivers, were always very friendly and welcoming. Luis and his wife, Sulya, caretakers living in the cottage on the property, were very patient and accepting of us and did all they could to make our stay comfortable. We always felt safe inside and outside of the villa property.
Our three weeks were very positive and memorable and we are so grateful to have experienced this area of Ecuador through our stay at La Solana and to have the privilege of meeting Mariaa-Teresa and Ken. Should the opportunity present itself, we would not hesitate to stay at La Solana again. We would highly recommend this experience. CHRISTINE & JIM HOEPPNER (Alberta,Canada)
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Chris & Jim HOEPPNER, Alberta, CANADA |
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| 04/08/08 |
Positive
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Having just returned from Ecuador, I can only have great things to say about our stay. The country has so much to offer, from the Amazon jungle to the cloudforests, high snow capped volcanos, colonial cities, hot springs in volcanic cones to the Pacific; all in a country the size of Colorado. What was the most impressive aspect of the country were the people, respectful, friendly and hard working (and exotic to say the least).
La Solana was an oasis, with exquisite architectural elements, luxurious landscaping and tremendous views of snow capped volcanos. If it were a hotel, I would rate it four stars. But it's not a hotel, it's a home right in the midst of small agricultural community (La Merced) just 20 minutes from downtown Quito. You can experience the grandeur and hustle of the city and return to you comfortable home and have Luis, the caretaker warm up a hot tub for you while you watch the sun set behind snowcapped volcanos. In the morning instead of dodging cars on you walk, you bump into countless locals walking their livestock on the the cobblestone road outside the gates of the home.
I can't say enough about our hosts, Ken Farr and Maria Teresa Garcia. They helped us so much with details that would have been difficult without their local knowledge (like where to get the best cuy or a great authentic Ecuadorian restaurant in Quito). We saw so much all within two hours of their home. If you're looking for an authentic experience in the country close to Quito (which can be quite busy)this is the place. Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions about the home or the country. |
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Bob Emrick, Boulder, Colorado
303-786-8378 |
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