Our Road Trip - Part 2- First Day in Banos

Dear Family and Friends,

After our beautiful ride up, we arrived in Banos about 5 pm. We checked into our hotel, La Posada del Arte. http://www.posadadelarte.com


We wanted to stay there all three nights, but they were already booked so we only had one night there. It is run by a U.S. couple from Colorado. They have done a beautiful job of decorating it.
Breakfast is included and they have wonderful big breakfasts with many choices.

Here is Chuck on the enclosed porch our first morning there waiting for breakfast to be served.


Our first day in Banos we just stayed in the town and explored. We had been there before a couple of years ago so we just enjoyed the ambiance. If you are interested you can see a post about our first trip to Banos two years ago by clicking here. First Banos Trip

We spent our morning walking around the town. We enjoyed our lunch at a sidewalk table of a restaurant and watched this artist as he did a pastel portrait of this little girl. He had quite a crowd watching him work. The little girl sat perfectly still the whole time we were eating.


In the afternoon we visited a library for children run by an American ex-pat couple. We had a marvelous tour. But I will save that for another time because it is a whole post in itself.

After visiting the library, I sat in the central park while Chuck shopped around town. It gave me a chance to enjoy the quaint town and people watch.

I watched Chuck head down the street to do his shopping.


I watched men working.


And then I spied this little figure across the street.


With all the activity going on around me, men working, tourists exploring and locals going about their lives, this little lady sat quietly on the corner across the street. I watched her and wondered what her story was.

I got distracted by some other sights and was surprised when I looked up and saw that this lady was right in front of me with her cup out for money. I gave her money, took a quick picture, but of all the things I saw while sitting there, this little lady is hauntingly in my memory. This was a case where mere money was not nearly enough.


When Chuck returned I told him about all the things I saw and how this lady touched my soul.

We then walked over to the Cathedral and went to see the museum that is connected to it. Chuck and I enjoyed exploring the inside courtyard.



We went inside the Cathedral.


Then we walked back to the park and watched the late afternoon suns' rays of light on the hillside.
All the while I had images of the lady with the cup going through my heart and mind.

We had a nice dinner at the Swiss Bistro and turned in early.

God Bless Us All.

Nancy