Regular visitors

From the very first day here, we've been aware of these rather attractive birds, which are here in large numbers. They're pigeon-related, most likely, but are much more people-friendly than the type we have at home. A couple of them almost made their way into our bungalow last week, but were disturbed before they ventured in fully. This afternoon while having drinks on our front terrace, they visited again, quite fearlessly. We broke up some crisps and laid a trail to attract them closer, and I managed to catch one in the act with a bit of crisp in its beak. While we find them attractive, the local restaurateurs aren't keen on them at all, since they would most probably be considered scavengers, and they tend to hang out where people are eating.

Lunch today was a light affair, since we'd booked a table for a bit of a slap-up meal this evening in a place highly commended by Martin, our host. We shared a good pizza in one of the many eating places in the Yumbo Centre, which is really close to our place, and it really hit the spot.

The evening meal was in Calma Chicha, which was every bit as good as Martin promised. We had the set menu, which was very reasonably priced at €21, much, much better value than we'd get at home. We ate in the upstairs (street level) space, which is really beautiful and makes an immediate good impression. I had cold soup for starter, while Carl chose what turned out to be a delicious salad. Our main course choices were duck for Carl and prawns and cod for me, both of which were excellent. Desserts were somewhat disappointing compared with the rest, but all in all it was a delightful experience.