Hostal Ventura Alausí

Several weeks ago I finally decided to take the Nariz de Diablo train ride. I called Amanda, the proprietor of the Ventura Hostal, and spoke with her personally the day before my trip. My Spanish skills are quite good so we spoke in Spanish, and I reserved a room for the following evening. On arrival to the Hostal, Gladys (the lovely Manager of the Ventura while Amanda is away), took me to my room. It was downstairs, and I was disappointed, thinking it might be noisy. Gladys explained that all of the rooms upstairs were taken. In reality, my room was quiet and I slept comfortably. The Ventura Hostal is only a few blocks from the Nariz del Diablo train station and I walked there easily in the morning. The cost for the room does not include breakfast, but I was served (instant) coffee and steamed milk, eggs and bread for a minimal cost in the hostal restaurant. By the way, the restaurant is very good, and the almuerzo is excellent and inexpensive. The service is outstanding and patrons eating lunch there are very friendly. The 2nd night of my stay I moved upstairs, due to problems with the WIFI downstairs. It was Sunday, and the other guests had left town, so upstairs rooms were available. The room upstairs was lovely, and once again, all was quiet. There was plenty of hot water. The hostal is freshly painted, clean, and has a lovely ambience. I paid $15 night because of staying for 2 nights. The cost of $30 for two nights was very fair. I'd recommend the Ventural Hostal to anyone planning to take the Diablo del Nariz train trip. By the way, I enjoyed the train ride. It was a surprise that the cost for those over 65 (I have permanent Ecuadorian residency, as well) has climbed to $20. Still, I found the train trip worthwhile and the weekend's experience splendid. An additional note regarding transportation: Since I am over 65 years, the bus ride from Cuenca to Alausí was half the usual cost. I think I paid $3. The bus dropped me off on the highway and I walked down into the valley where the pretty town of Alausí is located. As far as the return trip (I actually ventured further north to Latacunga), one only needs to go to the local bus terminal located near the Ventura Hostal.