Nightlife in Loja

Nightlife in Loja begins around 10pm or later which is hard for a couple of old farts like us. The scene varies from dance clubs (discotheques) to pool halls to karaoke bars. There is also usually a live band somewhere on Saturday nights. This Saturday night we joined some other Americans to hear a Funk/Reggae band at Casa Tinku. The Bob Marley covers were popular and the music was typical of something you may find in the states. On almost every table the patrons sat with a jarra (pitcher) of Canelazo , a spicy hot sugar-cane liquor with cinnamon. And, the way for enjoying it is to pour a small cup and pass it around the table. Our experience with Canelazo...it is strong and should only be sipped slowly. Besides the Canelazo, beer is probably the most common drink. There are really only two brands; Pilsener and Club. One is bad and the other is slightly worse. Chilean and Argentinian wines are expensive. Cocktails are common too but, as you may know, ice cubes are an American thing.

We have made contact with the Peace Corps network here. A former Peace Corps volunteer who lives here with her Ecuadorian husband and child has taken it upon herself to organize gatherings. They actually own a rather large bar in Loja, and you can see the American influence such as ice cubes in the drinks, hand dryers in the bathroom and the wall of 30+ American beer bottles.
Most of the Peace Corps volunteers here are around our age and from Washington DC, California and Tennessee. The Peace Corps volunteer from Tennessee was disappointed to find that I didn't share his passion for Tennessee football. He travels from his small village (about 4 hours from Loja) just to check the internet for sports news. Now we have a few young friends to spend time with and a cell phone to keep in touch, but we really need some Ecuadorian friends to practice Spanish.