Burt earned the status today of “Tercera Edad”, also known as  “Senior Citizen”. In Ecuador, seniors are revered and benefit from discounts when they reach the age of 65.  Not only do they go to the front of the line at banks, Burt can now get 50% discount off all in-country transportation or flights initiated from Ecuador, pay half for movies and some utility bills. Bus rides now only cost 12-1/2 cents, instead of the standard 25 cents. AND, he can now sign up for Medicare.

To celebrate, we went to Tiesto’s with two other couples. It turns out that Mark and Burt share the same birthday, so we decided on a joint celebration.  Tiesto’s is one of our favorite restaurants in Cuenca and Juan Carlos, the owner, recommended some scrumptious dishes for us. We started with eggplant and fish appetizers, a main course with langostino and lomo, then finished off with his hand-decorated dessert. Of course, Juan Carlos put on a candle with a flame that never dies, so Burt and Mark will never age.

Afterwards, we took the bus over to Mark and Evelyn’s for a second dessert at their light-filled apartment with amazing views. What a treat!

The next day, we decided to check out stunningly beautiful Restaurante Dos Chorreras near the Cajas for their fresh-water trout lunch. However, at 11,400 feet even with breath-taking views, we did not rush out to go horseback riding, sports fishing nor hiking.