We chose to spend our new years eve with the hotel at El Retiro. Luis, the son of the owner told us that they were planning a very nice dinner and some fireworks and such. Little did we realize how big a deal this was going to be. We thought dinner would start around 8 and we would party till midnight but it turned out to be quite the opposite. Things didn’t get started until 10pm and dinner wasn’t until after midnight.
We went and sat around the pool at around 10pm and soon after the guys from the hotel were lighting fireworks, just a few here and there. We were always a bit surprised every time one went off because we couldn’t see the launch site from where we were sitting. It was a nice way to do New Years because there was a little excitement all night long. One of the other things they did was launch these little (4ft tall or so) hot air balloons. They used a burning news paper to put warm air into the tissue paper balloon and then the balloon had it’s own little burner that was suspended at the base. The balloon would go so high it was eventually out of sight. We had a perfectly still night to do this in.
Eventually, it was midnight and they shot off a massive (for a little hotel) fireworks display that was so close that we felt the debris fall on us after each blast. That was so fun though as we were really part of the display. The best was when they finally lit the effigies on fire. They had Papa Smurf, two Smurfettes, an effigy of the president of Ecuador, and Sonic the hedgehog and many more. It was truly a blast because they put them all in a pile with fireworks underneath them all. I was glad this was being done by a family that had been doing this for decades because it all seemed a touch dangerous to me. However, I don’t think it really was. We also got to see all the fireworks from the town below blasting off into the night.
Anyway, we proceeded to have dinner after everything which was a wonderful buffet including the roast pig they did in the forno. I am unsure if I’ve ever had a roasted pig before but it was pretty good. The pig was pretty fatty but the crispy edges were really good. Kind of like having some pork scratchings.
It was probably the funnest new years I’ve ever had and we all agreed. It will be a challenge to top this next year. Maybe back to Montreal for a night at the clubs. Maybe just in Calgary with Friends.
Papa Smurf looks a little afraid. Does he know he’s going to burn?
The Pig we were going to have.
The Forno Oven. Very nice, Very nice. Can I build one in my back yard dear? Think of the pizzas we could make.
The hot air balloon setting off. They did maybe 8 of these. And we were excited about every one. We are easily pleased I guess.
Away go the fireworks!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The next day we went for a hike around the property. They had quite a few animals.
The neat look out we climbed up into.
The view from the lookout.
