Saturday January 21, 2017

We started our day by checking out the fish market that happens every morning on the beach beside the pier in Puerto Lopez. There are many varieties of fish, just out of the ocean. There are also several men and women standing by to fillet the fish on site. In addition, there is an eating area where fish is served for breakfast. There is lots of bargaining going on between sellers and buyers.
After this, we went for breakfast at a small cafe on the malecon. There was an incident at the cafe, and we ended up moving our coffee and breakfast to the cafe next door, El Bambu. The staff of this cafe were very welcoming and cooperated with the cook from the first cafe to ensure we had a good meal and great service.
We had decided earlier that we definitely needed to move hostels. Mike tried to take a shower, and there was no hot water! This was the last straw. One of the staff at our cafe suggested a hostel that would be a good alternative to our current location. We headed over to "Sol Inn" to see if they had a room available. The owner agreed that we could move our stuff over right away, and the room would be available later in the day. We were pleased with the inner courtyard, seating, tables and kitchen access at this location. This hostel was only $20 per night, far less than the other location, and it had reliable wifi and hot water.
We tried unsuccessfully to find the fruit and vegetable market (mercado) and decided to hire a taxi for a tour of the town. Our taxi driver, Darwin, agreed to drive us around town for about one hour for $10. He proved to be an excellent guide, telling us about the different areas and taking us to some excellent lookouts in the hills on both the north and south sides of the town. We asked Darwin to show us lots that were for sale, and he showed us several. We explained that it was difficult for us to call local cellular numbers because of being based in Canada. He offered to keep in contact with us by e-mail to let us know prices of land for sale around town. So we now have an unofficial broker for possible land deals in the area of Puerto Lopez.
Our driver dropped us off at the mercado, which is located several blocks from the centre of town. This was a traditional market with stalls for fish and meat, as well as a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. We returned to our hostel to change for the beach. We decided to hop the bus to Ayampe, a beach town known for surfing. The beach there was beautiful, with small pebbles and rocks everywhere in a wide variety of colours. There is a strong current, and the water is quite a bit colder that in Canoa. We went for a swim, then walked on the beach and explored the town for a few minutes. We went up to the bus stop on the highway to catch the bus, and there was a group of five young surfers waiting for the bus. Three were from Montreal, one was from Maine, and one from France. One of the Canadians pointed out that waiting for the bus in Ecuador is a lot nicer than waiting for the bus in -40 degrees Celsius in Canada!
We returned to our hostel to change for dinner. We tried a restaurant called "Spuma del Mar", where they had the best fruit drinks we have tried. Our meal was great as usual. After our meal we went to the main street and saw a small political rally. We found a pastry store with a wide variety of yummy dessert options. We chose a biscotti, coconut cookie, tres leche, and a small chocolate mousse. All of these cost total $3.50! We took our dessert back to the hostel, and spent some time chatting with a couple from Argentina, Estani and Marisa.  Estani is a music student at the university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He chatted with Mike about music for quite a while.

At the fish market in Puerto Lopez

A small portion of the fishing boats in the harbour at Puerto Lopez

Visiting with Hani, one of the dogs at our hostel

Taken from the hills overlooking the town

Sculpture of whale tails

Bananas at the market in Puerto Lopez

From the beach in Ayampe

Ayampe beach

Friday January 20, 2017

I could not fit all the pictures from Friday in the post, so I am adding some here!
Enjoy!

Some of the beach huts in Puerto Lopez

Looking down the pier towards the beach

One small section of the malecon 

Friday January 20, 2017

For the second day in a row, we started our morning with hot tea and coffee from Marty. For the first time since arriving in Ecuador it was raining quite steadily during our breakfast. Marty served us in his bright red slicker, with a resemblance to Paddington Bear.
After breakfast the regular egg truck arrived, complete with tarp for rain cover, and Marty purchased 30 eggs from him for $3.75. Right after the egg truck left, the fruit and vegetable truck arrived. He had a amazing variety of fruits and vegetables available straight from the farm. Costs are so low that most people don't bother growing their own produce in a garden.
After packing our things we visited with our hosts while waiting for the rain to let up. When it became clear that the rain was going to continue, our hosts provided us with ponchos, so that we could cover our belongings during the walk into town. We may have to look into mailing them back to Casa WF when we get home (not really)! Our hosts were so generous that they literally gave us the ponchos off our backs!
We caught the bus to Portoviejo, and Mike and I enjoyed a delicious fried treat with meat inside bought from one of the many vendors who enter the bus regularly hawking their wares. No idea what it is called! We changed buses and proceeded to JipiJapa (pronounced yipiyapa), where we made our final change for Puerto Lopez. This section of the trip was very mountainous. We caught a taxi to our hostal (Monte Libano) and checked in.
We went for a walk along the malecon to check out local vendors and restaurants. There is a 2 km boardwalk along the beach in Puerto Lopez. There are also a number of beach hut restaurants like we saw in Canoa and Same. We walked out onto the pier as well, where many tourists board the boats for Isla de la Plata and Isla Salango. We had supper at a beach hut. Mike had ceviche (what else?) as well as grilled fish with rice and plantains. I has a large plate of rice with vegetables and shrimp. After exploring more of the malecon and a section of the main street through town, we returned to the beach for banana splits and coffee.

We headed back to our hostel, but were frustrated by the fact the the internet was not working, and there was only one questionable power outlet in the room. We decided that we would consider moving to another hostel the next day.

The egg truck at Casa WF

The fruit and vegetable truck at Casa WF

Our fantastic hosts in San Jacinto, Marty and Jim

The pier in Puerto Lopez

The beach at Puerto Lopez looking south

Some birds on a light post, with the malecon in the background

Thursday January 19, 2017

We started our day with hot tea and coffee served to us by Marty. This was quickly followed by a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, toasted bun, home fries, fresh fruit and juice. Jim is the chef, and Marty is the server.
After breakfast we went for a long walk on the beach. There is some litter on the beach, but our hosts said it is improving. They said there are group clean ups after all the big holiday events. Marty showed us a traditional Ecuadorian casita (home) on a lot that he has purchased. It is made of all cement, including kitchen counters. There is a living area in the front with a kitchen, a separate bedroom, and the family added a storage and bathroom in the back. The homes here have water cisterns that are filled by water trucks for household use. The septic system uses living organisms to break down waste, so everywhere you go you must put your toilet paper in the trash, not the toilet. Paper kills the organisms.
After seeing the casita, Mike and I went to watch the fishermen pulling in the nets they set out the night before. This is a very arduous process which involves about 20 men and women pulling against the tide. Over a period of about 90-120 minutes, they gradually draw the nets in closer to shore. As the nets get closer, the sea birds start circling and dive bombing for easy fish.  Many locals and restaurant owners come to the beach to buy what they need right from the fishermen.  One exciting thing that happened, was that there was a puffer fish in the net. He was blown up like a balloon!
Later in the afternoon, we had a photo op with Mama, Princess and Bo. Marty continued to chat with us about everything related to living in Ecuador.
We had lunch at a small place just a few meters down from the Casa, called "El Manglar" Mike had "camaron ajillo" which is shrimp cooked with peppers in a creamy sauce. I had grilled fish with the usual sides of plantain and rice. We also had fries on our plates. Apparently the owner is experimenting with fries, as they are becoming more popular here. The restaurant was busy with local workers having lunch during their midday break. According to our hosts, workers normally start around 8 am, work till about noon. Then they break till 2 pm, and work till about 6 pm. I think we should adopt this schedule in North America! Siesta
We went for a short walk through the protected mangrove area behind our Casa. There is a walkway and lookout there built by the province to assist with preservation. The walkway is damaged from the earthquake and has not yet been repaired.
Around 5 pm we went upstairs to join Marty and Jim for happy hour. The conversation ranged from the acceptance of diversity in Ecuador to the legal prostitution with some colourful stories thrown in. Mike and I walked into town for supper at CopaCabana. Although it was nighttime, we did not feel unsafe at any time. Truly, we have not felt unsafe at any time since we arrived in this beautiful country. Mike had ceviche and he said this was his favourite so far, with big chunks of fish and seafood. I had fish with "menestra" which is a local dish based on lentils. We also stopped at a bank machine, and were able to withdraw from our US account without difficulty. When we got back to the Casa, Marty checked on us and we headed for bed.

Mangrove roots (above the ground)

Part of the boardwalk, popular with lovers

From Marty and Jim's balcony on the second level of the Casa

Wednesday January 18th, 2017

We started our last day in Canoa at Bambu again for breakfast. We got there too early, so we went for a walk on the north end of the beach, to the nearby cliffs. Once seated, Mike got to enjoy his real coffee again, and I had an herbal tea. Mike ordered an omelet with cheese, shrimp, peppers and onions. It filled the entire plate! I had the chocolate banana crepe again, because it was so good the first time. Our waiter spend much of his time trying to shoo the stray dogs out of the seating area. One dog in particular was very good at hiding under tables and slinking around.
While we were eating, we saw a vendor delivering fresh (as in just came out of the ocean) fish for the restaurant. He also had huge branches of bananas to sell. On the other corner, there was a vendor using a bicycle cart to sell coconut water to the workers who were repairing the bridge. He would use a machete to slice some of the hard shell off the top of the coconut. Then he would make an opening in the pulp and stick a straw in it. Very refreshing (I had this in Same)! We also saw a double sea kayak passing horizontal to the shoreline towards the cliffs. This is the first time we have seen anyone in a kayak on this trip. Finally, we also saw a couple of people on horseback riding along the beach and the malecon.
We headed back to Hotel La Vista to check out. We said goodbye to our very helpful hostess, Daisy and left her a tip. Daisy also told me that the shade trees in the courtyard were called "almendra," which turns out to mean almonds. Yum!
We headed to the corner of the main street to catch our bus to San Jacinto. While we were waiting, to young men approached. One of them asked me if I would help his friend practise some English. He was learning it from his phone app (similar to how I have been learning Spanish with the app Duolingo). So I worked with him on pronouncing some simple greetings and reviewed a few words. I thought it was very sweet that they asked me to help.
We caught our first bus to Bahia de Caraquez, a beautiful coastal town which has some multi-level apartment buildings. Unfortunately these buildings were all damaged in the earthquake, and will have to be demolished. We learned from one of our hosts, that many of the buildings were not built properly to start with, or additional levels were added that had not been planned for. When we arrived at the us station in Bahia, we quickly purchased tickets for our next bus to San Jacinto.
We arrived in San Jacinto at around 12:30. The sun was very hot, and we had about a 20 minute walk to get to our hostel. Fortunately, we caught a ride from a local lawyer for about the last 700 meters.
When we reached Casa WF, one of our hosts, Marty, was waiting for us at the gate. He was very warm and welcoming and started chatting with us right away about the area, the homes, and the possibilities for further development. He also introduced us to his three lovely dogs, Mama, Princess and Bo. They are rescues from after the earthquake. This guest house is built with two rooms to rent on the ground level and the hosts live on the second level of the building. Jim and Marty put alot of thought into their plans for the house, and it shows. The setting in beautiful, right on the beach at the point where the river Portoviejo meets the ocean.  There is a protected mangrove area just behind their home. They are the last house on the road, and had to build part of the road to reach their house. There is a small plunge pool on the patio, but Mike and I prefer swimming in the ocean.
Once we had a chance to cool down, we walked into town to explore and get some lunch. On the recommendation of our host, I tried a soup called viche, which is made from a peanut based sauce and has beans, vegetables and fish. It was very tasty and filling. Mike had ceviche again, in order to compare it to the others. He said the ceviche at Laurita's was his favourite so far of the trip. The town has many small shops and restaurants. At one of the small market stores, we bought some snacks to take back to our room for supper.
Around 5 pm, we headed to the beach for a walk and a swim. The sea was quite calm. The water was a bit cooler than in Canoa, but very refreshing. We ended our day with a light supper and another long and informative chat with our host Marty.

Progress made on the artist's project the day before

church in San Jacinto

on the malecon in San Jacinto

low tide in front of Casa WF

Tuesday January 17, 2017

We started our day today at the Hotel Bambu, just down the mercado from our hotel. There is a very nice open air cafe on the corner of the street, where you can see the ocean and watch the local traffic all at the same time. In addition, they have wonderful cafe americano, that Mike was really craving. Mike ordered something called a Bolón, which is a ball of fried plantain with egg and cheese in the centre. I had a crepe with chocolate and banana and a cafe latte. Both dishes were delicious and filling.
This cafe also has outlets all along the half wall that separates it from the street. It is a popular place for visitors to get out their laptops, or other electronic devices while enjoying coffee or tea. After breakfast, I pulled out the laptop to try and get caught up on my writing. In the meantime, Mike noticed that a local artist, Hector Mateo, was working on a plaster relief art piece on one of the walls of the cafe. This particular piece is of a waiter holding a tray (see photo below). Also while we were sitting at the cafe, we saw a local vendor bringing 4 fresh (live) chickens to the restaurant. We also watched workers who are reconstructing a pedestrian bridge that was damaged in the earthquake.
After breakfast we changed to our beach gear and headed out for swim and a long walk on the beach before the sun got too hot. We walked for about 4 km to the south of our hotel, almost to Boca de Buceño, and we could have walked another 10-20 km with no end to the beach. We met a couple who were walking with their dogs towards the town. She was from Ecuador and he was from the Netherlands. They told us about the house they own in Canoa, as well as a lot they have for sale. We talked about the possibility that we would be moving to Ecuador in the future. After our long walk we went for another swim in the surf to cool off.
Later we walked around town and saw a beautiful park with a plaque dedicated to all of the lives lost in the earthquake last April. We saw many styles of homes, numerous small stores and restaurants, pharmacies and a police station. For lunch we returned to Brisas Del Mar. I had pasta with shrimp, while Mike ordered an enormous plate of rice mixed with shrimp, conch and fish. Surprisingly, he was unable to finish it!
After lunch, we went back to the hotel for a siesta, and to get out of the hot sun. Unfortunately, despite having used sunscreen and wearing a hat, I still got a sunburn on my arms. This may have been partly due to the antibiotic I am taking causing increased sun sensitivity. Sigh! We waited until about 5 pm to venture out into the ocean again. The surf was the highest we have seen so far on our trip, with waves 4-5 feet in height. We stayed out for about 45 minutes leaping over the waves and riding them.
After a quick shower, we went to Costa Azul for a small supper. Mike had ceviche, and noted some differences from the same dish in Same. I had a simple omelet. Both dishes were good, but the cleanliness of this restaurant was not as good as some others. After supper, we walked around the town again. There were many locals out and music was playing on every corner. Several stores remained open, and I was able to replace my small notebook that was lost earlier in the trip. We enjoyed an ice cream treat before heading back to our hotel to relax on the balcony. We spotted a huge ocean freighter on the horizon as well as four large fishing boats that were closer to the coast than is typical.

Hector Mateo and his artwork in progress

View of the huts that line the beach

Pepis, our adorable Hotel dog

View from the top of the street looking down towards to sea

Monday January 16, 2017

Every time I write the date for the blog, I find myself struggling to remember what day it is, and what the date is. What a wonderful problem to have!
So we left Leo and Dan early this morning, to catch the bus to Chamanga. Once again, we found travel by bus to be enjoyable and educational, as well as very affordable. The conditions of the terrain changed from lush and green to a more arid landscape.  There were different trees, and more scrub brush, as well as farmland in the valleys. In Chamanga, we were directed right away to our next bus to Pedernales. We waited only a few minutes for our departure. These first buses did not have air conditioning, but as long as the bus was moving, there was plenty of breeze to cool us off. By this time we have gotten used to the various vendors who come on the bus, hawking their wares. We have been offered juice, bottled water, gum, candy, yucca buns, empanadas, cheese bread, and a colon cleanser with a half hour speech about all the good things it would do for your health (Really, not kidding!)
In Pedernales, we were once again changed swiftly and efficiently to our next bus to Canoa. The driver of our current bus flagged the bus to Canoa on the road and allowed us, along with other travelers, to transfer right there. In this way we missed the bus station altogether. On the bus to Canoa we saw a town, called Don Juan that looked appealing from the road. We also saw many signs of devastation from the earthquake that occurred last April. We saw a gated community (condos for gringos) that had extensive quake damage. The area appeared to be abandoned. Mike was enjoying looking at different beautiful designs for homes built from bamboo. He is hoping to build in this style when we move here.
Our bus arrived in Canoa around 12:30. This was well ahead of our planned arrival at 4pm. It should be noted that the bus times we found on the internet did not reflect the wide variety of choices and departure times that we experienced in our travels.
When we arrived at Hotel La Vista, they were still cleaning the rooms, so we relaxed in the atrium for a few minutes. This hotel has a beautiful courtyard with many flowering plants and a large seating area. Our room is on the third floor with a balcony directly overlooking the beach. There is a hammock on the balcony, but only one so we have to take turns. We also overlook the malecon, in this case a road that runs the length of the beach. There are about 30 bars and restaurants located on the beach side of the malecon, all of them in huts. Most of them have shaded areas for customers to sit while eating. Mike and I had lunch at one these beach huts for $8 in total. This included blended fruit drinks (delicious!), as well as spaghetti with shrimp for Mike and a large bowl of fish soup for me. In the afternoon we stayed out of the sun for the most part, although we did go for a short walk around the town.
We walked across the street to the beach around 4:30 and went for a walk to the south.  When we headed into the ocean for a swim, we were amazed by the warmth of the water. Despite being very warm outside, the water felt warmer than the air. Even Mike, who is notorious for complaining about cold water, stayed in for a long time. We enjoyed jumping the waves and playing in the surf. After a quick shower to rinse off the salt water, we headed to Brisas Del Mar for supper. We had noted this place earlier and returned to try it for supper. The food was excellent and the portions were very generous. Meals came with rice and "patacones", the local word for the fried plantains that are very tasty. After supper we strolled along the malecon. We met a couple from California who had been in Ecuador for some time. They had visited several inland locations and were now in Canoa, which was their only stop on the coast. They informed us that over previous weekend, all of the local shops and restaurants were open and busy. We headed back to the hotel, spent awhile unwinding on the verandah, then slept.

Sunset from our balcony

Bamboo and thatch roof over a local restaurant

Hotel La Vista

View of the beach from our balcony