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Published: October 30th 2009
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We took a flight from Quito to Guayaquil then a bus to Montañita. Unfortunately when we arrived it was raining and cool which wasn´t exactly the exotic beach life I was expecting or hoping for. The weather hasn´t been too bad and Braeden has been able to surf. We got enrolled in Spanish school and have been in class for 4 hours/day with another guy (Matt) from the US. It isn´t exactly what we were expecting as it has been a lot of verb conjugation (which I´ve already taken and what Braeden doesn´t care for) but we do get to play games like Scrabble and Snakes and Ladders which is fun. We probably won´t take another week of class but overall I guess it was worth it.
It is so nice to finally get to a country that is cheap and backpacker-budget friendly! Braeden has been enjoying the food from the street carts where you can get a meal for under $2 USD. 1 Litre beers are only $2 or less depending on where you buy them and a good gin and tonic from our amigo Edison is also only $2. Accommodations are reasonable at $8/person/night including a private bathroom,
hot water and a fan. (No need for AC right now but November is supposed to be the month in which the temperature starts to increase). The only problem with this town is the lack of change. Bank machines generally only give $20 dollar bills and none of the stores/street venders/hostels/etc. are usually able to give change for even $5 dollar bills so when you get small bills you have to try to hang on to them (or eat/drink/buy enough to be able to pay with large bills).
The people here are really friendly and we have been spending our nights having drinks with Matt and other tourists at a street side kiosk run by a 15 year old local boy (Edison). The town is quite small so not too much to do but we are enjoying just hanging out and relaxing. We figure we will probably spend at least 2 or 3 weeks here. This weekend is supposed to be pretty crazy with locals from Guayaquil and other neighbouring cities/towns coming to party for the long weekend. They don´t celebrate Halloween here like we do back home (no costumes) but they do celebrate ´All Saints Day´ and ´All
Montañita, Ecuador
Montañita Spanish and surf school. Souls Day´- should be something to see.
One interesting thing I saw while roaming around the town was a large band playing music (trumpets/snare drums/saxophones/etc.) on the side of the road. There were crowds of people standing around and the band was playing quite lively music so I started taking pictures thinking it was just some afternoon entertainment. It took a while for me to realize that they were playing for a funeral and that most people standing around were lined up for a viewing of the body. That´s right, an open casket on the sidewalk, right in front of a mini-market. I quickly put my camera away and left - no wonder people were staring at me like I was a dumb tourist!
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Mom Terri
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hi!
Glad you found a spot to lay low and chill for a bit. Hope the weather gets warmer for you too. Braeden you've got to let some hair grow in for petes sake! Other than that, nothing better than cheap eats and cheap drinks and cheap sleeps! Be safe - love you both....Mom