Machala

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We arrived in Machala about 4pm and walked around the town for 2 hours
looking for the CIFA office (this was due to every street in Machala
not having a name).

We found the CIFA office and when the next bus was but decided because
of the bad reports we had heard about the Ecuador-Peru border crossing
we would grab a hostel and do it tomorrow during the day.

We asked round a few hotels (as there are no hostels in Machala) and
kept getting quotes of $35-55 for a double room which we couldn't
afford. Then we came across a little hotel called El Dorado which was
$15 for a double with cable tv, air con, and red hot water definitely
the best room we have stayed in so far. Plus the best bit was I
wouldn't have to get out of bed to watch England beat the Germans.

We woke up after a magic nights sleep and watched the first 45 minutes
of the game but because I was swearing so much at the tv we thought we
would watch the second half in a local bar where I wouldn't be as
abusive.
We hit the place we went for tea the night before called Viva
something was a Spanish version of TGI's very nice, although the
scoreline wasn't.

ENGLAND 1 - GERMANY 4
I think Capello deserves to keep his job because the football we
played pre world cup was good. The only positive to come out of this
result is half the team will be too old to play next world cup so we
can start affresh.

Got to the CIFA office very nervous about our first border crossing
especially after all the stories we had read online about this one in
particular.

Took us about 2 hours to get to the border we all got off the bus,
filled in an immigration form (leaving Ecuador) got back on the bus.
Then 10 minutes down the road got off again filled in another
immigration form (entering Peru) and got back on the bus then we were
on our way to Tumbres.
WHAT A JOKE IT WAS A PIECE OF CAKE!!

We got to Tumbres soon enough and walked about 2 mile to the centre.
It was a craphole every local we went past either laughed at us or
looked like they were going to rob us. Back on the bus for us and
heading to the lovely beaches of Punta Sal.

As Chubby Brown would say SALLY, SALLY, WHERE THE F**K IS PUNTA SALLY!
The bus rolled up at a desert crossroads with Punta Sal pointing at a
very distant beach and the busman sounded me and Hollie to get off.
Luckily we knew of a good hostel in Mancora (the next town) so I
shouted in my 95% smoggy 5% south American accent NON MANCORA.

We got off the bus at Mancora and headed straight to Loki and so would
you after seeing the resort online! Standard dorms, tepid water, but a
pool with vollyball, ping pong table, pool table, darts board, bar
overlooking the sea and access to the beach, not to mention the 3
activities daily that usually included free booze and t-shirts.

Too much going on here will catch up with you soon.

Muchos love

Brown

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