Manta, Ecuador

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Manta is a mid-sized city in Manabí Province, Ecuador. It is the second most populous city in the province, the fifth most populous in the country. Manta has existed since Pre-Columbian times. It was a trading post for the Mantas.

A second, big-time disappointment in Ecuador. Yet again, not because there was anything wrong with the destination, but because of misrepresentation and questionable practices on the part of our Ecuadorian agent. We had previously been advised that the trip to Montecristi - where Panama Hats are made - had to be rearranged because of social unrest. We had elected already not to do this trip because M thought it would be yet another "commercial opportunity" situation (and other passengers later informed us that this did prove to be the case). We were also warned that Manta was a not particularly safe city but that our agent had managed to arrange a bus trip to a typical shopping mall.

We did not want to forego this port having been messed about in Guayaquil last time around - so we bought tickets for the mall. On the bus the guide distributed maps of Manta to all the passengers. M asked in Spanish whether there were any internet facilities available at the mall and the guide replied that she "thought so".

The map of Manta showed that there was an international shopping complex 300 metres from the port gate, yet we were being taken 5 kilometres to the far suburbs of Manta to go to the shopping mall. Upon our arrival M asked in Spanish at the information desk whether there was a cyber cafe was told there wasn't one in the mall and that we had to go back into town. This was irritating because we had passed one within 150 metres of the port gate. We dashed back and managed to catch the bus before its return journey but they would not let us off at the port gate and insisted we stayed on until we reached the ship - 2 km further. At the ship - and after complaining we were told to catch a shuttle bus to the port gate but by this time had wasted the best part of an hour and a half. However, the next four or five hours were enjoyable.

We went straight to the cyber cafe and M clocked up an hour for $1.00 US. We walked along the Cornish past the Manta Pisce Statue to the bank where there was no evidence of any danger or threats - in fact the port area was not a seedy district which is common in working ports but a smart middle class area. We retraced our steps and went to the local supermarket and shopping complex, passing a very smart 4 star hotel and Olympic sized swimming pool on the way. We bought rum, olives and sweets and ambled back down the hill past the hotel from where we could see a lovely beach - about which we had been told nothing even though it ran right up to the port! On the beachfront there was a nice restaurant complex and Malecon (promenade). We ambled down to the Malecon and settled on the 4th or 5th restaurant down for lunch. All the diners were either middle class Ecuadorian holiday makers or local office workers and we ate local sea food with rice and escalope with chips and salad each with a pint of local beer and got change from $9.00. Apart from hassling from local hawkers this was a very pleasant experience. We sat in the restaurant for an hour or so looking straight across the beach to the Pacific Ocean. Both of us had lunch for less than half the price of the aborted bus trip to the shopping mall. A pleasant if uneventful shore day.

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