Advertisement
Published: April 22nd 2011
Edit Blog Post
Ecuador, we have arrived.
After not being able to connect to the internet with my own computer for a few days, I've delayed in keeping you all up on what's going on.
After spending a sweaty few days in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, I met Max at the MIA and we caught the 927 to Guayaquil.
We arrived in Guayaquil around 815pm on Monday nigh and hurried our way through customs with rumors of a direct bus to Montanita at 9. We caught that bus, but it wasn't, in fact, a direct bus. It took us two hours closer to Santa Elena, dropped us where the busses usually drop, but by then it was too late for catching our connector bus. So the nice, elderly, conveniently waiting men were there to give us a taxi ride to our destination. Another hour for 20 bucks. Not bad for 70 kilometers in a taxi, albeit one with no seat belts or door handles.
Arriving in Montanita on a quiet Monday night, we were able to quickly find a cheap room, a decent snack and top it off with, of course, a beach reggae party with a bonfire and dancing dreadheads.
Kikiri kikiri ki. I think that's how you write the sound a rooster makes in Spanish. And that's what I woke to the next day, at 630 am, basically singing to us on our balcony, demanding we get up for our first full day in Ecuador. And full it was. Exploration of the new town, checking out what has changed, what hasn't. Seeing a bunch of faces from before, greeting my friends who have stayed here this entire time, surprising some of them with my short hair and fat reserves. We also decided to switch hotels and move into the same place I lived previously, third story beachfront, two beds, private bath, dirty and hot, 5 bucks a night.
I found one of my good friends, Laura, who has been here now for four years. She just loves the damn place and hasn't left. She introduced us to her new crew and it was like I'd never left. We had cold beers on the beach, sat in hammocks, got a little too red in the sun. I even got to ride a quad to get supplies a few times. Telling them that my brother in law was a pro rider
helped in securing my role as driver.
In the evening, I met with a good friend from Ecuador, my old neighbor from before. Back then, I used to freestyle rap and sing on the balcony about most all days. Jonaton, my neighbor, liked to write poetry and stories but took a liking to the hip-hop style of expression. We would rap and sing about the town and the people and the girl's we liked, etc., always in jest and for fun.
Now he has his own night at a local bar, where he holds a hip-hop set with other guys who get funky on the microphone. Of course I made a guest appearance, a goofy gringo barking at the tourists.
Come night we sat and sipped on a local favorite for those wanting a good party, coconut liquor and generic red bull, taken as half and half shots. Pedrito con V220. Needless to say we were amped to be coconuts in Monta.
With only mild hangovers the following day, we decided to start asking around about properties, getting in touch with the expats I knew from before, gaining more knowledge in terms of land acquisition, business operation,
etc.
There are a number of people who began their lives here when the town was much smaller, around the 6-8 year mark. Many have properties and houses, own bars, tour companies, surf schools, rentals. We got good information from people and helpful insight for our hunt for land.
This place is ripe. Was more ripe when I was here two years ago, almost untouched six years ago. In the for-the-taking sort of way. But also in the smelly, humid, yes there is something dead around - way.
Two years isn't such a long time, but since I was here last, the place has really taken off.
Buildings and clubs have popped up in a lot of new places, successful restaurants from before have changed for better locations, all the main streets in town are paved, I saw a portable toilet. Things are moving up.
After meeting one of the more well known/longest standing gringos here who deals in property, he gave us the pleasure of renting his two dirt bikes. I got the QMC 250 and Max got the Suzuki 125. With helmets. The bikes are shoddy and whooped by the salt water mist, but gosh damnit
they are fun. There's about a mile long stretch from Montanita south to Manglaralto and at low tide you can rip it. We stay only off road, so its been fun being able to check out the surrounding hills and neighborhoods and stay away from the ballsy/loco ecuadorian drivers.
Montanita is a town with very little to do besides enjoy the beach, surf, consume, dance and sleep. People who come here do so for those reasons, too. If you are in a hurry, you will not like it. If you don't find satisfaction in the lethargic mode of tropical ongoings, it's probably boring. Simple is as simple can only do. I would really like to design something that provided a more active and interactive space for people to "do" stuff in. Like a park or bamboo jungle gym or walk-in beach front movie theatre.
So in between major activities like watching Real Madrid play Barcelona (futbol), getting our laundry done, surfing as best we can in the waves out front, eating, we've been able to enjoy a good time getting used to the feeling of being in a different place. Getting to experience the slight variations, and gross
changes, compared with our "normal" lives. Throwing tp in the trash, not the toilet, not being able to break a 20 bill almost anywhere, stray dogs and their hungry, focused trots. Not having a phone or a watch, or wifi everywhere, the complete absence of hot water (but why have those anyways?)
Funny sidenote: I ran into my old boss from Ground Zero, the skate shop in Davis. He knows some of the same people I know from my previous trip here and is visiting for awhile. Haha.
More interesting idea from encounter: Start a skate and skimboard shaping company in Montanita, now that the town is paved and all the kids a starting to skate more, with awesome native woods.
This week is Semana Santa, which will culminate this weekend with a town FULL of people, billowing onto the beach and into the water, drunken and merry. Feriada they call it, and it's fun, but definitely too much. People from the city come and piss and throw garbage all over, blast music and dance like Catholicism was based on the execution of the Salsa. We'll be protected on our balcony, now on the second floor,
with water balloons and other means of ammo like rum and gringo gusto.
After our first ten days in this wonderful land, the spirits remain high and the sun burns hot.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.109s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 5; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0854s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb