PUERTO LOPEZ -ECUADOR-

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JULY 23. PUERTO LOPEZ. BLUE DOLPHIN CABANA. HAMMOCK TIME. SEA LEVEL

Montanita did my head in and I found myself still yearning for my little bit of summer. An hour north on the bus I found it. Bracketed by headlands to the north and south, Puerto Lopez is a lazy little fishing town made famous by the annual migration of Humpback whales to its warm waters between July and September.

With my pack on I walked up and down the beach trying to find somewhere to stay. I could have easily found a hostal in town but I was determined to stay beachside and it took nearly an hour to find a room. Hostal Turismo near the fish markets at the southern end of the beach was far from luxurios but it was family owned and they made me feel very welcome...they even went with me to other hostals to help me find a room when I told them I wanted to look around first before deciding.

Walking across the beach barefoot, my feet burning on the hot sand, I started to feel really happy... I couldnt help but smile. Puerto Lopez doesnt have the most beautiful of beaches but I couldnt give a f@$K...the weather was fantastic and I was getting in the ocean. Finally bathed in sunshine I decided I would stay here as long as the sun kept on shining..

I jumped around like a fool in the water for and hour or so and then decided to organize my whale watching tour for the next day. After paying the $50, I just had enough money left for lunch and thought it would be best to get some more money out. Only one bank here though...and it wouldnt accept my card. I asked the tourist information office anywhere would change travellers cheques and they flat out laughed at me....SHIT! My mood plummeted...finally found somewhere worth chilling in for a while and I couldnt even by myself some dinner. I had two options...(1) Give scott a call and get him to come from Guayaquil and rescue me. (2) Pay $30 to get a taxi to drive me to Monatanita and back to use the ATM there. The ATM in Montanita wasnt working when I left and if it hadnt yet been fixed I wouldnt be able to pay the driver and therefore be doubly screwed...SHIT!SHIT!SHIT! Neither option really worked and I spent the next hour stressing out over what to do..i randomly walked into a small hole in the wall pharmacy and asked if they changed travellers cheques...and they did! WOOHOO! Situation averted! When travelling by yourself its amazing the range of emotions you feel in one day...

Feeling pretty proud of myself I walked along the beach and met a couple who were also staying at my hostal, Shane and Silke, and they in turn introduced me to Remy, owner of the Blue Dolphin Cabana. Didnt know it at the time but I would be spending the next couple of days relaxing in his hammocks beachside drinking Caipirinhas...my new favourite drink. Remy is quite the host and makes a mean drink and if you give him a days notice he will cook you up a seafood feast the following day at sunset. Anybody visting Puerto Lopez should pay him a visit and tell him I say hello and that the music is on its way...walking toward the beach from the main part if town turn left, its the last cabana toward the south end of the beach.

I woke early a few mornings to watch the fisherman bring in their catch wich is well worth the effort...I truly believe that going to a towns local markets gives you the best insight into the inner workings of their society...in Puerto Lopez its very obvious that the town revolves around the oceans bounty. Selective fishing is not a common practice though and some of the species being netted should have been left in the ocean. I was surprsied to see even token measures of regulation, although the presence of inspectors measuring the catch didnt seem to worry any of the fishermen at all. Business as usual.

Apart from the whale watching tour and hiking Isla De La Plata, there isnt much else to do here but relax. Puerto Lopez is just what I needed though...for the first time I felt truly relaxed, ate some great food (the ceviche here is extraordinary) and met some great people...on the whale watching tour I met Bobby and Kevin, both from the states and we had great time drinking rum curbside with the locals. Shane (from Ireland) and Silke (from Germany) were also good company and it was fun watching them interact with the local family we were staying with, they had been here before and returned when asked to become godparents. The whole town was great and the locals very friendly...the kind of town where everybody knows your name after the first day. My writing here became as lazy as the beach vibe and if you are wondering why there are no photos of the beach its because i just couldnt have been bothered to get out out of the Hammock. Unfortunately on the 5th day the sun did disappear... it was time to move on.

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Comments

[Mike]

Quick question
Hey bro, Just wondering what camera you are using for your pix?? ;) Looking good!