FELIZ CUMPLEANOS

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FELIZ CUMPLEANOS

My first day in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador and it’s my birthday. I looked up the translation for birthday on my telephone and practiced it all day.

I walked out the door of my hotel and looked down at the ocean in the distance. I figured all I had to do was walk down this dirt road in front of my hostel, turn right at the main road and I would eventually run into the waterfront. I could check out a few dive stores and set up three days of diving.

I started walking, and was surprised to see that Puerto Lopez has trikes like the Philippines. They are basically a refitted motorcycle with a cab over it. The driver is in front and there is a rickshaw type seat in the back for passengers. There is additional space for baggage on the roof and behind the back window in the “boot”. Transportation in these is usually pretty cheap but I had opted to walk, so walk I did. It didn’t take me long.

One of the first things I noticed were the dogs. They were loose and they were everywhere. On my very first trip two years ago I considered getting a rabies vaccine. Luckily the health worker explained that the vaccine doesn’t prevent rabies, it just boosts your immune system so you have time to get to a medical facility. She said as an adult .to just exercise caution around animals. So although I may think they are cute, or sad, I walk to the other side of the road to avoid being near them. The dogs in Puerto Lopez weren’t just in the street, they were in shops, curled up under the legs of the tables in restaurants, and just wandered around in the heat near the beach. The second thing I noticed was they were many different breeds. I think I saw one of each recognized dog. The first was a chow. How could a chow live in the heat! There were Chihuahuas, golden labs, German shepherds, great Danes, Welch terriers, etc. All without collars or owners anywhere around. It took me a week to stop dodging them.

I saw a man selling cotton candy. I was looking for ways to celebrate my birthday and I love cotton candy so I and asked how much? He looked at me carefully and said, "One dollar." I knew he had raised the price just for me, so I said, "No, thank you," and continued into town, where I saw another man with the tall rack of cotton candy in his hand. I asked him how much and he told me fifty cents. I bought one from him.

I was looking for another elasticized dress to wear over my swimming suit between dives. I checked out some of the souvenir stands and clothing stores. Things were not bargain cheap and I didn’t find one in a print I could live with so I continue to wear the old one that is a near rag now. Many local people were selling costume jewelry and souvenirs, not only clothing. I browsed, getting a feel for prices and wondering what I was willing to carry around for another month.

I finally came to a dive store. I thought, Wow! He has a great location, it's the first dive shop you come to. I went up and stood in the doorway looking in. One of the men was on the computer, obviously checking and editing the day’s photos. Another guy was standing behind him looking over his shoulder. He leaned over and whispered something to the effect that there was a customer. The man doing the editing swung his head around, barely glanced at me and went back to what he was doing. I waited about five minutes and then decided if he wasn’t interested in my business, I would look elsewhere. I turned abruptly and walked on. I saw him rise, from the corner of my eye, but I was finished at this shop. Diving in Puerto Lopez is not cheap. A two tank dive runs $140 to $150, his loss.

The next dive shop was interested in getting some business. A really nice young woman struck up a conversation with me and I signed up for two dives while we shared my cotton candy. It is always so sweet, I much prefer to share it. They had a full boat the next day but I could join them on Saturday and Sunday. I understood, and I knew I could book another dive for the first day in a heartbeat, which I did at the next dive shop I ran into.

The beach was tourist quality, miles of sand and gently rolling waves breaking on the beach. Except there were no chaise lounges or umbrellas in sight so I never did brave the heat to sit in the sun. I did see, during my stay, a huge billboard advertising the future development of a high end, many storied beach front hotel and I felt a tug of nostalgia for this quiet little waterfront area.

As I meandered back toward my hotel I saw several restaurants. One caught my eye; it had an advertisement showing a huge lobster. I stopped and asked the price. A full lobster meal was less than twenty dollars, so that became another birthday celebration, and I topped it off with flan. It was a little different, a bit grainy instead of silky smooth and creamy. Still it was flan, and as good as birthday cake, probably better.

I went back to my hotel and chatted with the desk staff again. Maria really wanted me to learn Spanish, so she gave me sentences to connect with the day’s activities. Then I went up to my room to sort my luggage, arrange my dive gear and prepare my underwater camera for the next morning.

I had messages from my children wishing me a happy birthday. When I skyped Michael he sang Happy Birthday to me, holding a big sign saying Happy Birthday, Linda. Not only that, he had dressed up and spent the whole day doing things for MY birthday, including taking a selfie holding the large birthday card in front of a museum. That takes courage. It made the day pretty special for me. It was another wonderful traveling birthday.

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Photos

Puerto Lopez Beach
Some of the boats are anchored off shore. There are even more. Not shade in sight.

Puerto Lopez Dog
Of course, the only photo I have of a dog is a Heinz 57 variety.

Spondylus
The restaurant I liked right next to the dive shop. Spondylus is a shell fish.

Laurenna
The owner. She makes the best vegetable soup.