Blogs from Puerto López, West, Ecuador, South America - page 3

Our initial plan was to leave Ayampe behind us on Saturday, but during our stay we heard several persons talking about an island called Isla de la Plata. The island is know for its birdlife, it is even called the poor mans Galapagos for that, so we decided to stay one more day in Ayampe in order to visit the island that lies 40km outside of Puerto Lopez, the closest city north of Ayampe. We had already visited Puerto Lopez earlier for some shopping, it is a small town with a lot of fishermen and whale tourists, and also the closest supermarket to Ayampe. Our hostel booked the trip for us and we set out from Ayampe early on Saturday morning. The weather was even grayer that usual, and it was drizzling, but we were hoping ... read more

Iš ryto nusiperku kelias bandeles pusryčiams, pakeliui praeinu pro agentūrą, bet ji dar nedirba. Papusryčiaves vėl einu iki kelionių agentūros, kur pasiimu paliktą kompiuterio pakrovėją. Po to viena prancūzė pasiūlo eiti kartu pasivaikščiot po nacionalinį parką, tad prisijungiu prie jos. Turėjo eiti ir daugiau žmonių su mumis, bet pramiegojo. Trumpa kelionė autobusu, po to 5km pėsčiomis iki muziejaus. Čia pasirodo irgi buvo viena iš senųjų kultūrų gyvenviečių. Bet archeologai labai nedaug čia kasinėjo, tad apie šią gyvenvietę dar žinoma pakankamai nedaug. Aplankę muziejų keliaujam iki vulkaninės kilmės mineralinių vandenų. Prieš lipdami į vandenį ištitemap dumblu, sakoma, kad čia jis labai sveikas. Labai rami ir jauki vieta, nedidelis mineralinio vandens telkinukas, aplink miškai ir bananų plantacijos. Vanduo šiek tiek smirda supuvusiais kiaušiniais, bet maudytis vistiek labai malonu. Va... read more

We traveled from Puyo to Guayaquil on a nine-hour bus ride, spent a night in Guayaquil and then ventured onward via another 4-hour bus to Puerto López, Ecuador. Since we will be travelling through Guayaquil soon to get back to Houston and will spend another night there – I will blog those two days together at the end of the trip. About Puerto López - the guidebooks deem this town as a sleepy fishing village. After spending a morning with the fishermen, we realized there is nothing sleepy about this village at all. The scene at first seemed like utter chaos; but after analyzing the situation further, we recognized they have a very organized system in place. Early each day, hundreds of fishermen maneuver their boats through the bay in Puerto López to bring their prized ... read more

Geo: -1.56124, -80.8072We met a fun couple from Canada here at the Mandala and after spending the day sharing travel stories, they decided they'd join us on our boat ride to Isla Salango for a swim and some snorkeling.Our day started with a 25 cent bus ride south to a neighboring fishing village called Salango, a place Bob and I had been with Ligia and Sook our first week here. But this time we found a fisherman eager to take tourists out to the island and what a trip.It's quite a task just getting the boat off the shore and past the breakers, as there's no dock. But that accomplished, it was a quick trip to the island. During the first 5 minutes of the trip our crew member dashed forward--rummaged in the hold and came ... read more

Geo: -1.56124, -80.8072Early on our trip we've found a gem on the ocean, due to Kathleen's recommendation. If you've dreamed of warm tropic breezes, beautiful beaches, lush gardens, wonderful service and a comfortable bed, this is the place for you.Although the Hawaiian beaches we know are gorgeous, this is easily as beautiful as any of them, minus the people and for a tenth the cost. Of course the one big drawback, or positive (depending on who's looking) is that there's no television. But there is reliable wifi and electricity and lots of hot water. And as a minor positive, the food is great. You go out your front door, cross a sandy track and you're on a spectacular palm studded beach where you can spend an afternoon in a hammock or a boogie board. And Puerto ... read more