Blogs from Puerto López, West, Ecuador, South America - page 4

Geo: -1.56124, -80.8072And more. Some sell for up to a million. But when you consider a really good weaver can only make 4 or 5 hats a year, you can see why the softest, finest Panama hats can sell for so much.I came away with one tho--didn't quite pay that much, but it's a cutie. Bob tried one on just long enough for a picture then wouldn't buy it. Says he wouldn't wear it. But I think it makes him one cute Chicago boy, don't you?... read more

Geo: -1.56124, -80.8072They'd all told us this was the most beautiful beach they'd ever seen. It's an unbelievable crescent shaped beach about a mile long that has not been darkened by shops or condos. Just simply beauty with no distractions of human structures. And no trash.This undisturbed white sand curve of natural beauty is anchored on each end by completely vertical cliffs and surrounded on 3 sides by an what for us is an extremely unique national park of dry forest. It was so beautiful, we had to climb to the viewpoint for pictures.On the beach were hundreds of these little red sand crabs that would scamper away (sideways) so fast that no way can you catch them--no matter how fast you run they stay ahead of you like it's some kind of game they're playing.But notice ... read more

Geo: -1.56124, -80.8072If you've ever ridden a night bus in Ecuador, you know about the pat-downs. On the surface anyway, Ecuador is very concerned about security. We were all searched before we could board--one woman to search the whole load of us. Our bags, our persons--they patted down some people and did a cursory look with others. Bob was really hoping for a strip search, but I guess we just don't look suspicious enough. We could have had all kinds of nasty ammo on us; they'd never have known.I didn't do very good choosing the bus, I'm afraid. It was a semi-cama which means the seats lean back 3" more than an airplane's--not the nearly full recline plush leather seats of the full-cama buses we'd always taken in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Our knees were jammed ... read more

Puerto López is a small coastal fishing town with a population of just 14,000 alongside a pleasant beach. Whilst not a beach destination for travellers, most head to Montañita in Ecuador or Mancora in Peru, Puerto López whilst lacking surf unlike its rivals, does have one thing that pushes it above its relative neighbours, Puerto López actually has plenty going on outside of it's beach, specifically in the shape of Parque Nacional Machalilla, the reason that we were in town. Our first day in town was following our first night bus experience in Ecuador, something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. A war movie was put on for the first two hours and despite their only being a few gringos on the bus, the movie was put on in English, good for us, utterly confusing ... read more

These were now my last days in Ecuador! I spent a week on the coast in a small fisherman´s town called Puerto Lopez. Now is the season for whale watching, so of course I did it! Whales are now in the bay to get their cubs and to eat enough to get the warming fat they need for their long and tiring journey to the cold cold north. The first day I arrived in Puerto Lopez I went on a boat and we saw a whole group of whales. I had a few glimpse of their enormous humps and I saw a tail. But unfortunately they were now too heavy to attempt any jumps from all the food they had eaten! The rest of the day I spent on la Isla de la Plata (island of ... read more