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Published: January 25th 2006
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Executive summary: I'm still in Canoa, taking Spanish, surfing, meeting new friends, and enjoying sunsets. Spanish has been difficult to learn, even a bit fraught. Surfing conditions aren't super but it's been fun paddling in warm water every day. And I've enjoyed the break from first world costs.
Learning Spanish: User Beware!
My first experience with Spanish happened in the Miami airport. I was getting some Cuban fast food at a stand and the woman and I couldn't understand each other. I hadn't even left the country, so I knew I was going to be in trouble! My first successful translation once I arrived at the Sundown Hotel happened the first morning, when I tried to ask for some milk (maybe one of, oh, 100 key words I might have learned before I left). For some reason I think Italian will work, but "Latte, LATTE" didn't work. So I used the universal symbol for milk which worked perfectly well . I was awarded with my first lightbulb of understanding with someone-- "Ah, LECHE!", and my lessons began. A little imagination and some tolerance for humilation makes the "language charades" doable, but you
can waste a lot of time in the day, and end up with the friendly nightwatchman prefering to pretend-milk a cow while laughing and pointing "Vaca!" rather than calling you by your christian name.
Juan Carlos, my tutor, told me about a guy from Germany, where they don't have a sound for ñ, like in mañana (or the ny sound in onion), asking for important phrases for meeting chicas in a bar. Juan Carlos got a bit nervous because instead of saying "quantos años tienes?" , the German would say "quantos anos tienes?" , and not really notice the difference. My favorite thing so far about the language is that papa (potato), papA (dad, with accent on the second syllable), and Papa (the Pope) is all dangerously close to each other, so you have to be careful when you ask for fried potatoes !
Juan Carlos is doing the best he can, but I still feel very stilted when I try to speak. I want to learn all the grammar, but I'm finding the sheer multitude of tenses and special conjugations of verbs daunting. It's hard
to understand what other Ecuadorians say because they speak so dang fast. Juan Carlos is always reminding me: 'Poco a poco' , and 'Tranquilo David, tranquilo' .
Surfing Conditions
This section will be boring for many, so jump ahead! The waves are typically 4' or so, with bigger sets on bigger days getting to 6-7'. There's a relatively strong south pulling current some days right outside the hotel, so after 30 minutes I'm walking back up the beach. I haven't been catching lots of waves, and either I suck, or the waves aren't the best, or, OK, a little of both. They just don't get real clean, with lots of choppy soup, particlularly in the afternoon when the wind picks up, and doubled up waves which evoke more promise than they deliver. The waves I can catch tend to be 'imminent', which means they are getting vertical pronto, otherwise I'm spending a lot of time trying to paddle into the waves, only to miss them. That said, I´ve had some great rides on friendly 7´waves that break far out on a sand bar when the tide is low.
I'm not sure how this year
compares with other years, but there has been very little rain, and I've heard the Humboldt current has stuck close to the coast longer than usual. If anyone can translate, please do. Shortboarders are a lot more common than longboards, and they are all wanting it larger while I just want it cleaner. The water is warm and fun to be in, nonetheless, and I've enjoyed getting out every day, usually early in the morning, and again at sunset. No wetsuit needed, though I'm glad I have my shorty because otherwise I get a rash from the board. ouch!
Dollars and Centavos.
Ecuador has used the US dollar since 2000. This was pretty radical, but there had been about 100% inflation per year and huge depreciation since 1996, and things seemed to have settled a bit since the dollar arrived.
Here´s some typical costs for things, for those with curious minds.
Bus from Quito to Canoa (or close) 7.50 Bus to nearest town (16 km) .35
Big beer at a bar (about 24 oz) 1.00
Mixed drink 1.50 (with 2 for 1 during happy hour, love those fresh pina coladas😊
Fish at market 2.00/lb same for pretty large prawns
bus in sand
You're not supposed to drive on the beach, but some do... unfortunately, this guy got un-stuck before high tide. Limes (tasty small ones) about 12 for .10
Basic restaurant meal (soup, rice, fish, juice) 3-4.00
Room with shared bath 7.00
Best deal: haircut (1.00)
Worst deal: crappy longboard rental (4.00/hour)
Visit to a public health clinic: 1.00 private clinic: 20 (more if you need drugs)
Tip to kid who sings his lungs out while keeping rhythm with sea shells during the boat ride across to Bahia (.10 seems typical, with about half the passengers giving something)
Private kindergarten: $80/ month for a decent school (8-noon). $30 for the local catholic school, but this has one teacher for 4-6 year olds (around 45 kids!) There is public school starting at 5, but I´ve heard it´s not a good idea around here if you want your kids to learn.
Wages: I heard school teachers and doctors (working at public clinics) make the same thing, around $120 / month. A typical non-professional wage is $80 / month. My source told me with some resentment that politicians give themselves 3000 / month.
Signing off-- hope all of you are well!
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pusherman
non-member comment
Cleanest Waves
The photo of the cleanest waves you've seen look pretty clean to me. Go get 'em.