I Danced with the Ping Pong Champion!

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In Máncora, Peru, I stayed at a Loki hostal. There are four Lokis in South America now - Máncora, Lima, Cusco and La Paz, Bolivia. They have a reputation for being thee place to stay if you’re into partying. The facilities are very nice and they definitely cater to backpackers who are looking to have some fun and a solid relax. I originally thought the Máncora Loki was a lot like Day Camp. Someone else said it was like a resort. In one regard they were right. Everything you need is conveniently provided so if you don’t ever want to, you didn’t ever have to leave the “compound.” It’s a little bit more expensive to eat and drink here but that’s the price you pay for eating and drinking poolside. There is a large tv room, free breakfast till mid-day, games including fussball and billiards, daytime activities (pool volleyball, ping pong tournaments), nighttime themes (silly hat night, “ladies” night where everyone is encouraged to sport a skirt or dress including men), and the beach is a few steps from the back gate. At night, the hostal stops serving alcohol at 1am. I’m not much of a drinker myself but I always accompanied the crew to the beach afterwards, where a handful of three-walled , two-storied bamboo structures blasted South American radio hits for a few more hours of dancing. It was here that I had my run in with fate. I danced with the ping pong champion!

In fact, Dave and I got rooms at the Loki Cusco. We checked out after the first night. Too much partying and boozing going on for our tastes. So why did I stay at the one in Máncora, you might ask? Well, heading into Ecuador, I had heard the Peru/Ecuador border crossing is the worst in all of South America. I was concerned about going it alone so going to this hostal allowed me to meet and talk to people who had done it, and meet people who might accompany me. By the time I checked out, I felt 100% comfortable going it alone. Turns out, there was about a group of 20 Argentines from the hostal also on the bus with me going to the next stop on the Beach Hopping Summer Tour - Montañita, Ecuador.

A little more on Máncora. It is the hottest Peruvian beach on the gringo trail. Personally, I liked Huanchaco better. Unlike Máncora, from the main street in Huanchaco you can see the beach. Here in Máncora, there are buildings, huts and homes in between the main street and the beach. Huanchaco was a bit more mellow whereas the big perk in Máncora is the surfing. I’ve seen it written that Máncora has the longest left hand point break in the world. I don’t know if that’s true but I can attest that it is a remarkably long break. There are countless places to surf, take lessons and rent boards. I’m desperate to learn how to kite surf, which you can also do nearby, but not desperate enough to spend $300 to do it. On a potentially related note, there are more “urgent care” medical clinics per capita here than in any other town I’ve visited. I’ll leave this to you to contemplate.

Signing off from Montañita, Ecuador!

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