Oh I do like to be beside the seaside!

---

We have decided to take a well earned break from all our hard work and so are off to the beach! Got the first bus at nine in the morning to go to Guayaquil via Cajas National Park. It looks really beautiful and we are going to have to get there at some point. Probably not that soon though as the torrential rain of the last few days had caused a landslide. Really quite scary creeping round mountain passes through tonnes of mud next to the edge of the cliff where the barrier had been swept away - not the most reassuring thing in the world! Anyway, got to Guayaquil which was horribly humid and overall didn't look like somewhere we want to visit in a hurry. Didn't manage to get on a bus to Montañita until almost four as everyone seems to go to Salinas and totally ignore Montañita. Still, finally arrived at nine at night after a full twelve hours travelling and todlled off to find a hostal. Ended up in one right on the beach on stilts with hammocks on the balcony. Can't complain really! Went out in search off food which we soon found (the entire town seems to be either hostals or restaurants). There were street entertainers juggling with fire next to us - Matt looked very jealous, think it might be his next aim in life! Back to the hostal to sleep despite the horrible mozzie nets.

Next morning was absolutely beautiful although slightly overcast early on which was slightly worrying seeing as we only have one full day here and want to make the most of it! Went to have breakfast and then straight onto the beach, which is gorgeous. Hired chairs and umbrellas before trying out the sea. No wonder surfers love it here - the waves are huge and we all nearly got drowned at least once!

Unfortunatley I also managed to get the most horrendous sunburn ever although I didn´t know it til later. I wore my sunglasses for all of twenty minutes when I was drying off after our first swim and managed to get burned around them so I am now left with white panda eyes - very attractive I know, I´m just going to have to avoid photos for a while!

We stayed on the beach all day (which would explain the sunburn I guess) to watch the sunset before heading off for food. Seems to be all we do here!

---

Photos

Getting very burnt!
Didn't actually realise how bad until the evening.

Comments

[jeannie]

Ah all that sun, sea and sunburn.
Hi Kat Yep, that sunset is pretty good. Can I teleport down to a spare hammock on the beach?

[Anna]

Roasting on the beach
Hi! Well I can't say I envy you your nasty sunburn. On the bright side, you're finally starting to look brown. Who would have thought it would take you two months on the equator to get a tan!!