Oceans away

The taxi ride to the airport was scenic and beautiful. At first we were wondering if he was taking us somewhere else, now being on guard for any unforeseen misadventures, but to our surprise we had a twisty short cut tour passing ghettos, high rises, colonial buildings, and more art nuevo graffiti. Happy to arrive at the airport yet our backpacks are looking a little sad having been slashed and violated! Tame Air is great, on time, quiet planes, free bevies and after a 50 min flight we arrive in Manta! This  is a bustling and prosperous city on the coast. You smell it before you see it! It's a fish (mostly tuna) processing and business mecca. Since we're not interested in either, Manta was more of a transportation hub to better beaches! Our hotel has aircon and as with most breakfast is included! Woke up sweating and noticed the power's out, maybe to save energy or maybe not, three hours of it. OMG it's so #^*+ hot! Even though the temperature is 24-28 it feels like 34-38! Not as humid as se asia but feels hotter! Had a good breakfast and hopped a bus to check out Crucita! Since it's rainy season we've noticed that the buses use newspaper as a non slip covers on the entrance stairs. We were the only gringos on this bus mostly full of men and families! The system here is pretty slick and the buses all seem to leave on time! There is a driver and his assistant. The driver does just that and the assistant is busy collecting people and money as we stop frequently along the highway! The buses will slow down when they see possible passengers on the road side and yell their destination while the folks on the street wave a yes or no! You have to be fast as the bus barely comes to a stop! Also various peddlers selling all kinds of snacks fly through the bus getting on and off. Too funny, but hey it works!  We passed rice fields, more shanties and shacks, graffiti, more churches and these big canopy trees like the ones in Africa! Same same but different! LOL Our friends Russ and Eileen have purchased property here in Crucita so thought we'd check out the neighborhood! On arrival we caught a tricimoto (3 wheeled motor taxi), super efficient and even has reverse! Found a hotel on the ocean and paid the gringo price of 50 dollars, noticing that the family before us only paid 40. The tourista tax!  Big room, big bed, and big aircon! Life is good! Had a blast getting my feet in the sand and Steve in the ocean! Today is Sunday and weekends for the locals are all about fun times, for sure! So many cars with boom box speakers blasting high energy tunes while the cervesas flow. At lunch we had the main local staple of fried plantain, rice, and fish while watching drivers of all ages pull up to the restaurants and ordering open beers to go!  Spanish wild west. Note to Dale and Brad, Steve even enjoys a cervesa in the heat! LOL At this beach they rent out two sided tents instead of umbrellas! Any kind of protection here is a must! We've been wearing 30-50 spf and go out only after 3:00. Holy guacamole super intense sun! Back to shower up for supper and then noticed how the streets have emptied, the locals have made their way home sunday evening and the mood has 180'd! We are so white here and stand out so well! Simple supper of more Ecuadorian food and rest up in our big phat room! In the morning no breakfast at the hotel, had to find a spot and then once back at the hotel noticed the staff serving locals.What the... We felt like such outcasts! Oh well decided to ditch this spot and head back to Manta and work our way south! What a wonderfully contrasting bus trip! The bus was almost empty so we sat apart, each having two seats to stretch out till in comes Grandma and her 2 grand daughters. The eldest girl 11 year old Gaylin sat by me while her grandma, Cecelia sat across from me with her other grand daughter. Steve rolled his eyes knowing the splanglish chatty chat has begun. I pulled out my translator section in the back of Lonely Planet and we had a great conversation. Ha ha ha!!! They live in Manta and their Mother lives in Guayaquil! They gave us their cell numbers and invited us to come to their casa next time we're in town and celebrate with food and musica! Simply connecting, lovely people, lovely country! I gave them a toonie as a memory keepsake! Transferred in Manta onto another bus heading to Montanita.

another bus heading south to Montanita!

Quito second time around

Today we report "the dune buggy situation" to the Canadian consulate and Ecuadorian Ministry of Tourism. First, taxied to the business side of town. A fairly tall sky rise co hosts our country's consulate. Had to hand in passports and go through security, it's a good thing in case some wacko wants to make a statement of their own! Once arriving on our floor, yet another security station and where they take your cameras, phones, etc,,, put in it a lock box and give you a key. Waited a bit then went through a secure door into a small room partitioned off with a glass wall to a larger room where our consulate entered. We wrote out yet another report, more waiting, more writing. She took our email address and informed us that they will let us know what the outcome of the Banos buggy scandal. Bueno, lunch and off to the ministry of tourism. Same  sort of process without the extra security, we only handed in Steve's passport this time. Met with a kind woman Raquel who spoke as much English as we spoke Spanish and she quickly got us yet another interpreter! He was super helpful and not to hard on the eyes! LOL. He too looked disappointed to hear that the buggy owner had even gone to our hotel! Another bit of luck was that Cody had booked the rooms so they were in his name and buggy guy was looking for the Debowski's. Mr Tourismo was a great help and later let me take pictures of  incredible views from this glass walled office in the sky! The Basilica church really stood out with it's detailed  construction. Nice, the paperwork and reports are complete and hope this will help other travelers as the authorities will be watching buggy guy. Off to get Steve a shave and a haircut at Cody's stylist in Mariscal. She did a great job on Steve who without a beard appears 10 years younger! Ready for the ocean now! Booked flights for am trip to Manta. Out for dinner and enjoyed our walk in the mariscal area taking in the racy statues and other public works of erotic art. Such provocative detail! Their passionate randy influence is shared everywhere! It's good to be back in Quito and take in everything with a slightly different perspective, some subtle some are Wowser

! Nice dinner and taxi back to the hotel Inca Imperial. The cost should be two bucks and this guy wanted three but settled on two, so we get in! OMG this was the scariest ride I have ever had! I kept saying alto and pare but he got his kicks doing the andretti.  Thankfully we have our guardian angels looking out for us!