Sunday, October 28, 2012

Montañita and Puerto Lopez

Today is Sunday and currently I am listening to the San Francisco Giants play the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. It would be nice to watch the game somewhere but the town that I'm currently staying is very quiet during this day of the week. Puerto Lopez is going to be a home base for the next three nights and four friends plus myself are staying at a cozy hostel called La Fragada which is located one block from a small fishing bay. Puerto Lopez is a small coastal town that has a beautiful waterfront and a very tranquil attitude.

Earlier in the evening we booked a boat tour of Isla De La Plata which is considered to be a cheaper alternative to the Galapagos. The price we payed includes transportation, snorkeling, and a guided tour of a place that houses a wide variety of wildlife. It should hopefully be a fun day trip and a good change from the more hectic Montañita, a wild party town we just visited.

Before taking a one hour bus ride north along the Ecuadorian coast to Puerto Lopez, my friends Nick, John, Sean, Hannah and I spent three nights living at the Iguana Backpacker Hostel in Montañita. The living situation boasted live iguanas and a social atmosphere and those are petty much the only good things about it because the amenities were pretty bare minimum. We reconnected with about twelve other people who had stayed un Quito so it felt very much like a reunion of classmates rather than the visiting of a foreign town.

Montañita is a very small surf town that offers warm water, great seafood, tiki bars, and an impressive nightlife filled with more discotecs than stop signs. Despite its tiny size this ocean community feels very much like Bourbon Street because everyone arrives ready to party and exist with very little sleep. The group I came with did just that and we had some long nights that crept into daylight. We also had one really nice beach day on Saturday and spent great deal of time in the water.

The next few days will also include Halloween back in Montañita then a long bus ride south to help Cuence celebrate its independence day/ Dia De Los Muertos next weekend. More updates coming soon and hope you are doing well too!

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

South Via North

Today is Tuesday and there has been a two week absence between blog posts. I am very sorry for the delay but to be honest not too many changes have occurred since the last update. Life in Quito is coming to an end and within two days "home" will consist of sandy beaches and a lifestyle of habitual wandering. Classes at Simon Bolivar Language School wrap up tomorrow and it will be refreshing change the environment despite how helpful the experience has been. Starting Thursday my friend Nick and I will be exploring the Ecuadorian coast beginning with a three day stint in Montañita with a handful of other good friends trekking from Quito then letting the breeze of the Pacific Ocean be our navigator. Nick has to return to Quito for volunteer work in a couple weeks and my plans are an open canvas. Some tentative plans will include Cuenca for its Independence Day in early November then bussing down to Mancora, Peru for a Loki Hostel experiece.

After spending a month in Northern Ecuador the next handful of weeks will consist of constant moving and rambling towards Cuzco, Peru. Since the last blog post I have done my best to improve my Spanish and have been meeting a number of locals through Couchsurfing in hopes of conversation exchanges. This has proved pretty cool because these people have been really open toward exploring the city and since then I have gained a better perspective of how locals carry out their day. One of the highlights has been eating guinea pig then going to a theatre called Ocho y Medio in the La Florista and seeing an Ecuadorian movie with a plot set in Guayaquil which thankfully had English subtitles.

A few side trips have included visiting the Mitad Del Mundo (the Earths equator line) and hiking up Cotopaxi which Is one of the worlds tallest active volcanos. Yesterday a friend from Couchsurfing and I hung out in the Itchimbia District which boasts some good views then today we checked out a museum dedicated to Oswaldo Guayasamin who is a well respected Ecuadorian artist. My friend Jordan from Missoula was in town today and we just had dinner in Old Town with a couple other people.

It will be bitter sweet to leave Quito and the experiences here have been ones that I will remember forever. Ecuador in general is filled with wonderful people, a deeply rich culture, and it has been an honor to have been blessed by its presence. More updates to follow and I hope everyone who reads this is doing well!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Firsts and Revisits

Today is Friday and it's the end of a long week filled with studying Spanish, learning Salsa, and trying to experience as many new things as possible. Life in Quito is developing into a solid routine of waking up, having some complimentary coffee at the hostel, then doing my best to improve conversational skills with my teacher Zulma.

Today we took a bus to her side of the city and we toured her neighborhood which has a more authentic feel compared to the Mariscal Distict which is where I live. She lives in a very relaxed neighborhood and her mom made us empanadas. Guidebooks refer to my part of the city as "Gringolia" because it caters to travelers and provides people with a comfortable atmosphere. After two weeks of language classes improvements in speaking are definitely visible but there still remains a great deal of work to be accomplished. I have been fortunate because the people who work in the Vibes hostel are fluent in Spanish and enjoy speaking their natural tongue. Simon and Stephanie are two really great people and without them I wouldn't practice nearly as much.

In addition to studying there have been some very cool people staying at the hostel and now we have a solid crew who do a lot of activities together. Nick from Belgium, Alex from Germany, John from the UK, me from the USA. For the majority of the week we have been found playing pool, kicking a soccer ball, or enjoying a few casual beers while going out for $2 set lunches at local restaurants like Tarzan's in the Mariscal. Yesterday we played soccer near the Botanical Gardens against some Quito locals at a park that was swarming with different games taking place. The wet season in Quito is approaching and light drizzle storms greeted us on the playing field.

Today a good friend from Missoula name Jordan and myself met up for the first time in a couple years. She is traveling for a few months and happened to be passing through the city. It was great to see a familiar face and share some good memories. Tonight people at the hostel want to partake in some rumba activities and Monday a buddy and myself will be in Guayaquil to help the city celebrate it's independence day on October 9th. Next week there will also be a salsa dance at the studio where classes are held and a World Cup qualifying soccer match between Chile and Ecuador. The hostel will all be in attendance and excitement is already growing in the air. I hope everyone is doing well! Peace and Love and you look really good right now..

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Guaya-Not?

It's Wednesday and currently I am relaxing at the Manso Boutique Guesthouse with my friends Justin, Nick, and Joost. This quant hostel/hotel is located in the Malicon district of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The four of us took a nine hour bus ride from Quito to help the city celebrate it's Independence Day which is on October 9th. On that day Simon Bolivar liberated the city from the Spanish Empire.

We arrived in a big passenger bus that played violent Spanish dubbed films at around five on Monday and were greeted by a vastly misunderstood city. Guayaquil is the largest city in the country and is known for crime and shifty characters. We were told not to come here because of its negative reputation but after two days of celebrating, seeing sites, and meeting some really friendly locals it is easy to see that Guayaquil is definitely a hidden gem. The countries' bigger port city boasts an iguana park, mildly warm weather, and a family friendly waterfront boardwalk.

Yesterday we woke up early and ate a three dollar breakfast then went to a large park to watch the beginnings of a long military parade. The president of Ecuador gave a brief speech and ceremonial guards strided in formation while donning elegant white uniforms. After seeing parts of the concession we got lunch and checked out the multicolored houses in the las Penas district which has a lighthouse that overlooks the entire landscape. We stayed in the area for most of the day and came back later in the night to take in the nice views and inexpensive beer. There also was a bright fireworks show and a live salsa band to help begin a lively evening.

Today we all felt sluggish from a lot of celebrating last night but still managed to buy cheep Ecuador football jerseys and explore a little more of the surroundings. Earlier in the afternoon I met up with two locals for coffee and walked around a historical animal park. The two are named Maria and it was my first ever couchsurfing experience.
They have been very hospitable and want to show my friends and me more of the city later in the evening. After meeting them I want to pay it forward when I move home because it is a great way to learn about other cultures and make friends from around the world. More updates coming soon!