Goodbye Ecuador

Well I left Galapagos after a wonderful week of diving fun and a great way to end my trip to the Galapagos.   Gordon Rocks was amazing.  I went twice and both times found the dives truly amazing.  Large schools of griant mantas and large schools of hammerheads and sharks.

I then made my way to Montanita a surfing and beach town to relax for a week before leaving.  Apparently I am not the only one who had this idea as I met many travelers ending their trips there.  Yesterday I was walking on the beach eating a wonderful homemade pizza when I heard someone call to me and realized it was a one of the guys that I started my trip in Ecuador with.  He was one of the first people I met as we both started our journey in Ecuador and then randomly we bump into each other as we are both preparing to leave this weekend.  

In Montanita this weekend is a festival with a big concert last night.  But the power went out for about 6 hours but that of course didnt stop the party. I heard the music going and what sounded like a parade at 6am.  And when I got up this morning and walked into town at 8am there were people still drinking from the night before and a couple people passed out on the street.
Today was a great day. The spanish school (http://ecuador-spanishschool.com/) arranged for us to take an excursion to Agua Blanca an isolated community that has been untouched by the spanish and have pure bloodlines going back from ancient times.  The guides took us through the archaeological site and to the hot springs where we took fresh mud and slathered it all over our bodies and then laid in the sun to dry followed by a swim in the hot springs.  Then to lunch in Puerto Lopez a fishing community.  Then I took the bus back to Guayaquil.  It was a beautiful ride watching all the fishermen pulling in the nets to the shore as we drove down the coast with the sun starting to set.   The excursion was fantastic.  I highly recommend the school too.

Then we arrived in Guayaquil and in typical Ecuadorian fashion an American of Ecuadorian descent helped navigate the large bus station and made sure I got in a taxi OK and that the taxi driver knew where to go and the price. 

I will miss Ecuador and hope to come back another time to explore more of this country as I only was able to scratch the surface of all that it has to offer.




 

Finally made it to Gordon Rocks

Well after my last trip to Gordon rocks Which was a disaster when the police stopped us and wouldnt let us dive and the owner wouldn't admit it was because he didn't have the permits to dive there. Well today I went and it was amazing it! Huge schools of large manta rays and large eagle rays that were so close I could almost touch them. Seals were playing with us at the end I had one inches from my face while he floated upside down and I think we literally had a staring match as his eyes were level with mine, I think he one I didn't see him blink. Lots of turtles to but sea lions are so much more fun and playful. Schools of hammerheads. Wow really amazing!!

Best quote of the week, when someone asked me if it's hard to see cause my eyes are so small! It's quite interesting on the island I live on it's been different than anywhere else I have been including the other islands people are much more blatant. I am on a bigger island now but as I walk by people shout chinita Whig is little chinese, they say cheeech hung kong or something that sounds Asian and all start laughing or pull the ends of their eyes back to make them look chinese and when I say I am from
The states they often say no you are not as a statement. they don't mean any harm buts it's interesting to see adults have this kind of behavior. This is not just kids doing this. But then agin I was told that all American girls are blond. I am not sure heo they got this impression or maybe it's just that most of theamericans that can afford and want to go to the islands are caucasion. Or media and tv cold play a role. I tried to explain the term melting pot to someone yesterday.