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.




 

wow.. wierd and wonderful weekend

flavored shaved ice drizzed with sweetened condensed milk.. yes please. 

so many birds

so many crabs

bad picture but another blue footed booby

another lizard

many unique cacti

 a giant land turtle

yes another bird

sierra negra volcano in isabela island

pelicans at the fish market waiting for an extra piece

The fish that the boys caught

are you sick of the many birds

Many frigates hovering above the fish market

a male turtle trying to mate with another male turtle since there are no females in this area

sea lions snuggling on the side walk

hermit crabs cover the sandy beaches in the evening

which one in this picture will be my new sailboat... i have had a few offers to be paid to be crew on some sailboats.. though they always seem to be looking for woman cook I was told by a girl that its actually not a bad job cause you dont have to do the night shifts and can sleep.  I think I need to look into this seriously

many cute baby seal lions everywhere.. you can hear them nursing as you walk the streets. 

What a wonderful weekend.  I took a boat to Santa Cruz on Thursday.  Walked around Santa Cruz exploring some amazing beaches that were deserted because all the tourists go on tours and dont have time to walk along the beach or the tour doesnt have time to stop at them.  Then I went diving the next day.  I got my dive trip scheduled the day before then was told that the company I booked with didnt have the permit to go to the marine park we were going to.  So it goes.. we went for the dive and the park police stopped us before our first dive.  The owner said we couldnt dive there cause the police said there is a problem and wouldnt explain.  A guy on the boat understood Spanish and said to us that the boat didnt have the papers to be there.. but the owner wouldnt admit it.. so we went to another dive site but we had to sit around for an extra hour while they went over papers with the police.. then we got back to the island 4 hours after we were supposed to and I missed the ferry to the next island which only leave once a day in the afternoon.  So I stayed on the island another day and took a tour which wasnt very interesting and the guide didnt speak English welll.  So I arrived in Isabela island and talked to an old man for a couple hours on the island.. or I should say he talked in spanish and I just kept saying I dont understand in Spanish.. and he just kept talking... ha ha.. then the next day I got up early and took a local bus as a friend recommended.  I asked the guy in the seat next to me about a small village and he said the boy in front of me was getting off at that stop.  well after an hour bus ride he says to me in spanish here here.. follow this boy.. i look around and say no not this stop.. but he says yes this stop so I look up and the only other non native is getting off the bus so I get off too.
the other person also happens to be my german friend.. the one that my hand slipped and lightly hit his hand and he dropped his ipod and got really mad at me.  Its sad I saw him almost every day as we were both independant travelers staying at the same hotels and doing the same off the beaten path itineraries and I would be all smiles and Holas when I saw him but wouldnt acknowledge me, which is a pity as we obviously have a similiar personality to constantly be bumping into each other in places where there are no other tourists.  But alas I find myself on an empty dirt road with him trying to ignore me so I ask where are you going.. he says to the volcano.. so I follow and stop a tourist car that tells me where the volcano is.  So change of plans I was looking for a village that my friend had recommended but obviously I had gotten off at the wrong stop.. so volcano it is.. we hike to the park with him basically trying to run ahead of me.. and we get stopped by the park officials who let us know that we need a guide but it had to be arranged in the city.  So a german tour group goes by and they say come join us.. so we did.  We went to see the volcano then the tour guide said it was ok to join the rest of the tour.  i tried to tip the guide at the end and he said its not necessary and jumped in the van before I could finish finding some money.  So then I decide to try to visit the small islands off the shore to see the penguins. I go to the dock and ask if there is a ferry the guy says one wont be leaving for an hour then says wait just go with these people they will give you a ride for free.  I look over at the group leaving and I know a girl in the group, its a german girl I had volunteered with in Banos.  So I get on the boat with them. They took us close to an island to see penguins and then went for a picnic on a beach on one of the islands.  They caught an octopus and some kinda of maybe bass that they were going to make cerviche out of.  Cerviche is the specialty here.
A crazy and unexpected day.  The next day I went and saw the land turtles mating.  I love the land turtles they are enormous and slow and look like ET.  They live to 200 years or so.  Today I went back to Santa Cruz to take the ferry back here and stopped at the turtle place there again since i had time to kill.  I went to look at the male giant land turtle area and what did I see but a male trying to mate with another male.  Then later another male trying to mate with the same male.  The guide said its mating season and they are in a pen with all males, what do you expect, they are gonna try. Ha ha.
so then I am looking for a the ferry to return back to San Cristobal but I find out that the ticket I had bought in the last island says the name of a boat that doesnt exist... i have about 5 people trying to help me find a boat cause only 3 boats leave and all at the same time.  Finally one guy comes over and says he is working as a guard on one of the boats and I think he just let me ride for free on the boat cause there was room.  Its great that people are so nice here.. that has helped me out.