Montanita, Ecuador

In addition to all the politics, I have been learning about some of the fun cities in Ecuador. Last weekend, 6 of us went to Montañita, a small coastal town known primarily for its “tranquila” atmosphere. I think a vital detail in helping one understand what “tranquila” means in this context is to mention the ever present scent of marijuana and logo of that little green leaf that seems so popular among those who would likely consider themselves frequent “munchers” and relaxed, artistic thinkers. Haha.

In Montañita, the party starts when you want it to and doesn’t stop until 7:00 am. I promise I am not exaggerating. The first two nights, we stayed in a hostel a little on the outskirts of this small (only about 2 square miles) town in order to avoid all the late night noise. It was a good strategy, but in the end, we decided that we would rather battle the sounds of 4:00 street parades, drums, and reggae bands than the equally “awake” cockroach population.

Outside of habitación drama, the town was pretty cute. However, I mostly enjoyed our adventure to La Isla de Plata. Some call it “Los Galapagos para los pobres” because it has almost all the same vegetation and much of the same species population as Darwin’s famous islands. I saw lots of blue-footed boobies. They were hilarious and had no fear. I could get right beside them and they wouldn’t even blink an eye. The biggest incentive to keep my distance came from there razor sharp beaks that come in handy during their fish-spearing nosedives. I managed to get close enough for a quick picture, but made sure not to agitate them as I was certain that my leg was no match for that sharp booby-beak.

The journey to the island took about an 1 ½ by boat. On the way, we could see big, beautiful whales coming up for air and playing around the surface. This area is known for its whale sightings during the months of July, August, and September. We found out about it just in time and got to go on one of the last boat rides of the season. When we got to the island, we hiked for about 3 hours and saw lots of different kinds of interesting animals including the boobies, albatrosses, and a giant sea lion. From the cliffs of the island, I could see more whales as they playfully dove high into the air for a spectacular show. It was breathtaking. Later, the group went snorkeling in a cove with sea turtles and thousands of beautiful fish. It was kind of cold outside, but that didn’t seem stop anyone, but me. Haha. The whole day was so wonderful that I barely remember how intensely, nauseatingly and miserably sea sick I got on the way there and the way back.

The next few days in Montañita were spent relaxing, eating, browsing at all the little artisan stands, and inventing new kinds of baltidos cominations (fruit shakes) for all the vendors. The last day was really sunny and the beach was beautiful. Although I am not really into collecting shells, I found really cool turquoise, blue, and even red stones all over the place! They are so beautiful, and I must admit to spending a significant amount of time thinking about the kind of craft I would like to make with them when I get home.

I am still missing everyone… everyday. To merely say thank you for all your prayers just doesn’t seem to cut it. But I’ll say it anyway- thank you.