|
|
| .. |
Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
|
|
|
THE COAST, ECUADOR
Ecuador's coast is filled with small fishing villages and deserted beaches. About 80% of the north coast's population are descendants of Black slaves. It's definitely a different atmosphere and shouldn't be missed! Just don't mistake the Ecuadorian coast for resort coasts of Costa Rica or Mexico. The coast is particularly poverty stricken - don't carry valuables with you, don't take buses at night, and you should not walk deserted beaches alone. The most important tip I have for you about the coast is don't forget your mosquito repellent with lots of DEET!
Manta is Ecuador's 2nd largest shipping center. There are lots of warehouses and factories - quite a difference from Bahia. I took a flight from Quito to Manta on TAME Airlines ($44 each way). Early in the morning (about 6:00am) take a walk down to Tarqui Beach to see the fisherman haul in their catch. The beach is filled with dead fish, sharks, octopus, and a few unidentified creatures. It's quite a site and quite a smell! To continue south down the coast, you must take bus through Jipijapa (pronounced hippy-happa) which costs $1.50 from Manta. There is a new Terminal Terrestre about a mile out of town and a small store for water and snacks. From here you can get a bus going almost anywhere. Jipijapa is surrounded by fertile farms of cotton, coffee, and cocoa. At the terminal, I caught a bus to Puerto Lopez ($2.00). Puerto Lopez
I stayed in the Puerto Lopez area for about 10 days. However, I stayed primarily at Alandaluz and hitched rides on trucks into Puerto Lopez. I did stay one night in Puerto Lopez at Hotel Pacifico for $9 with shared bath and air conditioning. There were 2 new budget hostels opening up when I was there - that are probably cheaper and with fans. Alandaluz Alandaluz is a self-sufficient ecological resort that practices organic agriculture and has a close working relationship with neighboring communities.It's truly an ecological resort with compost latrines, organic agriculture, alternative ecological architecture, a waste recycling program, a water recycling program, and other social programs.
My journey to Alandaluz stopped about 10 miles short in Puerto Lopez. Apparently, the roads are so bad, buses do not continue on past Puerto Lopez. So I was stuck in downtown at night in the rain 10 miles from my reservation in Alandaluz. Thankfully an older man took it upon himself to find me a ride. During the day, you can get pay $1 and hitch a ride on a camioneta with about 15 locals standing up in the back of a pickup. At night you are lucky if you find someone going your way and the price goes up.
I would stay at least a night at Alandaluz. The place is beautiful and the sunsets are gorgeous! Even their most basic huts are comfortable, the food is delicious, and you can walk down the beach for miles seeing Sally Lightfoot crabs and beach pigs in nearby Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico is a tiny fishing village. Residents go to Puerto Lopez when they need to go to the store or market. These are photos I took during a stroll down the beach - while staying at Alandaluz. Some of the Alandaluz employees are from here. |
Manta Lodging The first night I stayed at Hotel Panorama Inn (Calle 103 y Ave. 105) - which was an experience to say the least. The first room they showed me to had a large dead rat near the fan, the second room had no toilet seat, and the third one had several broken windows. I should have gone somewhere else but it was getting late so I settled for the fourth room. It was very loud, dirty, and I slept in my clothes but it was only $6 with a fan. The next day I headed straight for Las Gaviotas (Malecon y Calle 106) and got a luxury hotel room for $30 (actually the rates are $40 but the guy thought I was Brazilian and gave me a discount).
Alandaluz, which means "winged city of light" has won many awards for it´s pioneer work on Ecotourism in Ecuador. Alandaluz has a private beach; camping areas; a restaurant and bar; and the Pacarina Travel Agency in Quito (Baquedano 330 y Reina Victoria) and Puerto Lopez where you can make reservations for Alandaluz. The restaurant provides healthy meals including vegetables from their organic gardens and fresh seafood. All of the shrimp dishes are yummy! Set meals for breakfast are $1.60 and for lunch and dinner are $3.60. You can stay in a single hut with shared bathrooms for $10.50 and in a single hut with private bathroom for $16.50. Alandaluz is 20 minutes by car from Puerto Lopez and is located in Manabi (next to Puerto Rico).
|
Manta
Puerto Lopez was a mud pit due to El Nino when I was there. But it's a cool little village from which you catch tours to Isla de la Plata (Poor Man's Galapagos) and Playa de los Frailes. 
I payed the guy $4 to take me to Alandaluz. He had 3 kids with him so I figured I was take the 2-year old hostage if he tried anything. He dropped me off without incident and drove away. It was at this time I learned an important tip - when traveling at night always keep a flashlight handy. Of course mine was locked in my backpack and it was pitch black. I didn't notice how dark it was until the driver drove away and away went the light from his headlights. Alandaluz operates on solar power and since it was raining all day, they did not have lights. Luckily there were a lot of fireflies out and you would be surprised at how bright they actually are. I followed them until I saw the dim flicker of a candle at the bar. I went through a couple of thorn bushes and found the manager. Whew! Finally made it!
