To the Ecuadorian Coast

April 14th 2008

In the rainy afternoon I made up for a rather uneventful morning that involved visiting various Galapagos tour companies.

Looks like I may have to throw down $2300+ for a 1st class 8-day cruise with scuba diving and a level 3 Nature Guide. To get to the more rare animals in the islands you have to pay extra for a guide with the credentials required for these permits. The other option is paying $1670 (including return flight from islands to Quito) for a "tourist" class boat (e.g. Entripido) that doesn't have hot water or Dive Masters aboard.

The Galapagos trip is going to put a serious dent in my budget but you only live once. Besides, Leslie will be with me at this point and she likes the idea of first class.

For lunch, I decided to splurge by finding one of the more expensive Ecuadorian restaurants in town. I spent $8 USD including tip and Deli la Choza served me the best meal since my trip started. Jugo de manmarra?, empanada de verde (which isn't green inside), and a sanduche de chuchuqui (pork sliced in a sandwich).

Oh yeah, the beach right? At the travel agency, I decided I will fly to Manta on the coast of Eduador to catch some surf before April ends (I suck but its fun). For $132 USD i bought a return ticket to Quito from the coast but ended up missing my flight because I took public transit to the aeropuerto for 25 cents (standing in a bus with big pack on crammed in like sardines and it was rush hour - ouch!).

I paid $5.60 at the counter to catch a different plane to a more southern coastal city and I will now visit more than one surf town by taking a bus to Salinas and then the next day head North towards the original destination: Manta.

I think it works out better, mis panas in Quito recommended Salinas and I get to visit a strip of the coast by heading up the highway Ruta del Sol.

I am trying to write this on the bus to Salinas from the airport in Guayquil (2.5 hours). It is dark out and so hot and humid compared to Quito so the layers are coming off. It Feels tropical like Mexico and Hawaii right now.

Hopefully tomorrow is sunny.