DANGER MAN

I mentioned in my first blog I would save the story of the drive to Casa WF from the Manta airport for later. I was actually still traumatized by the experience for a few days after arriving in San Jancito and needed time to process the ordeal.             

 First...... driving at night in third world country after a brutal fight itinery from 'Canada....WTF was I thinking. Marty's driving instuctions for the 'easy' 45 minute commute from the Manta airport was fucking useless against the lack of road signs and demonic Ecuadorian drivers. Honking horns and blinding high beams made it impossible to see and signs or landmarks on the road leaving the airport. Of course I made some wrong turns and got lost. 2 hours of driving back and forth looking for the right way had reduced me to a nervous wreck. I was waiting for the police to pull me over and put me out of my misery. As desperation set in I started flagging cabs and showed them my driving map prepared by Marty at Casa WF. No English down here is spoken and I started pulling over into gas stations and and nobody could figure out what I wanted or what I should do

Finally I stopped at a late night restaurant and a couple of locals who spoke a little broken English said they knew how to get me out of my predicament they would drive and I would follow.  After a few drinks of course, The big dude wanted to ride in my car while the other guy drove. I had enough sense to steer him away from my car and told them I would follow them alone They started  to go drive away and as I realized they were definitely going in the wrong direction I pulled a you turn and bolted hoping they wouldnt turn around to follow their prey.  After a few miles with my pedal to the medal I thanked my guardian angel and started to consider my dwindling options.  It was getting late and dark and stuff was shutting down.  This was getting very nasty and I realized I was possibly in a very dangerous situation and should just grab a hotel and regroup the next way .  I stopped along the road where several cabs were parked and asked if there were any hotels around. These guys had finished their shift and were drinking houch at a friends house. One of the drivers after looking at my route instruction in English said he knew exactly where Casa WF was and reluctantly agreed to lead me there  . It was a long drive through some very back roads and I started to get paranoid about an ambush. I kept my eyes out for any other vehicles approaching. Finally after about an hour we arrived down a series of gravel roads to my destination. I thanked my guardian angel again and awarded my savior taxi driver with a $ 10 tip which he could not believe I was giving him. Muchos gracias mi amiago.                                

  This fucking nightmare should never have happened . The owners of Casa WF knew my itinery and should have strongly recommended or insisted I be picked up at the airport and rented my car the next day. They made it seem like it was an easy place to find( not ) and the driving instructions were not precise enough for someone who didnt know the area let alone for a gringo driving at night after a brutal flight itinery. I put this blot behind me for the rest of the trip And fucking Ecuadorian  drivers suck as I was to be reminded throughout my trip  

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Jurassic Park

HYUNDAISAURUS

CRANEOSUARUS

The first day at Casa WFour quiet beachfront villa  was invaded by an herd of massive earthmoving creatures. The Ecuadorian powers that be had decided to build a breakwater of boulders to protect the shoreline from from tide erosion. Of course there was no notice given to the owners Marty and Jim or the hapless B&B guests ( me ).  I tried to grin and bare it for the first week but by the end of my stay the noise and dust had made me a very unhappy camper. We named each beast as it appeared at our site and Marty the owner jokingly said the place was turning into a veritable Jurassic park. Yeah dude ...this was my beach holiday and I got invaded by a bunch of dinosaurs Ha...Ha....Ha. Expected to be compted at the end of my stay. Did not happen

KAMATSURAPTOR

Manta

My little rental car let me check out 6 towns close by

Adios Ecuador

My trip in Ecuador was coming to a close. I was off to the Manta airport today to catch a flight to Houston . But  I had final day of beaching and relaxing before making the 45 minute drive. My flight wasn't untill 8:30 pm so I would have some time to look around Manta too.                                                                                  

Tuna Capital

Manta is a bustling port city and also a major centre for tuna processing. It is also a hub for cruise boats and tourists.

I heard about the Restaurant called Martinica from Marty and also seen it out in my Lonley Planet guideI went to the Avis counter at the airport and got directions to check this place out.My rental car wasnt due back untill 7pm so I could see a little bit of Manta   

I ordered tuna tatsika and sangria followed by a swordfish fillet in coconut sauce They were both tasty but am getting tired of the rice and fried plantain side dishes that accompany every meal in Ecuador

This is where the Manta Airport terminal was before the earthquake last year. Passengers were now processessed through makeshift tents before departing to Quito

It is time to board for Quito and then a lovely red eye to Houston I had no idea what lied ahead of me 

to be continued

ECUADOR 4

Montecristi

Montecristi about a 45 minute drive from San Jancito is where Panama hats are made and and I had to get one. I went to a small shop out of the tourist area where I had read the best ones were made. The finer the weave the better the hat. The first one I tried on was a perfect fit and I negotiated a price  

with the lady of the shop. These hats are not cheap and you get what you pay for         

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn-cTgL6ie0

click above to view video

For lunch I had chosen an Italian restaurant rated highly in Lonley Planet travel guide

Trattoria de Gabriele was perched on a hillside with an excellent view of Montecristi . The  interior and grounds had the ambiance of a Tuscan Villa 

I ordered a mixed seafood lasagna which was ok

The wine which was not priced on the menu

was $6.50 per glass Lunch came to $ 40 with tip

This place was definitely a little pricey but worth                                                            the view and the ambience. Today would be an expensive outing

   

Next door to this picturesque restaurant was a house less inviting

Welcome to my Casa

click to watch Welcome to my Casa the Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji7Zq5gLCng  

I guess the occupants of this Villa are afraid of the dangerous Italian Restaurant patrons

           

• SAN CLEMENTE

3 miles from Casa wf  this fishing town and Gringo enclave was a welcome change from the reclusiveness of San Jancito. My hosts Marty and Jim warned me of the "Gaggle of Gringos' that lived there. 

Along the malecon was a local surfing beach, I pulled over to check out the action and catch a sunset    

click to watch video tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn-cTgL6ie0

                                                                                                                 

i

After a week of rice and seafood  I started to get a craving for a good steak which was no a regular item on most Ecuadorian restaurant menus. I cruised around San Clemetente looking for a regular steakhouse and finally on the outskirts of town the smells of a barbecue a drew me to the place I was looking for ( menu partially in English) The t-bone steak looked damn good

It wasnt long before another  gringo walked in looking to ffulfill his carnivourous  cravings

Marshal had been in Ecuador for 8 years escaping a hectic life in California and coming here to get his health back , He claimed he dropped 50lbs  in the first 2 years and got rid of a nasty.drinking habit, He was a home builder near LA and realized he would never afford a beach property in California

 Marshal invited me to come and see his castle on the beach  

He lived in the top suite

 His wife and servants  lived on the main floor. He gave me the tour and as we were checking out the master bedroom  wife Gabriela returned home and greeted us in the bedroom As Marshall filled me with all the details of his life she reclined suggestively on the bed . He had earlier explained to me that his was an open marriage and in fact he was heading off to Thailand by himself for some adventure in a few months

Check out the spoiled cat 

Gabriela also like dogs and had adopted many to Marshals 

dismay

Lunch was prepared by Christian and Maria ( House servants )

 Delicious prawns and cerveiche

Christian joined us for lunch and sat closely to Gabriela 

I think he had more duties than just cleaning and cooking

 After lunch Marshal took me to see his lot that might be for sale. I realized that I had just attended an Ecuadorian time share meet complete with meal and bait. Now it was time for the sales pitch

Ugly sucker eh  He wanted to subdivide this puppy and allow me to have a piece of paradise  for $30,000 there were better ocean lots for sale in  San Jancito


There's always some gringo from California trying to be a land developer in his adopted country 

 

Canoa

CANOA

This surfing mecca was hit hard by the earthquake that hit last year

The beaches were deserted when I was there

Lots of new construction going on

San Clemete

QUITO AND SAN JANCITO

Posada a Mirindo

I arrived at  Posada a Mirindo at 1:30 am  after a grueling Vancouver -Houston Houston-Quito flight itinerary all in one day. Gabriela Sanchez runs this Bed and Breakfast near the Quito Airport and had a driver pick me up the airport. She spoke English and was a verygracious hostess but would have nothing of me relaxing around the house the next day to recover from the viscous itinerary the day before. She said I must explore Quito and had the same driver that picked me up at the airport come and get me at 10 am to take me to Quito a 45min drive. I regrouped  and went for it

 ( I'am glad I did !)Posada a Mirolinda was a rustic Spanish style house located on a farm an surrounded by other fields , Agriculture is 65% of the Ecuadorian economy and no arable land is left unused. My room on the upper level was spotless and with  ornate hardwood throughout. 

 

Breakfast was served in a common area I was the only guest that morning. The view was great. I ate and wait ( for my driver )

Quito

My driver Leonardo agreed to leave me in the Central Plaza and pick me up 4 hours later. I had a suggested list of things to see prepared by Gabriela. Quito is high up in the Andean mountains ( 9350 ft ) and nestled between sharp peaks This place was a tour de force of visual impacts and a treasure trove of museums and churches. I started my walking tour

16th century basilica

o

lined with gold leaf 160 years to build

Walking up and down the steep steep streets for 4 hours was a punishing ordeal for the body at this altitude but the visuals were stunning and Iam glad I followed Gabrielas advice to check out this amazing city instead of hanging out at the Posada to await my flight to Manta and  and the beaches

Main Plaza in Quito

click to view video

Street Musicians in Quito
click to view video

SAN JACINTO

I checked into Casa WF at 130 am  after  picking up my rental car at the Manta airport. The driving ordeal to get here will be another story. Casa WF  is run by 2 Expats Marty and Jim from Florida who found their El Dorado in Ecuador and decided to rent out the bottom 2 suites through AirBnB to supplement their retirement. Located near the beach next to a river this would be my home for the next 9 days   

A tasty breakfast was prepared every morning by Jim

Excuse me innkeeper there/s a(silverfish ) lizard in my bathroom

The ocean was very warm and a cool offshore breeze kept you cool in the hot South American sun. Summer was just beginning here. Master fish filleter Antonio was at work near the beach and his restaurant preparing the catch of 

the day. Some sea bass I had here was one of my best meals in Ecuador

Master Fish filleter

click to watch video

Exotic smells and music drew me into a small thatched hut housing the barbecue bistro run by Ali, a cross dressing Afro-Ecuadorian who offered his simple fares of roasted plantain, rice,pork and chicken. There was no menu  "chicken or pork" was Ali's verbal menu presented to me as I sat down. After ordering a large pilsener.Ecuador's local beer I sat back to soak up the surrealistic atmosphere.Ali expertly barbecued me  a  pork cutlet with slices of plantain  all marinaded in a rich spicy sauce.  Served up with a special rice this meal blew me away . All for $6 including beer, I loved the way he used a blowdryer to get the coals super hot

I brought my own wine

I think this little guy came from La Curva

Did not check this puppy out