The Equinox in Ecuador

We were not planning on going to Ecuador, but a close friend asked if we would join her there. I try to always say yes to such things, and figure out how to make it work, rather than say no, and find a reason why not. We traveled there in 2012, but to the most visited sites... Quito and the Galapagos Islands. This time we headed for the coast, just south of Esmeraldas. The nearest town to our resort was Tonsupa. Nothing very big at all. The resort was lovely and had a great pool, but minimal amenities. It was a nice condo with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. We drove out to the coast from Quito. It was so nice to get to see the country that way. I was initially nervous about driving, but Z was a pro, even in the rain. This was the off-season and the area was quiet. Plus the spot where we stayed was frequented by locals only. I got to use my Spanish for real, since we didn't see any English speakers.

Lovely Flight from Seattle.

Layover in Atlanta. A healthy lunch in an airport!

Live music during lunch.

Fun flight.

Quito from above at night.

The next morning. We stayed at an airport hotel.

The drive across to the coast was something. The reason this is the off-season is because this is the rainy season. It rained almost every day, usually in the afternoon. That was true of our driving days too. We had two choices for the drive, and we went out on the toll highway, and came back on the free one. I thought that the toll road would be in better condition and easier to drive, but it wasn't. I didn't mind, because the towns and country we drove through were so interesting and beautiful. We stopped for lunch in a random spot about halfway to our final destination, and I feel like we lucked into an amazing restaurant. It was called La Piedra and was in Santa Domingo. As we stayed in Ecuador, it became clear that any place we chose would have great food, but for the first one it was a nice surprise.

A deceptive pothole that was filled with rainwater destroyed our front passenger tire; it blew out the sidewall. So we had  to change to the spare with about an hour of driving left. It was a quick replacement though, and we still got in early enough to check in and grab dinner at the closest restaurant. Replacing that tire was our first adventure the next day. Zelda and I ended up driving to seven stops looking for a replacement tire of the correct size with a moto-taxi driver in the back seat who directed us to the potential vendors. We were a long way from the big city! It definitely helped that I could speak Spanish. At about stop number four, I just realized that things were like that here. No easy access to parts away from Quito, no handy auto maintenance shops, nothing that happens quickly, but everyone I spoke to did their best to help us. After we found a tire of the correct size, we were directed to a Vulcanizador, where our old tire was removed from the rim and the new one put on in about 2 minutes. Once the new tire was on the car, I asked "how much for the work" and was told two dollars. We were charged about $60 for the tire, and $20 for the moto-taxi guide. Honestly, it felt like a deal.

 

Leaving Quito.

Selling by the side of the road. This type of vendor is common.

Everything was so lush.

Typical town. We drove through many of these.

Reduce speed now (narrow road section).

It was the rainy season.

La Piedra. Local style food.

The pitcher of sangria went fast, so we got a second.

Fried fish with salad, rice, and patacones (fried green plantain patties).

More river.

Water, water everywhere.

Fish soup on the first night. Popcorn is used as a soup addition (croutons) here.

Cats in the restaurant.

The old tire, once removed.

Replacing the tire on the (thankfully undamaged) rim.

More soup. Russ liked it the first time and went for it again.

Shrimp ceviche with the standard popcorn for topping.

Sofa in the condo (under the ceiling fan).

A picture of our cat in his accommodations when we are abroad.

We walked out to the beach several times during our stay. It was surprisingly quiet and empty, but it is the off-season. Several sea turtle nests were protected by big metal cages to prevent people from walking through them or animals digging into them. There were a lot of unfinished buildings, and the developed area was pretty limited. About a mile down the beach, the jungle took over. I really loved how wild everything looked. The stray(?) dogs that I remembered from the last time we were in Ecuador were here, too. One dog followed us all the way down the beach and back, just being friendly and wanting company.

We frequently ate in the condo, both leftovers and some items purchased at the nearest small convenience store. I did really enjoy the local restaurants though. They were often someone's porch with a few tables and plastic chairs, with the kitchen being the regular house kitchen. I always tried to have a good conversation with the folks running these restaurants, and Russ and Z were so patient to let me spend time talking and using my Spanish. It was good practice for me, plus I got to meet a lot of interesting people.

 

Gorgeous.

This end of the beach was busier; more people staying near the access points.

Waiting for the wave.

Ghosts of flight.

Ripples and reflections.

It was a fun morning walk.

Sand and sandals.

Z goes for a swim in the Pacific.

Sea turtle nest protection.

These road speed bump signs were on the highway, too.

Everything was very floral.

I fell in love with these green plantain chips.

Pool day. We both read the book for our book club.

Crazy drink garnish, it felt like the whole plant.

Sunsets were amazing here.

Glorious.

One of the many abandoned building projects at night.

The small restaurant at our resort (it was a rainy morning).

Fresh fruit was always available.

This drink was a non-alcoholic batida made with tomate de arbol (tree tomatoes, a local fruit).

Sweet crepes with fruit and ice cream.

A bird guarding our beach access.

Another day, another walk on the beach.

This dog wanted Russ to be her human.

Surfing.

Flotsam with flavor.

This boat name translates to "Prince"

At this end of the beach, the plants are in charge.

Wild and empty.

The sky becomes the sea and the edge of the world.

I think these are local vultures. The building is vacant.

Another porch restaurant in a nearby town.

There is always a dog.

Steps over the seawall at sunset.

The sun sets into the Pacific.

The start of a huge meal at my favorite restaurant. Azuca.

Fried yuca. Almost everything here was seafood or freshly harvested.

Another jugo de tomate de arbol. Fruit juice was usually available at every meal.

Pasta with seafood.

This restaurant grew most everything on the table on their small plot of land.

This is the only photo I have of me chatting with the people running the restaurant after the meal.

Waiting for the delivery call (Pizza Restaurant).

My favorite restaurant we tried was in the closest town to us and was called Azuca. It was run by Hebln, who grew most of the fresh foods we were served in her garden. Her daughter was helping her, but also sold jewelry that she made. Z and I both bought something. I probably spent an hour just talking with them. The food was great, but the conversation was the reason it was so memorable for me. I will always be glad we made the effort to call in advance so they would open the restaurant for us.

It's difficult to tell from the photos, but the temperature and humidity was high, so we were always feeling overheated and sticky. The mosquitos were pretty thick too, when we were in areas with trees. The resort pool areas were usually mosquito free, and the condo had good screens, but I still got a lot of bites.

 

The drive home had many small towns.

Drying cocoa along the highway shoulder.

Drying laundry.

I was too slow, so I only captured the horse's ass.

Cow.

Lots of small farms.

Cocoa trees, or maybe coffee?

This is a bread nut. They were really starchy, but good.

A nice, and larger restaurant along the highway.

It was good to stop for lunch.

Everything gets bigger closer to the city.

The Center of the World Monument (on the equator). We toured this the last time we were here in 2012.

I like the graffiti in Quito.

Lots of murals and public art.

The nicest hotel suite we ever stayed in.

The air conditioning was a nice change, too.

Our dressing area.

The national dish of Ecuador (a potato soup) with small empanadas.

Pan de yuca (the round ones), so delicious. Also a croissant and chocolate spread.

A final lunch at the hotel before we leave for home.

Russ likes the french fries.

A long lasting sunset as we flew north into longer days.

Sunset in Atlanta.

Beautiful overnight flight into the next morning.

Landing on a mostly cloudy day in Seattle.

I enjoyed our drive into Quito. We left a day early. The original plan was to leave in the morning before our flight home, which left at 11 pm, but the night before we had a big thunderstorm that caused a power outage, so our fridge food was untrustworthy and we slept poorly in the heat with no fans. So we all decided to leave for Quito and book a room for our last night in Ecuador. We ended up at the hotel Z had booked for her last night, so she just added another night to her reservation. It was a terrific hotel, plus they upgraded us to this huge suite with an amazing shower. It felt like a spa. The hotel restaurant and bar were so nice. So we all got some luxury after a week of no air conditioning and simple, local foods. I got to finally try the pan de yuca, which made me wish I had bought some from a vendor on the drive, too.

For some final thoughts about the trip... always say yes when you have an opportunity to travel. We got to spend the spring equinox in Ecuador, where it has no relevance. I was so glad to get to speak Spanish with the locals, and I did get a lot of compliments, and some nice advice as well. I'm looking forward to continuing my language studies. Eventually, it will feel more natural and I won't be mentally translating everything. Knowing the language did make the trip more rewarding and gave me the confidence to handle the problems that always seem to come when traveling. It was a lovely trip with a good friend.