Carnaval, Ruta del Sol and Riding the Ecuadorian Roads...

Just back in Quito now from several days away on the coast to visit the Ruta del Sol.  It was Carnaval this past weekend so the entire country was on four day holiday, when most people like to head for the beach. This is not an easy feat - even in a relatively small country like Ecuador - since most of the roads are narrow, windy and oh-did-i-mention unpaved (!) through the hills of the all encompassing selva or forest. We left Quito before sunrise to beat the traffic on Saturday morning - only to spend two unanticipated extra hours driving on muddy backroads when we discovered that a main road had been washed away by an overflowing river.  FUN!

Ahhh but it was an adventure.  And arrive on the coast we eventually did, hitting Jama, Canoa, then Manta, where we spent the first night. I was glad to be there, seeing yet another, very different part of Ecuador but I was also disappointed by what seemed like a indistinct succession of one scrubby fishing village after another.  Canoa, I had been told, was beautiful, and I really didn't think so - though it was also overcast along with chock full of Carnaval crowds when we arrived.  And surely my American standards for "beautiful coastal towns" like Newport or Santa Cruz or Miami where coast = money had something to do with it too?? These communities and those living along the small windy roads that ran between them were distincly just making ends meet, substisting off fishing, what they could grow, or the influx of tourists that supported their assorted tiedras, hostels or restaurants.

I liked Agua Blanca more, where we stayed the second night in the Parque Nacional Machalilla and were greeted by goats in the front yard the next morning. In Salango we jumped on a small motorboat tour to Isla Salango where we saw many bluefooted boobies (of Galapagos fame) and snorkeled among some purple-striped fish.  Puerto Lopez was pretty and Ayampo the most impressive of all, with its clean, sandy, near empty beach. It's were we ended up staying the longest to actually relax, since the ocean beckoned and Fabian's friend ran a very comfortable, bungalow-style hostel there. 

And along the way I ate very well, sampling coconut, some cantalope shaped fruit that tasted like mango only better, shrimp ceviche, and the ubiquitous, very tasty light white fish, corvina.  Most meals were washed down with a cold Pilsener, which is the national beer.

So while not quite living up to its fancy Ruta del Sol name, my trip to the Ecuadorian coast was satisfying and enjoyable in a lot of other ways.  As traveling often is.  Now its back to my temporary casa in Quito and the beginning of English classes when the students all return as well fom their long Carnaval weekends tomorrow!