It’s been a while since we posted anything, mainly because we’ve settled into a routine, just living here and enjoying life without a whole lot of excitement.
A week and a half ago, we took the bus for $1 each into San Vicente for the Monday market. The market used to be in a concrete building next to the muddy bus parking lot but, unfortunately, the building collapsed in the earthquake. They’ve just started rebuilding it so the market is now in the parking lot itself. We didn’t get any pictures because it’s very hectic and not a good place to pull out an expensive iPhone. Maybe we’ll get some shots next week. However, Anita did gather all the vegetables we bought for $10 from one nice lady and bananas for another 50 cents from another vendor. We also bought organically grown free range eggs for $2.40 per dozen, 2x the price of regular eggs.
Canoa hasn’t been too busy on the weekends yet. We’ve included a picture of a recent Sunday afternoon along the Malecon. If you haven’t been here, it probably looks pretty shabby but we’re so used to it and we love it here so much it’s not until we look at pictures that we see how simple everything is. The weekend tourism should pick up soon as it gets hotter and sunnier through February and March. This past week especially has been a little more overcast with a few rains at night and light showers in the morning. It hasn’t affected any of our activities though.
We walk on the beach, almost into Canoa 4 1/2 km away, and back every morning. That’s about 1 1/2 hours of brisk walking. We try to time it to avoid high tide. The walking is easier on the hard-packed sand when the tide is out.
Last week, unfortunately, the body of a drowned fisherman washed up on the beach a few hundred metres from our condo. We didn’t see it but our friends who have the condo next to us were there. The police came and took the body away. Apparently, 3 fishermen from Manta, south of here, had been missing for over a week. Afterwards, we saw a plane and a helicopter fly along the beach, probably looking for the other 2 men who are presumed drowned. Fishing here is often done at night with little in the way of safety standards. We have also heard that occasionally there are pirates who prey on the fishermen who go further out to fish a shelf about 25 km offshore. Apparently, they steal outboard motors, cellphones and anything else of value and leave the fishermen adrift. Fishing is dangerous enough without pirates too.
We continue to enjoy the beautiful sunsets. Once in a while we make it down to the palapa by the pool where a few people from the condos here will gather for happy hour to watch the sunset. Five or 6 of us also go into Canoa (50 cents on the bus) on Tuesday nights for dinner at the Amalur, the Bambu or the Surf Shack. Then we team up for trivia night at the Surf Shack. We still haven’t won this year but we’re always respectable. This Tuesday, a couple from Australia joined us.
We had met the Aussies a couple of days before when we were having lunch at the Charly Bar, one of the ceviche huts. They retired early, shipped their 2 BMW touring motorcyles to Los Angeles and are motorbiking around the world. They’ve travelled through the US and Central America so far. That took them 2 years. They plan to keep travelling indefinitely. They follow the seasons and stay in one place for several months if the weather is bad. Tomorrow they start going further south until the winter weather in Chile and Argentina forces them back north.
Last Saturday we also went for lunch in San Clemente with 3 other couples from here. We caught the Tosagua bus to Bahia (some bus lines don’t go from San Vicente to Bahia) for $1 each and then another bus to San Clemente for $1.25. On the way to San Clemente, the road goes up into the steep hills away from the coast where there are many little farms. There are few concrete buildings. Most farmhouses and sheds are made of bamboo.
In San Clemente we walked about 1 1/2 km to the north end of town where a German guy has a little bar/restaurant that serves a great platter of barbecued ribs, chicken and sausage along with potato salad for $5. It took 2 hours of travel each way but we had a lot of fun and a great Saturday lunch.
This weekend, we’ve stocked up on beer and wine because all of Ecuador is dry from Friday until Monday for a referendum vote on amendments to the constitution. However, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. One of the condo owners is going to set up his 60 inch TV in the palapa by the pool and we’re going to have a big dinner and party. Should be lots of fun.
The following weekend is Carnaval. We’ve been invited to a fundraiser beach party to raise money for the local school. It’s almost too busy around here.
A week and a half ago, we took the bus for $1 each into San Vicente for the Monday market. The market used to be in a concrete building next to the muddy bus parking lot but, unfortunately, the building collapsed in the earthquake. They’ve just started rebuilding it so the market is now in the parking lot itself. We didn’t get any pictures because it’s very hectic and not a good place to pull out an expensive iPhone. Maybe we’ll get some shots next week. However, Anita did gather all the vegetables we bought for $10 from one nice lady and bananas for another 50 cents from another vendor. We also bought organically grown free range eggs for $2.40 per dozen, 2x the price of regular eggs.
Canoa hasn’t been too busy on the weekends yet. We’ve included a picture of a recent Sunday afternoon along the Malecon. If you haven’t been here, it probably looks pretty shabby but we’re so used to it and we love it here so much it’s not until we look at pictures that we see how simple everything is. The weekend tourism should pick up soon as it gets hotter and sunnier through February and March. This past week especially has been a little more overcast with a few rains at night and light showers in the morning. It hasn’t affected any of our activities though.
We walk on the beach, almost into Canoa 4 1/2 km away, and back every morning. That’s about 1 1/2 hours of brisk walking. We try to time it to avoid high tide. The walking is easier on the hard-packed sand when the tide is out.
Last week, unfortunately, the body of a drowned fisherman washed up on the beach a few hundred metres from our condo. We didn’t see it but our friends who have the condo next to us were there. The police came and took the body away. Apparently, 3 fishermen from Manta, south of here, had been missing for over a week. Afterwards, we saw a plane and a helicopter fly along the beach, probably looking for the other 2 men who are presumed drowned. Fishing here is often done at night with little in the way of safety standards. We have also heard that occasionally there are pirates who prey on the fishermen who go further out to fish a shelf about 25 km offshore. Apparently, they steal outboard motors, cellphones and anything else of value and leave the fishermen adrift. Fishing is dangerous enough without pirates too.
We continue to enjoy the beautiful sunsets. Once in a while we make it down to the palapa by the pool where a few people from the condos here will gather for happy hour to watch the sunset. Five or 6 of us also go into Canoa (50 cents on the bus) on Tuesday nights for dinner at the Amalur, the Bambu or the Surf Shack. Then we team up for trivia night at the Surf Shack. We still haven’t won this year but we’re always respectable. This Tuesday, a couple from Australia joined us.
We had met the Aussies a couple of days before when we were having lunch at the Charly Bar, one of the ceviche huts. They retired early, shipped their 2 BMW touring motorcyles to Los Angeles and are motorbiking around the world. They’ve travelled through the US and Central America so far. That took them 2 years. They plan to keep travelling indefinitely. They follow the seasons and stay in one place for several months if the weather is bad. Tomorrow they start going further south until the winter weather in Chile and Argentina forces them back north.
Last Saturday we also went for lunch in San Clemente with 3 other couples from here. We caught the Tosagua bus to Bahia (some bus lines don’t go from San Vicente to Bahia) for $1 each and then another bus to San Clemente for $1.25. On the way to San Clemente, the road goes up into the steep hills away from the coast where there are many little farms. There are few concrete buildings. Most farmhouses and sheds are made of bamboo.
In San Clemente we walked about 1 1/2 km to the north end of town where a German guy has a little bar/restaurant that serves a great platter of barbecued ribs, chicken and sausage along with potato salad for $5. It took 2 hours of travel each way but we had a lot of fun and a great Saturday lunch.
This weekend, we’ve stocked up on beer and wine because all of Ecuador is dry from Friday until Monday for a referendum vote on amendments to the constitution. However, it’s Super Bowl Sunday. One of the condo owners is going to set up his 60 inch TV in the palapa by the pool and we’re going to have a big dinner and party. Should be lots of fun.
The following weekend is Carnaval. We’ve been invited to a fundraiser beach party to raise money for the local school. It’s almost too busy around here.
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