Puerto Lopez

My latest stop on the travel trail took me to Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. I went there in search of a sleepy beach town and that is exactly what I found. A place where most people would go to spend a vacation, after five days of drinking, dancing, and roasting in the sun, I feel like I need a vacation from being there.

During our first full day in Puerto Lopez we decided to take a day trip to Isla de la Plata. Considered by some to be a “poor man’s” version of the Galapagos Islands, Isla de la Plata (the Silver Island), is roughly 40km off the coast of Puerto Lopez. The best part of all, between the months of July and October, that stretch of ocean is some of the most densely whale populated waters in the entire world. Right from the start of the trip I knew we made the right decision.

About twenty minutes into the boat ride we pulled up within twenty feet of a pod of humpback whales playing along the surface of the water. We were on a boat with a capacity of about 25 people, so these whales were easily three or four times the size of our vessel. We sat and watched in awe as the whales went about their business, at times seeming to show off for the onlookers. At one point, the whales went directly beneath the boat and popped up right on the other side, as if they were making it known that they were still in total control and we were a guest in their home. It was quite a sight to witness at such a close proximity.

Upon our arrival at the Island, we were given two hike options depending on what type of animals we wanted to see. We chose the slightly more difficult hike on the north side of the island. This option promised a path laden with Boobys (Blue-footed and Nazca), along with a myriad of other birds, as well as the potential to witness sea lions and more whales playing by the shore along the backside of the island. Although the whales did not pan out, and we only saw one sea lion, there was definitely an excess of Boobys.

Along the entire path there were Blue-Footed Boobys in every direction. We could walk up within inches of the birds, sometimes even with their babies nearby, and they would not even flinch. It was very satisfying to get so close to the local animals and have them greet us with such acceptance.

On the way home from the island we stopped for lunch and a quick swim. We were able to snorkel around a small reef that was inhabited by a large variety of tropical fish, none of which I know the name of. Nonetheless, they were very colorful and made for a very enjoyable dip in the Pacific after a long day of hiking in the equatorial sun.

On the way back from the island we went full speed ahead in a race against the oncoming darkness. Along the way we motored past whales in the distance, on all sides of us, leaping from the water and splashing down with great force. Their grace at such a massive size was a majestic sight. Our arrival back on the shore of Puerto Lopez marked the end of my educational experience during my time there. However, it did not mark the end of my fun.

Each of the next three days followed a pretty similar outline: up around 10ish to spend the day lounging in the hot sun listening to Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, and the local salsa tunes, walking the length of the three mile stretch of beach, swimming, and enjoying the occasional caipirinha (local drink made from sugar cane alcohol and limes) while relaxing in a hammock; back to the room around 5 to shower and change; reconvene at our resident bar for the week, the Blue Dolphin, for a few pre-dinner cervezas; dinner around sunset; finally, enjoying the local cocktails and the occasional failed attempt at salsa dancing at night. The next morning we were up and right back at it again. Well, every morning except Saturday that is.

We had big plans with a group of people to head an hour down the coast to a surf town called Montanita, which is where I am writing this blog from now. Unfortunately, I am a full day late for the epic Saturday night party scene that Montanita is rumored to have. The reason we were unable to move on is because, during the late hours of Friday night into the early morning hours of Saturday, I fought my first bout of extreme sickness on my trip. Sparing you the intensely disgusting details, I was basically on the floor of the bathroom or the shower over the course of five hours, trying to fight back spasms of sickness, while approaching the extreme discomfort of total dehydration. I think I will definitely need to be more weary of my food choice, as well as my use of the local water in the future, because that was a part of travel that I do not want to experience again anytime soon.

All seems to be well now. I have had a day and a half to recover and was finally able to enjoy a solid meal again tonight. I will probably spend a few days here in Monatanita, depending on the weather, then head further down the coast to Guayaquil. It is possible that I may be in Peru as early as next week. Although, plans could change at the drop of a hat while traveling, so I will just have to wait and see.