Well my last days in Ecuador were from mid June to mid July of 2021, after a 3 1/2 yr visit in Ecuador mostly living in a small American town called Vilcabamba, (pronounced Beelcabamba). I had some signals that it was time to leave Ecuador, firstly starting in February when I had an inflamed Siatic nerve which was very painful from the centre lower back going down both legs to the feet, secondly after I decided to go back home to Canada, my Apple MacBookPro was stolen from the bed while I went to use the bathroom downstairs and was only gone for about three minutes. This was also a sign to leave Vilcabamba and Ecuador, as the kids and grandchildren all wanted me to come back for a visit and heal myself in Canada. So before I head back home, I wanted to visit a few of the beaches on the coast, I picked Puerto Lopez to start at and work my way to the airport, then to Ayampe, Olon and Montanita then to Guayaquil /airport.

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During my stay I visited Cotacachi, Otavalo, Quito, Tena, Banos, Cuenca, Loja, Malacatos, Vilcabamba, Yangana, Salinas and now for the last days of Ecuador they were spent on the coast visiting, Puerto Lopez, Ayampe, Olon and Montanita, unfortunately for me the coast or these beaches were all overcast as this time of the year is winter or wet season.

Puerto Lopezto start with the visit’s, I found a place a few blocks away from the beach as I rented a private room for $12. per night, which was too much as it was very noisy. The reason it was so noisy because the neighbours were celebrating Father’s Day for the entire weekend with loud music playing 24 hrs for a good two or 3 days, it seems many people love their father’s very much.

Along the beach side there were many, many restaurants to choose from, many souvenirs shops, and on the other side of the street, being on the beach itself were bamboo cabanas for your drinking establishments, and there were many all lined up in a row. At night it was very colourful with these cabanas as they were lit up with lighting, liken to Christmas lights.

This strip was well lighted at night and the street itself was not usually busy with cars, it was a very clean strip. I ate at a few restaurants, the menus had a wide variety of foods, and always a pizza restaurant, and the prices were reasonable for a tourist town, certainly much cheaper than Vilcabamba where one could pay $20. for a pizza, and $8. for a Ceasar salad, $8. for a vegetarian Sushi roll. Me being a so called Canadian I’m exchanging these numbers into Canadian dollars, $27., and $10.5, for me is expensive, I need to travel cheap, and I find these prices for Ecuador which has a reputation for being a cheap country to travel to and live, but I am finding with the US dollar that it is expensive in most situations of food prices, eating out, some hostels. I do believe Ecuador will become a first world country soon. The waves about .7-1 metre high (2-3ft), but again it was very overcast everyday so not so much beach activity, for my week stay.

Ayampe was the next stop for me, I stayed a week also which was long enough as it was the opposite of Puerto Lopez, as this was not really a tourist stop in my opinion. It had no paved roads, dirt or gravel, no big shops or stores, it was like going back in time 40 yrs ago. Very laid back, quiet and peaceful, freedom I suppose. There was a pizza restaurant, and a vegan eatery establishment, which I ate at a few times as the foods were so filling, delicious and healthy meals. I rented a private room for $8. a night, no hot water showers.

Olon was the next stop where I met a facebook friend who had a room for me to stay for $10. a night for the week. Though, I did not have hot water for showering, there was a nice kitchen with a kitchen table. Olon was the best place for me out of the 4 places I wanted to visit on the coast. the beach had many people out boarding the waves, which were close to a meter high (3ft). The first day of arriving here in Olon the sun was shining and I had a wonderful time in the beach water having being knocked over by a wave, I remember it put a smile and laughter on this face as it felt so good.

I photographed and video’d many of these boarders riding the waves.  Many cabanas cooking up meals to eat right on the sandy beach beside the sidewalk, on the other side are many restaurants and hotels/hostles. There is a South Indian restaurant that I ate at a few times, located right beside the Pink Flamingo Hostel/restaurant where I stayed. 

Montanitais the last beach stop for me before I head to Guayaquil to fly out to Vancouver, Canada. This beach tourist attraction is about a 5 minute bus ride from Olon. So, it was not necessary to find a place to stay. Olon and Montanita are as close as neihbours living side by side. So a few bus trips back and forth was no big deal.

Now Montanita is totally different from the past three beaches as here it was more like a big drinking establishment, bars, restaurants, hostels everywhere and all side by side, with rows one way and the other way. Think of a small-town with all the roads going south to north and west to east with houses on these streets criss crossing, but here in Montanita, its bars, restaurants, and hostels, many of them up and down the streets. This place attracts a younger generation that wants to party here. Where as in Ayampe…no. Perhaps in Puerto Lopez also attracts a so called younger generation to party, as well.

As I was with my FB friend ‘Pinky’ from the Pink Flamingo in Olon, she had driven me to many different spots to view. We ended up at Montanita’s beach one night for the purpose of capturing the sunset. Pinky was a great hostess/tour guide. One day we travelled from Olon to the other side of Salinas, right to the very tip or point were waters surround three sides of where we were standing.