We awoke to a beautiful sunny, cloudless day and a gentle ocean breeze. After an early morning stroll along the beach, Gaby, the girl who helps Elizabeth in the kitchen, prepared coffee and we took our mugs down to the beach to watch the surfers. I know, it was a rough start to the day.
As promised, I showed Elizabeth how I make my pancakes and while they weren’t quite the right texture, they sure did taste like home. I made my usual family sized batch and after Elizabeth, Chris, Gaby and I ate to our satisfaction, the left-over batter was put in the fridge; I noticed it didn’t last long, as Gaby was serving pancakes to guests later in the morning. I promised to make another batch tomorrow morning for Elizabeth’s husband, Mao, and their son Mao junior – also called Mini Mao (how cute is that!) who had already left for school.
We learned today that this hostel is for sale: $560,000 US will buy you a hostel on the beach, complete with living quarters for the owners, and 23 guest beds in both dormitory and private rooms. They’ve also got a ranch that they are developing and hope to sell that next and then with the proceeds of both properties, purchase a larger ranch where they will focus on their horses, offer 4-wheel adventures, and grow organic vegetables to serve the needs of the local restaurants. Ambitious plans for this industrious family.
Today was International Clean a Beach Day; at around 10:00 busloads of school children were deposited on the beach with garbage bags in hand. For many, this looked like a great excuse to get out of school, and yet others seemed to take their task quite seriously, filling their garbage bags to capacity. We strolled along the beach and for about an hour made our contribution by picking up garbage along the way and depositing it into the children’s garbage bags, much to their surprise. Heck, it was a good cause, so why not.
We’re not sure if the good weather brought people out to the beach or if it was because it was Friday; regardless, the beach took on a festive air as proprietors set up their beach chairs and umbrellas, and boogie boards and surf boards lined the shore, ready to be rented out. More buses arrived with more tourists – both Ecuadorians and foreigners alike. By mid-morning, the sand was almost too hot to walk on and the sun’s rays burned intensely – glad I brought #50 sunblock. We are at the equator after all.
It was time for a swim to cool off. The temperature of the water was perfect – not too hot, not too cold. The tide was going out so we walked a few hundred metres along the wet, perfectly fine-grained sand on the ocean floor until we reached the waves. Then like a couple of kids, we frolicked in the waves, along with the hostel’s two dogs who decided to join us. It was idyllic.
Hi guys…..l am loving the posts. I just watched the video of the cable car….I can’t believe Christina that you did it!
I love the picuture of you sitting on the log – it looks so calm and restful.
I’ll try skying this weekend.
Cheers!