Bahia de Caraquez: The "Safest (and Cleanest) Town" in Ecuador

Over Christmas break, I planned a solo trip to the coast of Ecuador, particularly the Manabi Province. My ultimate goal was to figure out which beach was "mine" for when I have some extra time to get there for some R&R. 

I have three major stops booked at hotels and hostels for three days each: (1) Bahia de Caraquez, in the north; (2) Manta, in the middle; and (3) Puerto Lopez, in the south. Each week for the next few weeks, I am going to post separate entries for each stop because... well, each were separate and unique experiences-- especially for traveling alone in a country I now call home. This will also makeup for the impending lack of adventure in my life leading to February when (1) my dad and Tina  visit and (2) my trip to Panama with friends. The reason behind not doing anything (likely) is this marks the end of the "quipster" and I will be busy with final exams. That February break will also be one of the last times of real relaxation before 12th graders take their exams, which will (allegedly) free up six periods per week.... a light at the end of the proverbial work tunnel.

Christmas Day

I wasn't leaving for the coast until the 26th, so I would be in Quito for Christmas Day. Back around Halloween, I intended on going up the Pichincha, but I was so tired and lazy that I skipped on it (which was also the weekend of the bus accident). I wasn't sure if the Teleferico was going to be open or not because of it being a major holiday, but I decided to try anyway. I looked up on a map the best route to get there by walking... for two reasons: (this blogpost is turning into a series of shortlists):

1. I lost my phone a couple weeks prior after camping at Pululahua GeoBotanical Reserve, so calling a taxi was going to be difficult
2. Exercise. 

Looking back at how far  I walked

In the morning, I packed my backpack with my winter coat, ham sandwich, banana, gummy bears and plenty of water. I left my apartment at 10:40 and arrived there exactly one hour later. Yes, I walked across the entire valley, up a "monster hill" on Huberto, which served as the base point for the Pichincha. It's not that long of a road in comparison to other streets in Quito but 20 minutes of my trip was walking up this street. After making it to the main busy street before the park. A taxi took me up, overcharged of course ($2 for a 2 minute ride...). I suppose it was worth it because it probably would have taken me 20 minutes more to walk there. I bought my ticket for $8.50, because the place is open 365 days a year! YES! 

Base of the Teleférico

Looking down on Quito 

Lane and Wade

I waited in line for about 15 minutes, as the line was relatively long. I was not the only person who had the idea of walking the Pichincha. Since I was wearing all my Green Bay Packer Spirit Wear, I met a few different groups of people. First were these three guys ahead of me from either Alabama or Georgia, on a 9 day trip through Ecuador. The conversation was short and kind of boring. Behind me was a couple, Lane and Wade. Lane was a Fulbright Scholar living in southeast Asia for a year. But she and her husband are originally from North Dakota and Minnesota so it was like a little piece of home surprising me at the equator. Together, the made a plan to hike up mountains on Christmas Day as their tradition. (My Christmas and New Years Tradition I think is going to be doing something extraordinary and different... last year I spent both in front of palaces in Germany and the Netherlands). They invited me to join them in their walk, and I was sure I had the advantage. They arrived in Quito late the night before, so I thought I would be conditioned and they wouldn't. My goal wasn't set on reaching the top necessarily but I figured I would feel strong enough against the lack of atmosphere at the top. We walked together and talked along the way until, about 45 minutes later, I had to take a break. I was able to keep up with them for five more minutes before I gave up on trying to keep up step-by-step. I should have figured they would be stronger because they were going to hike up Cotopaxi in a couple of days. I walked for maybe 30 or 40 more minutes, feeling the effects of altitude with each step. After that first break, I couldn't stop taking them. I was lightheaded and feeling weak because the air is so thin. I turned around and made my way back to the Teleferico and then back home. With a major headache, I took a long nap and lots of ibuprofen before packing my luggage for my nine day trip. 

That night, I stayed over by my friends Kara and Jaime. I work with Kara and she has quickly become a great friend. Jaime, her boyfriend, tutors David and I in Spanish. They made it possible to NOT spend Christmas alone. In the morning, Jaime prepared tortillas left over from homemade bolóns, and Kara made her famous egg mcmuffins for breakfast. I am so grateful to know two such wonderful people in my life. After breakfast, I cabbed to Aero Servicios and Parque Bicentenario, the old airport. For $8, I got a ride to the airport which still took about one hour. Before boarding my plane, I met another couple from Minnesota that bought a retirement in Manabi and had good conversation with them. ---One hour later, I landed in Manta and was ready to begin my adventure.

Getting There

I originally intended on taking the bus to Bahia from Manta. It would only cost me about $2-3 and I was not really in a rush. I did research ahead of time and found out that the average taxi ride between the two places starts at $40 but it would most likely be more. Somehow I was roped into a taxi ride that surprisingly only cost $35... without having to negotiate. It took about one hour by cab, versus what he said of 3 hours by bus. Along the way, everything looked dead and dried out. It was quite different than what I expected because I thought it was already wet season. As I would later realize, this part of Ecuador is home to one of the few dry, tropical forests in the world. So it makes sense. The taxista and I had good conversation and I was practicing my Spanish with great confidence.

Where's the Green?!

After the drive, he dropped me off at Hotel Bahia... which turned out to be the wrong place! It wasn't his fault because I find it difficult to understand addresses a.k.a. direccíon in this country. It was sin numero and did not list the cross streets so it made it even more difficult to find it. Luckily my hostel Hotel Bahia B&B was but a quarter mile away. I walked there, checked in, and felt pleased with my pre-booked room. My initial impression of Bahia is that it is small! Those of you back home (and family), it is roughly the size of Oostburg. The owner and front desk person were both incredibly helpful and polite! The first thing they did was give me a map of their town and directions to great restaurants, sights, and secret paths. For example, Dave tipped off the shortcut walk to the Mirador de la Cruz and where I could find nice beaches nearby. I would definitely recommend that place to stay AND will stay there again if I find myself in Bahia again.

Getting to Know Bahia

I took the owner's advice and walked up the secret path to the mirador and was blown away by the diversity that I already was seeing. Quito doesn't have much variety in animals and plants, so I was blown away by what I was seeing. From a distance, I thought this one tree had orange leaves, but upon closer inspection it was actually hundreds of orange flowers. There were also trees with HUGE termite colonies growing off of them. I leisurely walked up the path of loose dirt to the service road at the top and into the beginning of a barrio that led me to the site. The cross is about four stories tall on the tip of a bluff overlooking the entire peninsula. I could even see Isla Corazón in the distance, a place I was desperate to visit. After spending about 20 minutest just looking out at the ocean, estuary, and town, I began to compare the map with what I saw. I made a plan to walk along the peninsula around to another mirador on the map before returning to a point to watch the sunset.

The View of Bahia from Mirador de la Cruz

Mirador Bellavista

I reached the end of the paved road, walked over a small bridge and was immediately in a different world. Bahia has so much duality-- it is a vacation destination for many affluent families and retirees, yet it is adjacent to a neighborhood/barrio that looks truly third world. And this is where Mirador Bellavista was located on the map. I was curious as to how to reach it so I bucked up, and asked these two ladies for directions in my broken Spanish. The older of the two was really patient and helpful. The other just laughed at me and my choice of words. I was trying to figure out how to best ask "Where is the path?" and so I said "Donde esta la ruta del Mirador Bellavista?" Seriously this girl was laughing at me saying "ruta." (I didn't take much offense because at least I was trying and I have only been having Spanish lessons once a week for only two months so far) They were also looking at me somewhat confused why I wanted to go there, which I would realize after ascending the hill/mountain. The site looked abandoned for a number of years, much like some of the buildings around Bahia. Signs of wear were obvious as I climbed the six stairs into the structure. I sensed the likelihood of me falling through the wooden-slated floor was great so I climbed out quickly, and descended to the road. I ran into the ladies again. The one just kept laughing at me, probably because I clearly stood out. The older lady made sure I found it all right and wished me well, to which I graciously thanked her.


I was right on time to see my first real sunset in a long time. In Quito, I see the sun pass beyond the top of the Pichincha, but it isn't the same as seeing a "normal" sunset. The waves of the Pacific were crashing into the barrier, sometimes splashing me or spraying me with mist. Hundreds of pelicans, frigates, and albatros were gliding through the sky, which was tinted a shade of vanilla as the sun kept approaching the horizon. I honestly cried at how beautiful it was. After the sun disappeared, I was starving so I ate at a restaurant my hotel recommended: El Muelle Uno. I ordered the ceviche mixto and a giant beer. This was my first time eating seafood in this country which is a HUGE DEAL. I never did that back home except for sushi. I couldn't finish it all because it was literally the biggest ceviche I had ever seen and my appetite has changed a lot since coming to Ecuador. After finishing, I called it an early night and went to bed.

Day 2

At breakfast at my lodging, I ended up chatting with a couple of couples staying there. One was this Argentine couple, Adrian and Paola. Turns out they were in Berlin for Christmas last year, the same time Michelle and I were. They then went to Sofia and Istanbul after leaving Berlin, which was also crazy because Michelle is currently living in Sofia. I joked that I would see them next Christmas! Afterwards, I was finishing my coffee and started talking with this Norwegian couple, particularly the woman Elisabeth. She gave me her information and I promised I would stop by her if I am ever in Norway to visit. 

I then booked my trip to Isla Corazón to see the frigatas y mangas, or the frigates and mangroves. I paid $15 for a round trip cab ride, which was reasonable. The tour of the island in the estuary was about 2 hours long, and the dock is across the 1km bridge and about 5km more northeast. I was overcharged, however, for the tour but I figure the money goes to support preservation/conservation and education of the island and I was happy to support. One of the coolest moments was getting to spread the seed of a manga blanca in a part of the island to restore the forest. Afterward, my taxi was late to pick me up so I ended up practicing more Spanish with this 19 year old guy who was in university in Guayaquil. Seriously, as long as I tried my hardest to speak Spanish, I was met with the greatest politeness. 

I returned to Bahia and decided it was early enough to go to the Museo y Centro Cultural. It was free admission, and everything in there was in Spanish exclusively. It gave me even more practice with reading and pronouncing words. One guard followed me everywhere throughout the museum to make sure the artifacts were secure, some of which were over 3000 years old. I believe he also told me "eyes only" but I managed to sneak a few pictures. I was pretty tired so I napped before getting dinner: PIZZA at Claudia's Pizza. I have missed pizza so much! I drank plenty of water because I wanted to visit a nearby beach for the next and final day in Bahia, before returning for a stay in Manta. 

Canoa

In the morning, I walked into the town and shopped for a towel and hailed a cab. The taxista said he was only going as far as the city on the other side of the bridge, San Vicente. He did direct me where to pick up a bus to Canoa, though. I was hesitant to believe him so I asked a group of old men where the stop was and they confirmed I was in the correct spot. Not 30 seconds later, a taxi pulls over and we have the following dialogue:

"Canoa?"

"Si, cuanto questa?"

"Un dollar."

A cab ride should have been about $8-10 so I was pretty sure it was an express kidnapping. BUT I had nothing of worth so I hopped in and hoped for the best. I did get to Canoa safely and tipped him an extra dollar.

The ocean was so warm, or at least warmer than I anticipated. I started to walk from the northernmost point of the beach down south until I found a quiet, unpopulated part of the beach. Along the way, I saw plenty of beached jellyfish, colorful shells, and a few dead sand-dollars. 

A few friends were in Canoa for the vacation but I had no way of contacting them. Eventually I ran into two of them, Alli and Charles. I chatted for a little bit with them before having dinner at the Surf Shak. There were Broncos fans and Seahawk Fans in there, which wasn't the weirdest thing that happened there. A kid or someone threw a lit firecracker through the window and ended up exploding two feet away from me. If this trip reminded me of anything it was last Christmas and New Years. In Amsterdam, someone threw a loud firecracker at my feet on New Years Eve and it caused me loss of hearing for at least two hours. I got out of there and watched the sunset again. Seriously, this one was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. Before it was completely dark, I made way for the bus "terminal" and returned to Bahia. 

As of this time, I was really enjoying my trip. It was the right blend of relaxation, sightseeing and beach time. However, it would have been nice to share some of the experience with someone else. I have always enjoyed quiet alone time but I have never truly traveled alone like this before. I felt like I had what it takes to be able to survive this experience.

Verdict

Bahia: It might be a return trip but it's not my beach town.

Canoa: It might be a potential beach town for me, especially since it is relatively close to Quito.