Puerto Lopez... I Heart PL

The entire week of Semana Santa was vacation for us, which was a huge change from last year. Previously, we had two weeks off in a row in February, which seemed foolish because we barely returned from Christmas break. This school year brought us a formal spring break and, boy, was it needed. At least for me. In true fashion, I saved making any official plans until after school on the Friday when vacation began. My destination: Puerto Lopez, of course. I hadn't been here in what seems like forever, and I was missing my little piece of paradise.

Find this office here, if you want to purchase ahead of time
but not at Terminal Quitumbe: 

I purchased my ticket, direct to Puerto Lopez from Terminal Quitumbe, at the office for Reina del Camino. This office is relatively easy to find, just west of the junction between la Mariscal and Parque el Ejido. I had two options: leave at 7:15 A.M. or 8:00 P.M. Seeing as how I have a difficult time sleeping during trips, I opted for a solid night of sleep and early departure. Two things I have to get off of my chest, (1) travel time and (2) the experience of riding buses in Ecuador.

1. This was the longest bus ride I had taken, yet, in Ecuador. At times, I felt reminded of that nostalgic scene in the movie "Cars," where the old car explains to Lightning McQueen the detrimental effects of Interstate / Express Highway  systems have had on Small-town USA. This country lacks a highly developed highway system, for better and worse. The total distance of the route we took was 495 km / 308 miles. In the USA, this would normally take someone about 5 hours, right? On the bus, it took 12 hours. POSITIVE: The route traverses many small towns. This encourages frequent stops to the family-owned shops, stands, etc., and effectively supports their economy. NEGATIVE: It is incredibly difficult to go anywhere directly, despite the fact that there are geologic barriers to this anyway. While this is cumbersome, these small communities would collapse in a vacuum created by bypasses.
2. Out of anything, I find this to be the most bothersome-- the overall experience. I recommend riding the night bus, though I haven't actually done it before... here at least. Remember Bolivia? The two day buses of the fleet on which I rode stopped for literally anyone who made eye contact with the actual bus, not even the drivers eyes. This isn't uncommon, by any means. It allows the cooperativas to increase their profit by filling seats not purchased at the ticket counters. It also allows people whom live in remote towns from the major cities to have access to interprovincial transportation. Picking up extra passengers isn't even where my frustration lies. For example, on my trip back, the conductor and driver stopped what seemed like every 5 kilometers to permit vendors to sell their products. By the fifth time I saw someone selling agua de coco, I thought my brain was going to explode. This was within two hours of starting the return. Additionally, it's no surprise I was riled from the smell of frittata among other hot dishes on a 37°C / 99°F bus. 

Here are my suggestions to people considering this long trek, as different options. (1) If you are in a rush and money isn't a limiting factor, fly directly from Quito to Manta -or- Guayaquil, and then take a bus or taxi to Puerto Lopez.  (2) If you are financially limited, take the night bus. That, or suck it up and just embrace the cultural experiences. The ticket is only $12, so I had to keep reminding myself it was all worth it.

With that said, let's talk Puerto Lopez. This tiny cantón is still, hands-down, my favorite place in Ecuador-- if not the world. The closer to arrival, the bigger a grin would grow on my face. Conversely, the further away after departure, the more a frown sunk. SOOOO much has changed from the time I'd last been. President Correa visited PL in July, while I hopped around Bolivia. His impending appearance sparked motivation in completing as much construction as possible. As the little moto-taxi pulled onto the beachfront road, I felt disoriented by the progress that was made. New hostels and restaurants peppered the tops of buildings, intermittent walk-up bars replaced the continuous string of sidewalk-adjacent tiki bars, and freshly-poured concrete walls succeeded the former, crumbling infrastructure between the main road and beach. The contrast between how I grew to understand PL and what it is becoming made me feel nostalgic. Change is one of the biggest aspects of life that I've been confronted with accepting in the last year-and-a-half. While it gets easier, I felt intangible charm and character have been lost.

On this trip, I challenged myself to do things that were different from the usual. The usual consists of a day at Los Frailes, spending time on the beach, lounging at my hostel, and eating as much seafood as possible. The past times, I've also gone to Isla de la Plata. I opted out of that this time, since there wouldn't be anything exceptionally different or new. The two activities I was determined to accomplish were SCUBA diving and visiting Agua Blanca. 

Diving brought me to Isla Salango, the nearest larger island to PL. We went to two sites. Unfortunately, my mask was in a state of eternal fogginess, despite my efforts to use saliva and fire in creating a film in preventing this condition. It was still enjoyable. Part of me feels I enjoy being underwater more than anything so it didn't really bother me. The shop I went through was Native Diving (link), and cost $100, including equipment. Most of it was very similar to what I experienced in Máncora. Take away observations from this are that I need a dive computer, and to do my research on shops ahead of time. I really want to increase the diversity of my dives, as I work toward meeting the requirements to becoming a dive instructor and master. I did see an octopus, some sting rays, and several new-to-me species of fish... check it out:

Aqua Blanca (link) was really special, but it happened to fall on my "shitty" day, so to speak. I was experiencing Ecua-belly like crazy and couldn't control my need to blast a dookie. Case-in-point, but not the only example, I built a poo cabin in the middle of the jungle as a horse watched me from across the path. Thankfully the decision was made when I did because a tour group casually passed by no more than a minute after dropping some weight. I realize that most people aren't comfortable with the discussion of pooping, but it's become part of my daily reality to discuss pooping habits. Sometimes I possess too much courage with my diet that my gut cannot respond to the microflora I introduce. 

The Sulfurous Lagoon

What really inspired me to go there in the first place was a sulfurous lagoon where one can rub mud on his/her body and bathe in the water. I didn't go for the mud but I stayed in the lagoon for a solid 20-30 minutes before terminating my stay. I didn't realize that this was an actual community, passed down generation-by-generation from the ancient civilizations of Manabi. In my trip to Bahia, I was introduced to the history of the former cultures, but this was more special. Some 600 buildings have been excavated, with may more to be discovered. The museum was a total nerd-alert moment for me. Between the perfectly preserved copper jewelry to the ornate pottery at least 1200 y.o., I grew enamored with the history. Screw the Incas; there are more interesting cultures to learn about. 

Topographic Map, showing locations of all ruins

This trip was something special. I love the coast, the ocean, and Puerto Lopez. It was also one of the first times I ran into several coworkers traveling separately from me. I made more of an effort to not be a hermit and meet new people. This came with diving, as I met two awesome new friends whom I spent a bit of my freetime with over a couple of days. As I travel more and more, I feel my understanding of the world growing and expanding... and realize how little I know but how much I want to learn. At any rate, Puerto Lopez will always hold a special place in my heart, and call for me to return when it has been too long.  Check out my video for Puerto Lopez here: