Surf paradise Montanita

In the morning, I was literally hanging in the hammock and looking at the beach. There were dozens of fishermen pulling in a huge net. I jumped out of the hammock and went over to the beach to get a closer look.

Women and children helped with pulling in the net. A turtle had also gotten caught in the net, but two fishermen were able to free it safely. The process of pulling in the net took over half an hour, and the catch was gigantic.

Afterwards, we drove to the bus terminal. Montanita, a surfer's paradise, is about an hour away from us, and we wanted to check it out today. While waiting for the bus, a dog ran up to us. It had a crippled leg and was so skinny. The poor guy looked really bad. Daniela got two empanadas with meat filling for him. I broke them up into small pieces and laid them down for him. He cautiously took them bit by bit and ate. Then he got some fresh water. When our bus arrived, he ran with us and stood in the open door. He looked so sweet. Tears came to my eyes at the sight. I find it really sad how many stray dogs are running around here and how bad their condition is at times.

The bus ride went relatively quickly, and the entrance to Montanita was pure surfing vibes. Colorful advertisements for surfers were everywhere, and surfboards were lined up in front of the stores. Nice cafes and shops were also plentiful. We walked to the beach first. It was nice and wide and several kilometers long. Many surf schools offered courses or their boards. We lay down in the sand and watched the surfers. Two larger dogs belonging to a surf instructor jumped in the water and rode the waves the whole time. They just couldn't get enough.

But at some point, we had enough and we were also hungry. In the restaurant where we ate, several dogs begged us and a cat meowed pitifully from the sidewalk. No, that's not a nice sight. But now something strange happened. A guy who walked a bit crooked came to our table and handed Daniela a sheet of paper. There was a song or a poem in Spanish. Daniela looked at the guy and said she didn't understand. He slowly took a dollar bill out of his pocket and mumbled something to us. Unfortunately, we couldn't understand anything. It was clear to us that he wanted money. Then he looked at our food and I told Daniela to give him the plate. He nodded and sat down at the table. I'm sorry to write it like this, but the guy was really not all there. He also stared at the other plate, and I even gave him the leftovers from my meal. Daniela ordered him a Coke, and he was overwhelmed with it. He couldn't even grab it and he looked so strange. Well, I felt sorry for him, especially since we couldn't talk to him and ask what was wrong with him. We got up and waved goodbye to him. He mumbled something again and slowly raised his hand to wave.

Well, after that we walked around the town a bit more and were impressed by the friendliness of the people. Most of the locals sit all day in their plastic chairs and wait for people to buy something in their small shops. With luck, they get up and sell you something. We have experienced many times that they don't react at all and prefer to text on their cell phones or engage in other things. In Puerto Lopez, I have the feeling that most men spend half the day in hammocks. There is no bar or restaurant without a hammock. They are everywhere, even attached to the palm trees on the beach promenade. They are always occupied as well.

At dusk, we stopped the bus to go back to Puerto Lopez.

Now we are back here and sitting on our balcony, with a drink in hand, listening to the sea.

In this sense, greetings Anke & Daniela