Sun! Surfboard! Snorkeling!

Lying in a hammock in February at 30 degrees in the shade feels like a vacation! We (especially Johnny) really deserved it after so many mountain tours.

Although our dear Luki, the housekeeper and the soul of the Hidalgo Ponce house (who never wants us to leave her protective wings), warned us that people in Guayaquil and at the beach are all rude and criminal, we embarked on the eight-hour bus ride to the coast of Ecuador. Early in the morning, we started - with long pants, t-shirt, sweater, and down jacket. We drove through the green mountains and hills, and with every meter down, more heat struck us through the open window. Within a few hours, we drove through three climate zones until we arrived in Montañita completely soaked in sweat in the evening. We set up our tent in the shade of some banana plants in the garden of a hostel, after which we found ourselves in the hammock with a cold beer! So the next few days, we were surfing, reading, lying around, and drinking a cold beer in the evening.

Of course, we didn't miss the national park "Las Freiles" with its secluded bays, white sandy beach, and azure blue water, where we enjoyed a few hours in the shade - we had to avoid the sun because, of course, we burned ourselves on the second day at the beach: The SPF 30 sunscreen we used was simply not enough for us two pale-skinned people under the equatorial sun...

We also visited the Isla de la Plata, also known as the "Galapagos for the poor". The uninhabited island is about an hour away from the mainland and is home to a huge colony of blue-footed boobies, whose offspring is just starting to become independent. On the way there, we were already delighted by the dolphin that accompanied us part of the way and a few flying fish that seemed to hover above the water. On the island, we were accompanied by a guardian of the national park. We stopped again and again to admire the beautiful nature, to find a nest of the blue-footed boobies, or to hear an anecdote about the history of the island, such as the origin of its name Isla de La Plata = the Silver Island. The simplest and most plausible explanation for the name is that the island shines silver in the light of the evening sun - due to the many "deposits" of the birds... However, we prefer the explanation that Sir Francis Drake, fleeing from the Spanish fleet, let all his captured silver sink near the island to get rid of ballast. You surely agree that the pirate story is more preferred than the excrement explanation! The crowning conclusion of the island visit was snorkeling with the sea turtles, which curiously circled our boat and happily shared the fruits thrown into the water by the guide with the many colorful fish!

As beautiful as it is at the beach, we wanted to move on and the heat was becoming too much. So we're going back to Riobamba to say goodbye. Next stop: Cuenca!