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Wednesday August 24, 2016
Last night we went to the restaurant for a fish meal where their English-speaking shill person (all restaurants here have one) had promised us a big fish'n'chips meal for $6. I questionned them as best I could to be certain that I was getting battered, deep-fried fish in big portions. Yes, they said, then in again typical Ecuadorian fashion, delivered the opposite. A minimal tip for them.
For the second day in a row our tour leaders changed the timing of our breakfast and departure and did not tell us, so we had to scramble so we wouldn't hold everybody up. We thought we were one of the first for breakfast but again we were the last. Ugh!
Then, we were originally supposed to go to see some waterfalls nearby but that was changed too. Now we were driving an hour to go to a place called Agua Blanca, which means "white water", but which is now a misnomer because lack of rain has reduced the once mighty river to a trickle.
A tribe is trying to make a living out hosting tours to some primitive archaeological digs of some ancestors as far back as 500 BC, but they don't have the funds to produce the carbon dating evidence. They have found burial grounds with one urn covering another and containing human bones, and sometimes more than one. They take us on a 2.2 km walk to a hot springs where there were a few families having a good time.
There was not much animal or bird life except some domestic animal animals like goats and pigs.
We were glad to get back to Montanita for a nice lunch and the sunny skies were perfect for visiting the beach to enjoy the surf. Cristina does not swim but she came out quite far with me and enjoyed herself, until..... she was lounging in the small waves at the edge of the water and wasn't watching when she got buried by a large wave of very sandy water. Now it is a quite a chore to remove all that sand from her hair.
While on the beach there was a guy showing off a hang-gliding chute and harness so we talked to him. He was different than the paragliding people pulling you behind a boat for 5 minutes for $25 and then dumping you in the surf (not something I want to do with my camera). He was offering a beach to beach hang-gliding experience of 15 minutes for $30, and.... I could bring my camera! So off we went to change clothes and get some money. We came back to the beach and arranged for another fellow from our tour group to take some photos of the experience from the ground. The clouds had really rolled in by now so it wasn't ideal for taking photos. Then we checked the beach for this hang-glider character only to find that he had disappeared.... Typical Ecuadorian efficiency and service. Maybe we will give this a try in the morning if the weather is good.
Today the photos are basically right from the camera, unedited, just converted to JPEG and re-sized.
I hope you enjoy the photos. That was the day's
excitement, Cheers,
Al
NOTE that you may click on any photo for
an ENLARGED VIEW.
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| View of Montanita nightlife from the restaurant last night |
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| Time shot of the ritzy hotel across the pond |
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| The sign for the small museum |
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| Yes Virginia, that is a real dead body in an urn |
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| And another one a little more visible |
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| Lots of old stone carvings, etc |
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| A painting of the shamans and their fancy ceremonial chairs |
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| A mock-up of their river raft |
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| Friendly little nanny goat |
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| Cute thatched bridge |
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| Hen and chicks |
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| Mock-up of a ceremonial hut |
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| These little piggies went wee-wee-wee |
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| Pigs had the run of the place |
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| Pose #1 for Cristina |
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| Pose #2 |
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| Like in the Galapagos, cactus evolution into tree form |
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| Caballo, pronounced cabayo, means horse |
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| Bright blue bird |
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| Crossing the once mighty rapids |
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| Brahma bulls |
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| Getting a mud facial at the hot springs |
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| Swimming in the hot springs |
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| Pose #3 |
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| The big hot springs pool |
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| Kids giving Mom a mud facial |
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| Cute kids |
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| This piglet went to market |
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| Many buzzards watching for stragglers |
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| Butterfly |
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| Squirrel |
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| Pose #4 |
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| Montanita egret |
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| Great beach scene |
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| Paraglider hooked to a boat |
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| Pelican fly-over |
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| Cute selfie work in the sand (spelling Montanita). |
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| Paraglider heading for a wet landing |
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| Dogs enjoying the surf |
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| Pose #5 |
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| This is the hang-glider guy |
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| Pose #6 |
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| Pose #7 |
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| Pose #8 |
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| Pose #9 |
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| Pose #10 |
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| Pose #11 |
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| Pose #12 (before getting the sandy wave) |
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| Pose #13 |
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| Great Montanita scene |
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| Pose #14 |
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| Beach futbol |
