las playas

Saturday was an excursion to the coast.  I rented a car at the airport early in the morning, and after only about 45 minutes of waiting, haggling, signing paperwork and noting dents I was on my way.  The driving is beyond explanation.  It’s kind of like the antithesis of the autobahn.  In addition to a complete lack of respect for rules of the road and very little common courtesy, the highway is filled with potholes, speedbumps (often home-made, apparently to increase local commerce, and often un-marked), bicycles, mopeds, animals such as pigs, and cattle, vendors, beggars, and even grain spread on the shoulders to dry.  In a country with little infrastructure and often impassable jungles, hills and swampy regions, the highway is a true lifeline and everybody is trying to use it to their advantage.

The country was beautiful heading up toward Puerto Cayo, green, rolling hills covered with various crops.  Small villages squeezed the highway with frequency, and larger cities completely swallowed the route, although I did find the signage to be at least as good as what one might find in New York City.



SUPER dangerous curve!



The coast was a series of brown, pretty beaches usually at the mouth of the local river.  Fishing Fleets and surfing signs were common in the region of Manabi, which includes the infamous resort town of Montanitas.  Heading south, the landscape dried out, and there seemed to be more industry, including salt production and shrimp farming.  Salinas, the far western point of the Ecuadorian mainland, was a noisy, busy place that reminded me of Waikiki without much in the way of charm. 



Punta Chanduy



I found a short-cut on my way further south to the town called “Playas”, and spent the next 2 hours crawling through a veritable desert, wondering if I had enough gas, enough water, and if those scrapes on the bottom of the rental car that I heard were doing any noticeable damage.  Finally, I emerged at a little fishing hamlet ear Punta Chanduy with a cliff-side view of the ocean and free parking.  I had a beer and watched the fishermen pound out past the surf to find their catch. 

Late in the afternoon, I arrived in Playas, and as promised by its name, there were plenty of beaches.  Soft, brown sand that extended out deep into the break, where the warm water rolled me in a delicious respite from the heat.  A cool, steady breeze off the ocean kept any insects at bay, and although the beach harbored some flotsam and trash, it was pleasant and beautiful.  After driving a loop of over 500km, I had found a perfect spot about 90km from Guayaquil!

As the sun set, I regretfully packed up into the rental car and headed for home.  The highway was a little improved from what I had experienced earlier in the morning, which was a blessing as I drove through the dark and approached the hustle and bustle of Guayaquil.