Beach Time…finished

I just had an amazing 15 day stay on the coast of Ecuador…. thank you Gerri for putting me up, and putting up with me.

I staid in a sleepy little fishing village, right on the beach, that is close to paradise.

Some advice for anyone visiting the coast of Ecuador…. be prepared for cold winds.  Off the coast of South America there is a huge “river” or flow of water, cold water, called the Humbolt Current. When the evening onshore breeze comes ashore it can be chilly..almost cold.  I brought my fleece top with me, mostly to keep me warm on the bus ride through the andes, not expecting to need it otherwise.  I put it on daily as I sat and watched the sun set over the pacific.  The sunsets where not, for the most part, very dramatic.  The current also means there is a large amount of cloud cover.

I did not mind the clouds. Since it is very close to the Ecuator, 15 to 20 minutes of direct sun can change my Gringo skin to a bright or dark pink.  I was prepared on this trip and did not have any problems.

There are several months of the year ( March and April?) where I have been told that the breezes aren’t as cold, but I have not exprienced it myself.

This trip I had thought about traveling further north to Esmeraldas, which is around the tip of the coast and faces more north.  It is supposed to be warm there all the time… but I was relaxing and enjoying my time so much I did not want to travel further.

I then spent 3 days photographing for the Owald Loor eye foundation.  This is a lot of somewhat stressful photographic work.  I am not paid for it, but they put a lot of resources into it… a truck, driver, interrupter, organizer, so I felt I had to deliver professional images. To add to the stress, I dropped one of my favourite lens at the start, and it no longer functions.  I worked around it and I am happy to say I delivered some good images.  I also got to see parts of Ecuador that tourists don’t get to see. What people I know in the north need to make them happy and what I see people here, have, is a world a part. This, for me is,  a very worthwhile endeavour, and the next time I return to the area, I will again offer my services.

The trip back to Zamora was long.  There is a major religious event happening in Loja starting today, and it was extremely difficult to get a bus ( I have to travel through Loja to get to Zamora).

So what is next?   School starts on the 5th, and I have been promised that I will not be teaching Tiny Kids.

I have 10 or 12 days with no school related activities ahead, so I plan to put all my efforts into getting the newTzanka-Refugio-Ecolgico liveable… at least for humans ( me).