GUAYAQUIL & MANTA, ECUADOR

GUAYAQUIL - The port is situated on a tidal river and a decision was made to cancel this stop due to the depth of the port and the tides during the time we'd be visiting. As a result we'll spend overnight in Manta, our next stop and the only one we'll make in Ecuador.  Guayaquil is the gateway to the Galapagos  Islands so we've been here but only at the airport.

MANTA - 60 miles south of the equator. Pop. 218,000, climate - 90, US $.  Ecuador is about the size of the UK.  No one was allowed to walk on the port so shuttles took us to the port gate.

This is a fishing port -  shrimp, lobster, sea bass, tuna, oysters, crab.  Several tuna boats were in port when we arrived.  Not sure how long they spend at sea but it took most of the day to unload their catch using cranes and huge nets to move the fish to big trucks for delivery.

In the afternoon we walked left at the port gate along the waterfront until we came to an artisan market with a lot of local handicrafts.  I've been surprised at the heavy sweaters that are available.  Don't know if this is due to the abundance of llamas and alpacas in Peru and Ecuador or, despite being close to the equator, it gets chilly in their winter.

Montecristi, a short drive from Manta, is the home of the panama hat.  There are knock-offs which would cost around $25. but the real deal will run around $250.

There were beaches on both sides of the port.  We didn't stop at the beach but everyone said they were clean and the water was clear.  Pedestrians, as in other S. America countries, do not have the right of way and there didn't seem to be any traffic lights to cross the roads.

On our second day in port we wandered to the right of the port gate and found a huge shopping centre- there must have been 5 floors.  It was bright and very modern with the usual mix of stores including a large supermarket where we bought some local beer.  Those of you who really know Len will not be surprised at this but as we exited the mall what does he see but a $20. US bill on the ground and nobody around.

Picture - Manta