Ecuador the Coast

From a cold wintery Sweden to Playas, Ecuador. Such cultural change. South America! The majority of the time we stayed in Playas, once a quiet surf town, now a more crowded and a bit rough town. We were visiting a friend staying in Ecuador every winter. We rented a room in a private house with a pool, a cat and 3 dogs! I got the nickname Anita. The coast has a great tropical climate, warm ocean and gardens full of tropical fruits. Marnnie and her son. The girls got to practice their Spanish.Skip at Balsa Flite. He has an awesome house with his surfboard workshop. In love with this house! Betty on the surf board. Instructed by our friends Soultree Surf and Karma Ecuador.Great seafood in Playas and the best ice cream!! The ice cream place with safety bars… A day trip with the local bus to Puerto del Morro. A boat trip to see fresh water dolphins and birdlife. Forgot the mosquito repellent so the birdwatching didn’t go as planned, but we saw some dolphins! Entered the bird island and got covered with mosquitos in no time, we had to run back to the boat. The girls got a manicure!On our way to Engabao, Paradise Beach.Beautiful beach. Strong wavs. Delicious sea food. A couple of days in Curia beach. Small village north of Olon and busy Montanita. A fantastic beach. No crowd. The village is very small with no real restaurants or supermarkets. Very friendly and secure. Quiet and peaceful.We stayed at Hostal la Casa de Maru, a small clean hostel close to the beach. Our friend had some friends staying there. A fun Californian surf couple. Had some really relaxing days with sun, beach and great company. Maru in front of her red house. Olon, a beach town just south of Curia. Quiet place but with stores and restaurants. Relaxed feeling. Had the best fish soup at this beach restaurant. A huge thank you Jesse for showing us Ecuador. We had such a great time!! Many places to explore on the Ecuadorian coast. We just visited a few. Next time many more!