Hostal Los Islotes Puerto Lopez

... forget. I still don´t believe we saw one.<br><br>How do you top that for a day? Well, when we arrived at the island there was about 15 turtles swimming around the boat in the bay, surrounding us as our crazy smiling captain threw watermelon to them to eat. Cameras were whipped out of their bags like serpents and everyone again ran around the boat trying to get their David Attenborough photos.<br><br>We spent 2 hours wandering around the island that was ...

... couldnt be bothered...!)... set off again, and stopped again, another bag search .... finally off again, and lights off so tried to doze off again... until we got stopped AGAIN, and had to get off, and show our passports again (not all of us again!??!!) they searched the bus AGAIN.... and then finally we were off.... Welcome to Ecuador! <br><br>We got to Guayaquil and were surprised at the Americanised bus terminal... had KFC for breakfast, as it ...

... them off as my own!<br><br>Anyway after the amazing flirting whales, we arrive at this barren Island with a few birds milling around the beach. A short walk up into the Island and we come across our first boobies, of the blue footed variety. Isla de la Plata is the only place these beautiful (and to be honest slightly ridiculous and gormles) birds inhabit other than the galapogas. These are seriously the vicky pollard of birds, they ...

... the first half of the ride being through very scrubby, dead looking landscape. We later discovered it's called 'dry forest', so it's not dead at all, it's just not flowering at the moment, we'd have to come back in January or February to see it all green!<br><br>The weather started off quite hot but by the time we got to Puerto Cayo it was overcast and beginning to rain and that's how it's been ever since. NOT what we had in mind at all, for our week's vacation!<br ...

... also vorwiegend rumhängen in Hängematten, abends einen heben gehen und nächsten Tag ausschlafen. Ein Tag sind wir zum Wale schauen nach Puerto Lopez. <br>Schöne Tiere, lassen sich eine weile sehen und dann tauchen sie wieder für 5 min ab. Wenn man glück hat, hat der Kapitän die Richtung und Geschwindigkeit der Wale richtig eingeschätzt und man ist fast neben ihnen wenn sie wieder auftauchen. Man kommt so ca. 10 m ...

<br><br>We arrived at Puerto Lopez early in the morning after taking a night bus from Quito. We found a hostel first, whose name I wish I could remember since it was great. It was $5 a person per person for a private room with a private bathroom, the place was clean, the mattresses were thick, and there was a hammock to lounge in. The only unique thing I remember about it is that it had &#8220;HOSTAL&#8221; in big brown letters painted vertically on a lamp post and it was around the corner ...

... of these streets are sand, with a few concrete streets covered in loose rubble. This may sound scruffy, but it´s all part of the charm. The town is full of bars and restaurants, and a few hostels. There is a diverse range of people there: people like me, Andy and Cynthia who are attending the language school and doing surfing, groups of Americans on holiday, general backpackers, random hippies who look like refugees from Woodstock ´69, other Ecuadorians who are on holiday, and of ...

Well, the Andes are nice and all, but after a while, they get cold, so we ehaded for the coast. The Reina del Camin tout assured us it would be a ten hour ride to Puerto Lopez. In the end, it was thriteen. Par for the course in South America. We had considered the night bus option, but Lonely Planet warned of twisting roads, steep descents, reckless drivers, and hijackings. G's two closest friends in Cuenca had both recently been on hijacked buses (they ...

Today we caught a local bus to try and find "the best beach on the Pacific coast". The first bus drove us past it so we had to catch another bus back, which also drove us past it, at which point we just decided to walk. The beach is inside the Machalilla National Park so we had to pass through the ranger station and show our park ...

... d think it would be easy to use them. Guess again. Every time we pay for anything there is a groan and a shake of the head. No change. Rachy paid for her washing which was $3, with a $5 note and the guy did not have change! He had to go next door and faff around just to get her $2. What I want to know is, what are they doing with all the change?? Why does the main grocery store on the street have ...