Maniacs in Montinita

Trip Start Feb 16, 2006
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Trip End Feb 16, 2009


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Flag of Ecuador  ,
Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Montinita was another one of those towns that makes you feel like your really on holidays. It was one of those towns with a plasticy fake felling to it. Having said that though it was still really cool and we had some great times there and also one near death experience.

Our first day in Montinita had us all a little shell shocked. We had just moved into a cool 3 story bamboo hostel and were off for a swim in the warm Ecuardorian waters. The ocean was pretty angry and there were some decent dumpers rolling through creating a nasty rip up the middle of the beach.
Nick and I decided it would be a great idea to swim out the back for a body surf. I turned back to Nick on our way out and he says "Were going to drown aren't we". Very optimistic! So I continued out the back and bobbed around for a while waiting for Nick B1 and B2
B1 and B2
 . When he didn't turn up I body surfed back into the beach to find the boys.
What I saw first was two English guys dragging s lady out of the rip blue in the face and coughing and spluttering. I looked back out to the waves to see Nick coming back in. He asked if I had seen Matty which I hadn't. Nick said he had been swept out the back and he had tried to help him but couldn't. Time to panic. I backed up the beach and eventually caught sight of Mattys waving hand way out the back. Luckily at that point a local surfer had grabbed his board and started to paddle out to him. After about 10 minutes of struggling back through the breakers both guys were back on the sand with Matty looking very worn out and shaken up. Fantastic start to our stay.

After the excitement of e first day it was time to slow the pace a bit. We spent the next few days sun baking and reading books. We had planned to surf but it was windy everyday making very poor conditions.

By the time the weekend rolled around we were alive and kicking and ready for a few drinks. Montinita being only 4 hours from the largest city in Ecuador it gets really packed out on the weekends. The streets come alive with all types of vendors and the roads pack out with people Busy night on the main drag.
Busy night on the main drag.
 . We happily parted with our money at both the street cocktail and hamburger stands which is were most of our nights started.
On the Saturday night a bunch of street performers started up outside our hostel which was really cool to watch from the 1st floor chill out pad. The drumming went strait through you and put you in the best mood.

After a big weekend we spent a few more days recovering in the sun and hammocks. I had also come to the very tough conclusion that it might be best to sell my surfboard to save carrying it around Europe. After scouting the streets I eventually found a buyer on our last night in town. I gave my board one last hug and sent it off with some stoked local who got a bargain.

With no reason to be on the coast anymore I was happy to move back inland to Quito.
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