Adjusting to Paradise

I’ve found myself getting into a rhythm while living in Montanita. My mornings start with two hours of Spanish class then a trip to the hilarious 90’s themed gym for a quick workout. My obligations for the rest of the day are only another two hours of class in the afternoon. In the meantime I have a myriad of activities to choose from - most of which consist of going to the beach where I can go surfing, take a nap, swim, or just hang out with friends and enjoy the sun. Beyond this I try to do a little studying and exploring every day. If I happen to have a few cents in my pocket I can go to any number of local restaurants for some chow. Around 5 o’clock it’s time for surfing and I’ll stay in the ocean until dark at which time I head back to my homestay for dinner and more Spanish practice with my host family. After dinner is when I experience what Montanita is famous for, the nightlife.

Each night has something different going on but a typical night might go like this; meet up with some friends and enjoy a beer at their hostel then head out, cervezas in hand. We might see what’s happening on the streets – maybe a street performer or grab some empanadas. After that we might choose to plant ourselves in a proper bar for a little while and play pool. If we’re feeling cramped we might head to Cocktail Island, an entire street made up solely of drink carts. Each cart is set up as a bar complete with bunches of fruit hanging down from the sides to make fresh squeezed fruity, sugary cocktails (I’ll stick to beer though, thank you). We’ll enjoy our drinks in broken plastic chair or on the curb while we listen to the blasting music that runs down the street. Because the city is so tiny we will inevitably run into some more friends then the entire group might choose to move to the beach and finish the night around a bonfire. If it’s an early night, I’ll be in bed by 3. The pace of life here in Ecuador is slow but my days are packed and the time is going by quickly.

This Friday is a national holiday which means everyone has the day off and a lot of fiestas are planned throughout the weekend. This combined with the large waves or swell that’s coming in plus a quinceañera (I’ll explain later) is going to make for an exciting weekend so I should have another bog up Monday or Tuesday complete with pictures.

chao,
matt