Spring Break
Every heard of Atacames?
Probably not.
However, if you ask any Ecuadorian to list his or her favorite beach destinations I would bet that Atacames makes the list. Thus my family and I decided to check it out as a way to enjoy our last couple of days together.
The bus ride from Ibarra was brutal. The quote was nine hours, but the trip took 12. One of the most peculiar parts was a twenty minute stop in the middle of nowhere, when our bus driver proceeded to leave the bus to do who knows what. He also thought that it would be a phenomenal idea to lock all of the passengers inside the bus. I had us at 2 to 1 odds of getting hijacked by nightime bandits.
Anyway we landed in Atacames worn out and exhausted only to be greeted by eight screaming RICKSHAW DRIVERS. How cool is that? In Atacames, and in many places on the coast, someone decided to do away with cabs in the face of more eco friendly eco taxis. They are basically small carriages that you might see in Central Park, but instead of being pulled by a horse, they are pushed by a mini moped. If Letterman wrote a top ten things to do at Atacames, ecotaxing around the city would be up there at number seven for sure.
The rickshaw quickly steered us to the beach and my oh my the Pacific Ocean is a stunning sight. What a feeling it was to look out onto the same ocean that washes up on my homeland´s native soil. There are few sounds like the crashing of waves against the ocean and I would put it alongside a basketball swishing into a chain net, a crowd cheering for you at an athletic event, and Guns and Roses, as some of my favorite things to listen to.
After seeing the ocean I immediately perked up to take in Atacames.
The beach probably stretches two miles or so. The sand is clean for the most part, and also possesses that fine grain softness specific to great beaches. Someone passed an ordinance that also prohibits food service on the beach. Thus the edge of the beach is lined with Thatched Roof hut bars side by side. Some of the bars even have swings that hang from the ceiling for seats. Each one possesses its own sound system that blasts away at nightime in an effort to outdo the neighboring sound systems. Island drinks are served up constantly, highlighted by some that you can drink right out of a pineapple. Some of the thatched bars even have upstairs dance floors where you can find barefooted Ecuadorian partygoers.
Quick note about the coast. It was fantastic to visit a more liberated environment after living in the Sierra for a couple months. In Ecuador the Sierras are known for their culturally rigid practices. You will never see anyone in the Sierras wearing flip flops, low cut shirts, or any other sort of hot weather clothing item even though the temperature exceeds 80 or 90 degrees. Dancing is very formal for the most part and the atmospheres are very much indoor atmospheres. In the coast however people walk around in bare feet, put sand in the hair as gel, and hop around like hobits when they are dancing. People are much more sexually liberated as well and it was nice to see some people who were in shape walking around in beach appropriate attire. In fact someone told me an Ecuadorian joke that seems appropriate: What do women in Guayaquil, Quito, and Ibarra say after sex?
Guayaquil (coastal city): What´s your name again?
Quito: Do you have a cigarette?
Ibarra: Oh fuck please don´t tell anyone
The food on the coast is also tremendous. If you have a chance stop into an Ecuadorian restaurant and order yourself a big bowl of shrimp ceviche. It´s basically a soup in which you dip banana chips that is flavored with cilantro, onion, lemon, and delicious shrimp.
Thus, as I sipping a Pina Coloda staring out onto the Pacific I finally had my first taste of Spring Break. For those of you that haven´t yet been privy to ¨Mancun¨you should know that I have spent every single Spring Break of my life with 45 dudes playing lacrosse. Thus this trip to Atacames was a wonderful glimpse of what could have been.
The other side of the coin is that hotels were 10 bucks a person, food 2 bucks a meal. Beer and drinks can be bought for less than 2 bucks a piece, and the beach is pleasant and beautiful. Why couldn´t Atacames be the next stop for MTV Spring Break 2007. Everything is cheap, it´s only slightly farther than Mexico, and you would get a chance to eat Ceviche. Atacames´set up is perfect. The thatched bars, scantily clad women painted on the bottom of the swimming pools, coccunt juice that gave my mother the runs, and little crabs that scamper around the beach would make for a perfect destination for any weary person looking for some spring break action.
If you decide to come please take me with you. Just fly to Quito. Go North and ask for the white dude when you get to Ibarra. You can bet I will be waiting fondly remembering my earlier Sping Break trips to such exciting destinations as New Canaan Connecticut, King of Prussia Mall in Philly, and Towson Maryland.
Probably not.
However, if you ask any Ecuadorian to list his or her favorite beach destinations I would bet that Atacames makes the list. Thus my family and I decided to check it out as a way to enjoy our last couple of days together.
The bus ride from Ibarra was brutal. The quote was nine hours, but the trip took 12. One of the most peculiar parts was a twenty minute stop in the middle of nowhere, when our bus driver proceeded to leave the bus to do who knows what. He also thought that it would be a phenomenal idea to lock all of the passengers inside the bus. I had us at 2 to 1 odds of getting hijacked by nightime bandits.
Anyway we landed in Atacames worn out and exhausted only to be greeted by eight screaming RICKSHAW DRIVERS. How cool is that? In Atacames, and in many places on the coast, someone decided to do away with cabs in the face of more eco friendly eco taxis. They are basically small carriages that you might see in Central Park, but instead of being pulled by a horse, they are pushed by a mini moped. If Letterman wrote a top ten things to do at Atacames, ecotaxing around the city would be up there at number seven for sure.
The rickshaw quickly steered us to the beach and my oh my the Pacific Ocean is a stunning sight. What a feeling it was to look out onto the same ocean that washes up on my homeland´s native soil. There are few sounds like the crashing of waves against the ocean and I would put it alongside a basketball swishing into a chain net, a crowd cheering for you at an athletic event, and Guns and Roses, as some of my favorite things to listen to.
After seeing the ocean I immediately perked up to take in Atacames.
The beach probably stretches two miles or so. The sand is clean for the most part, and also possesses that fine grain softness specific to great beaches. Someone passed an ordinance that also prohibits food service on the beach. Thus the edge of the beach is lined with Thatched Roof hut bars side by side. Some of the bars even have swings that hang from the ceiling for seats. Each one possesses its own sound system that blasts away at nightime in an effort to outdo the neighboring sound systems. Island drinks are served up constantly, highlighted by some that you can drink right out of a pineapple. Some of the thatched bars even have upstairs dance floors where you can find barefooted Ecuadorian partygoers.
Quick note about the coast. It was fantastic to visit a more liberated environment after living in the Sierra for a couple months. In Ecuador the Sierras are known for their culturally rigid practices. You will never see anyone in the Sierras wearing flip flops, low cut shirts, or any other sort of hot weather clothing item even though the temperature exceeds 80 or 90 degrees. Dancing is very formal for the most part and the atmospheres are very much indoor atmospheres. In the coast however people walk around in bare feet, put sand in the hair as gel, and hop around like hobits when they are dancing. People are much more sexually liberated as well and it was nice to see some people who were in shape walking around in beach appropriate attire. In fact someone told me an Ecuadorian joke that seems appropriate: What do women in Guayaquil, Quito, and Ibarra say after sex?
Guayaquil (coastal city): What´s your name again?
Quito: Do you have a cigarette?
Ibarra: Oh fuck please don´t tell anyone
The food on the coast is also tremendous. If you have a chance stop into an Ecuadorian restaurant and order yourself a big bowl of shrimp ceviche. It´s basically a soup in which you dip banana chips that is flavored with cilantro, onion, lemon, and delicious shrimp.
Thus, as I sipping a Pina Coloda staring out onto the Pacific I finally had my first taste of Spring Break. For those of you that haven´t yet been privy to ¨Mancun¨you should know that I have spent every single Spring Break of my life with 45 dudes playing lacrosse. Thus this trip to Atacames was a wonderful glimpse of what could have been.
The other side of the coin is that hotels were 10 bucks a person, food 2 bucks a meal. Beer and drinks can be bought for less than 2 bucks a piece, and the beach is pleasant and beautiful. Why couldn´t Atacames be the next stop for MTV Spring Break 2007. Everything is cheap, it´s only slightly farther than Mexico, and you would get a chance to eat Ceviche. Atacames´set up is perfect. The thatched bars, scantily clad women painted on the bottom of the swimming pools, coccunt juice that gave my mother the runs, and little crabs that scamper around the beach would make for a perfect destination for any weary person looking for some spring break action.
If you decide to come please take me with you. Just fly to Quito. Go North and ask for the white dude when you get to Ibarra. You can bet I will be waiting fondly remembering my earlier Sping Break trips to such exciting destinations as New Canaan Connecticut, King of Prussia Mall in Philly, and Towson Maryland.
posted by ecuadortraveler at 7:14 AM
1 Comments:
Wow. Does that ever sound delish right about now.
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