Reporting from: Howard Johnson Hotel, Manta Ecuador
Time: 9:00am composition, evening post to blog though
The People
- Surprisingly content despite most living in what we at home call "poverty".
- People see me and speak English to me if they can. Otherwise they are patient for my weak Spanish skills
- The White Flash is a curious animal to the people here.
- Hotel staff are some of the most hospitable I have seen outside of the Las Vegas Four Seasons
- Most ex-pats down here are older and do not speak Spanish.
- The vibe is very laid back especially in the smaller beach villages. The cities are a little more hustle and bustle but nothing like back home.
Money and Costs
- The currency is the US dollar. I think all those one dollar coins that everyone hates in the US have been shipped down here.
- $20 bills are a pain to break at most places. It is like walking around with $50's to some and $100's to many. And don't even think about trying to use the aforementioned $50 or $100 bills.
- I have determined that most things are roughly 50-60% less than in North America.
- Beachfront condos can run you anywhere from 80-300K. By comparison the same in the US would run you 200-600K, again about half price.
- Gasoline is set at $1.48 for regular.
- The Galapagos Islands is where they really get you in terms of prices I hear.
- We are staying in 5-star places and are paying 3-star prices.
- I now cringe at $3 beers. That is highway robbery down here, like paying $7-8 per beer back home.
Food and Drink
- You can find any ethnic cuisine in most larger cities.
- Ecuadorian fare is similar to what I experienced in Miami's Cuban neighborhoods: meat, rice, beans and plantains. For some reason here they like to dropped a lightly fried egg on dishes.
- I had one of the better hand-made oven-fired pizzas down here.
- The picture above is a full-course set lunch that was $3.50 + $1.00 for the beer. The soup you see is a cream of corn/cliantro soup. The main course is sauteed and seasoned chicken, rice and green beans. The orange stuff is a hot sauce that is amazing. The limeade is fresh squeezed. What is not shown is a melon fruit salad desert.
- 22 oz bottle of Pilsener brewed here in Ecuador is $1.50 at most places. A standard 12 oz bottle is $1.00-1.25. Go large or go home!
- Coca-cola products are as expensive or more so than beer. Reminds me of Croatia in that regard.
Travel and Infrastructure
- Highways are for the most part really good. Lots of construction around the Manta area. Excellent roads for most of the drive from Salinas northwards.
- AeroGal, one of 3 domestic airlines, has nice brand new Airbus A319s that put most North American airline aircraft to shame. And I'm not kidding.
- TSA would be "horrified" at the security at airports. Everyone goes through the same process as back home, minus the attitude. You can bring liquids through, don't have to take your shoes off and leave your laptop in your bag.
- You can get any car as back home. I have not seen any Volvos though. There is a nice SUV that we do not have in the US: it is made by SsangYong in Korea.
- Buses have three levels of quality and you can get anywhere in the country on the top tier for nor more than $20.
- Ecuadorians flock to the beaches on the weekends. Popular beaches are insanely packed. You need to know where the hidden gems are. During the week however you can have miles of beach to yourself.
- Hotels down here are very nice if you get the top tier. There are very cheap accommodations that are simple but perhaps not up to your standards.
Well that is a good start on my impressions. I will post Part 2 of Day 6 as an update from our condo shopping and beach trip.
Did you know: Banana trees are technically not trees at all because they have no wood in the trunk. Ecuador has millions upon millions of these here.
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