15 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT ECUADOR - NUMBERS 7 - 1

#7. THE FOOD 
Ecuador has an amazing variety of food.  We've talked about the fresh produce and the fish market.  The large and modern grocery stores also carry a wide choice of meats, cheeses, baked goods, dairy, etc.  What you won't find is much choice in the way of cereals and canned goods.  Everything is fresh and additives are rare. We lost weight in the two months we were there simply from eating healthy food.

The most expensive meal we had was when we went to the best restaurant in town (Martinique) for the lamb chops in red wine sauce, pictured here.  Appetizers, drinks, a bottle of wine and an amazing dinner for two ran us $89.  A typical lunch or almuerzo in Ecuador consists of homemade soup, a salad, a large glass freshly squeezed juice, a main course having rice, vegetable or plaintain, choice of meat (chicken, fish, pork chop, beef) and a small pastry for dessert - all for $2.50 to $4 (at the expensive spot).  And then there are the carts on the beaches, offering fresh fruits, ice cream, coconuts and other snacks.  We ate out 5-7 times a week, and most weeks did not spend more than $100
 
#6. THE BEACH TOWNS
From the city beaches where you could watch the commercial fishing boats in the harbour at Manta, to the small and colourful fishing boat lined beaches at Crucita, to the beautiful, wide and palm-treed beaches at Puerto Lopez, to the major kite-surfing beaches at Santa Marianita, we enjoyed them all.

Each coastal beach town has it's own "vibe" and flavour and each offers something new and distinct for your visit.  We featured a few of these unique beaches throughout the remainder of this post.  We understand the same can be said for the inland towns, but that remains for another visit.

AND NOW FOR THE TOP 5 (WHICH ARE ALL #1 IN MY BOOK)

#5. THE LACK OF BUGS
During our two months in Ecuador, we rarely had to worry about bug bites. This may seem trivial to some, but we still have scars from the fire ants and no-see-ums in our beloved Costa Rica, so this was major.

We were able to leave our balcony doors open and enjoy the ocean breezes all day long - no screens - and eat our dinner outside on the patio without worrying about being swarmed.


#4.  THE WEATHER
The weather in Manta where we were mainly based runs between 22-30 degrees Celsius (71-85 for our American friends) all year long.  It gets 320-350 days of sunshine during the year and the sea breezes keep the humidity down.  It gets colder in the Andes, where the cities of Quito and Cuenca are (nice places to visit, but...) and more humid in the tropical regions to the south. We found the desert weather just about perfect!


#3.  THE PEOPLE
Although a small part of the population in Ecuador, the ex-pat groups are friendly and extremely helpful.  We met for lunches, dinners, breakfasts and were given rides to various outings, provided with advice on where to shop and how much to pay for things and where to get medical assistance if needed.

The Ecuadorians, while not quite as outgoing at the outset as the Ticos in Costa Rica, were also very friendly and helpful.  Most do not speak much English, but we were able to meet them halfway with our very limited and poor Spanish, and this was sufficient for them.

The Ecuadorians love to party, as do the ex-pats, and we were often serenaded by live bands, salsa music, and massive fireworks displays set off for any occasion.


#2.  THE COST OF LIVING
During our travels, we are looking out for places that might fit our retirement plans.  Criteria are a warm (but not too hot & humid) climate, a city that is not too big or too small with lots of interesting shops and cafes, a waterfront, a stable government, and a good, inexpensive healthcare system,  where we could afford to live on our pensions.

Have we found it?  Could be.  Manta has all of the above, plus a 2 bedroom, 2 bath oceanfront condo can be had for under $200,000.  Outside the city, you can still find them for under $80-140,000).  We calculated that we could live quite well in Manta on around $1500/mth including rent, taxes, transportation, groceries, and maintaining a busy social life.

The only drawback, unlike the lush and beautiful Lake Arenal area in Costa Rica, the Manta area is not very pretty if you're looking inland.  Being situated in the middle of a desert, our house needed dusting every day due to the blowing dirt and sand.  Most ex-pats, however, appear to have adjusted very well and are quick to tell you that tropical forests are half an hour down the road if you need a "green" fix.



#1.  THERE IS SO MUCH LEFT TO SEE & DO
Although we managed to do a lot in our two short months in Ecuador there was so much left unseen and undone.  We didn't make it to the northern and southern coastal towns.  We did spend a few days in Cuenca in the Andes, but did not spend any time in the capital city of Quito or the large and bustling port city of Guayaquil.  We did not visit the many unique inland villages or hot springs, or make a trek into the Amazon rainforest.  We did not make an excursion over the the Galapagos Islands to see the unique creatures who live there.

It appears as though our Ecuadorian adventure has just begun!.