The Ecuador Chronicles - 2009-19
Road Trip Part III - Canoa, a Surfer Village;
Tierra del Fuego on a Harley;
And A Strange Ferry
Canoa is a small village with a beautiful beach. While not a surf Mecca like Montanita to the south, it is attracting international surf competitions. We arrived about 6:00 PM and were lucky to get accommodation at the Hotel Bambu. It is a beautiful sort of low key, rustic surfer type resort, right on the beach at the end of the Malecon. It has an outside covered restaurant, as well as an open eating area - all right on the sand with a view of the Pacific.
Hotel Bambu
Breakfast at the Bambu - Dalynda, Lilly, Juan
Hotel Bambu - The Grounds
People come to Canoa for the Beach, and they are not disappointed - it is beautiful. We were there on a Thursday and Friday - the prior weekend had been a busy long holiday weekend; now the place is prertty much empty.
View From The Hotel Bambu
The Rugged Ecuador Coast - With Plenty of Beautiful Beaches
A Bar on the Beach
More Scenes from Canoa - Artisan Items for Sale
On to the Ferry........and a Harley?!?
We left Canoa late morning and headed south toward the ferry across the Chone Estuary at San Vicente to Bahia de Caraquez. We got in the line for the ferry and learned that the ferry would not come for a while - the tide had to be higher; no one really knew how long the wait would be. Right in front of us was an unexpected sight.
That's Right - A Harley in Ecuador
There it was - A beautiful Harley-Davidson right here on the Pacific Coast of Ecuador. The riders were Jackie and Daniel, an English couple. They had bought the Harley in Florida and traveled all around the States and down through Baja. Then on through Mexico and Central America, on a sail boat from Panama to Columbia and then down through Ecuador. They had already put 26,000 miles on the thing (do the math - one time around the world with 2,000 miles left over and they're just barely past the equator). Daniel is a newspaper guy, but also an experienced bar tender - he was able to work from time to time. Jackie works in advertising; at one point she had flown back to London to work for a few months while Daniel tended bar in Central America. Then with fresh money they were off again. Their goal is Tierra del Fuego - the southern most point of South America. We had lunch with them waiting for the Ferry.
Jackie and Daniel - A Happy Couple after Many Miles on a Bike
Jackie and Daniel - In their Natural Habitat
Not Everyone had a Hog, But Some did have a Cow!
What Kind of Ferry is This??
When I think of a ferry I remember the one across the St. Johns River on A1A at the south end of Amelia Island, Florida. When I was young our family vacation was often a camping trip to Fort Clinch State Park near Fernandina Beach; one of our activities was to drive down and take the car across on the Ferry. For me it was a highlight of the vacation. You would drive across a dock and onto the ferry; when you reached the other side of the river you drove straight through and off; I always enjoyed watching the boat pull carefully into the docking area. I have taken my children on the same ferry; I think it is still operating today.
The ferry across the Chone is nothing like this. Silly me, I was expecting some type of large dock - there was nothing but stretch of beach. The ferry just pulls up to the beach and lets down a large ramp - once the tide is high enough.
Ferry Arrival - Down Comes the Ramp, off come the Vehicles
Ferry arrival and departure is Chaos Theory in action. This is not a drive through ferry - cars have to come off the same end they drove on. Some vehicles are directed to drive straight up the ramp; others to back up the ramp. So, leaving the ferry some drive off, some back off. There was a guy in a strange blue uniform directing activities - I could not follow the rhyme or reason. I later realized the guy in the blue uniform was the ice cream vendor - his cart was on the boat! I suppose it was to his advantage to get as many cars on as possible to sell more ice cream.
Coming Next Week - On the Road - Across the Chone and to Bahia
Would you like to ride to Ecuador on a Harley -
Find out how at Live Well Ecuador: