The Ecuador Chronicles - 2009-18
Road Trip Part II - Onward to the Coast;
Yucca Pancakes at the Finca;
And Across the Lowlands
After a good night's sleep at the Finca, a hearty breakfast of yucca pancakes with cane syrup, furit and Juice - all from the Finca - and fortified with a few cups of coffee, we were ready to roll.
Amparo's Famous Yucca Pancakes
Breakfast at the Finca - Juan Studying the Map, Looking for a Short Cut
The Finca sits at about 4,500 ft elevation, so it is about half way down the Andes from Quito (9.200 ft). Our plan for the day was to travel on down the Andes, across to lowlands and to the Pacific Coast - We were going to try to make the village of Canoa for the night.
Across the Western Lowlands
We came out of the Andes and hit the lowlands at La Independencia, a small town on highway E20 that runs from Santo Domingo up to Esmeraldas. We were hoping to take a short cut on a small road that would save us about 90 Kilometers and avoid Santo Domingo. We stopped at the junction and asked a policeman about the condition of that road. He looked at our car and laughed. He said we just might make it through, but there would not be much left of our vehicle on the other side - so, maybe not such a good road! Juan decided to take the long way around. The Ecuador Western Lowlands are largely an agricultural area - banana plantations, cacoa, African plam oil trees, and a lot of Bhrama cattle. Here are some random photos of our trip across the Western Lowlands.
Along the Way: Banana Trees, Trucks, Through a Town - The Inevitable Road Crew
Note the Three Wheeler- These are Common, Human Propelled and Motorized
Down the Coast; A Visit with a Friend
We hit the coast at Pedernales in Manabi, Province. It is a rather ordinary large town - but we had a nice seafood lunch along the Malecon, with a good view of the Pacific. This is an important area of shrimp farming - Ecuador is a major exporter of shrimp; I had fresh shrimp for lunch.
South of Pedernales we had been invited to stop by and visit Cheryl, a friend of Live Well Ecuador. She and her husband have lived on the Manabi Coast for several years, really enjoying their expat lifestyle. They have a beautiful home, not right on the beach, but on small hill with a view of the Pacific - there was nice breeze. They have done a lot of improvements on the house, work still in progress, and they have just completed a guust house. Cheryl served lemonade in the outside living area and gave us a few insights to life on the coast.
Cheryl and Dalynda in Front of Cheryl's House
Outside Living Area - A Great Place for Lemonade
Cheryl's place has fruit trees - and she raises chickens. She advises people who are considering living on the Coast to keep a couple of things in mind. First, no matter how beautiful the place, be sure of the water supply before buying - water is a scarce commodity in many areas along the Manabi Coast. Cheryl's property borders a fresh water river - they were able to drill a well. Second, electric power is not always reliable - many people, including Cheryl, have a backup generator.
Cheryl and her husband have a great quality of life, with a low cost of living - they love their expat life.
The Guest House
We left Cheryl and made it to Canoa just before dark. We headed for the Hotel Bambu.
The Beach at Canoa
Coming Next Week - On the Road - Canoa and Bahia!
Would you like to make an Ecuador road trip and travel the Coast -
Find out how at Live Well Ecuador: