Montañita

I spent 4 days in this surf bum town. After nearly exactly 12 hours on the road overnight from Quito (with a toilet stop in Quayaguil no less) Monique, Eliana, Talia and I made it to what is effectively a surf/backpacker designed hangout on to the beach with a sizeable community of zoned out surfers (locals and extranjeros) waiting for the waves and sun to come in a month or so. The place has a hint of disney surftown and reminded me of an incredibly nicer and more chilled out version of Hat Rin on Ko Pho Ngan (I can never spell that bloody island). I know that is not exactly complementary but I really liked the place.

The day we arrived was apparently the sunniest for a longwhile. I immediately dived into the pacific before playing beach footie that so ripped up my feet that I could not dance for a couple of nights and lets just say it put a spanner in the works of any potential surfing career until the next time I´m in such a place. Hobbled walks along the beach and staring out accross the immensity of the great Pacific were causes of great joy and contemplation. The thought of the vastness and unknown quantity of what lies before you is certainly humbling.

The weather did not shine on us the rest of the days and enterntainment came in incredibly strung out meals, setting up this blog thing, reading in a hammock and some interesting partying at night - my favourite example of which being impromptu drinking until the wee hours on the balcony of hostel del amigo (see picture). You really get some characters in these places and you here some stories. Lets just say the sight of a guy sitting in the mud in the middle of the street with a fazed look on his face was not totally out of place here.

For the fun I was glad to get out of this place after a few days. People seem to get stuck here. An incredibly petulent ATM and consequent building credit in restaurants for many does not help. Montañita is a bubble of surf cool where everyone greets each other with giving some skin (palm stroke) and a clashed fist. Bongos play at night and for many, days drift in to weeks etc. It is a fun place but not for me right now after just a few weeks - give me a couple of months and this could be just the sort of place I could do with!!!