CANOA, ECUADOR IN JANUARY & FEBRUARY

Above I'm seen with Ivo and Elsa de Paris, owners of Il Tramonto, the property I stayed at in Canoa. Ivo and Elsa live in Quito and came to the property for a week at the time of Carnaval. They've owned an Italian restaurant in Quito, La Gambugia, for many years. We had a terrific time cooking together while they stayed. Below is a photo of Ivo sautéeing prawns with the salmon I bought for a shared meal. Included are photos of Ivo & Elsa de Paris along with their beautiful and talented daughter, Martina.

Ivo de Paris comes from a horticultural family and together, they raise and sell flowers as a business. The photos Ivo and Elsa de Paris showed me of their home in Quito, as well as his family home in Lucca, Italy, were filled with gorgeous flowers! It was pleasure to see so much happiness in these pictures. Il Tramonto felt crowded with sensual delight throughout the week they were here.

Martina, the 24 year old daughter, is very artistic, as the whole family is, and painted many of the beautiful designs around Il Tramonto. Ivo worked on cutting back much of the plant growth much of the time that he and his family stayed here. What an industrious family!

Although I was dreading Carnaval and all of the crowds that were expected to descend onto Canoa, this week turned out to be my favorite while on the Coast. I had a fantastic time. The weather was rainy and overcast, for the most part, and the roads muddy. That didn't keep people away. Indeed families on the beach seemed to be having a ball.

Wednesday, February 10 the sun returned. Yep, as soon as the crowds left the beach, the sun came out. The following are photos of the sweet little casita I rented for the month (I paid $300 rent), and the grounds here at Il Tramonto, (which means Sunset, in Italian) located at the Southern end of the Beach in Canoa.

Previous to moving in at Il Tramonto, I'd stayed in San Vincente for a week. Friends from Cuenca, Jenn and Ritch,  came to visit and told me I was risking illness from the mold infested condo in which I was staying. They were startled by the poor condition of the abandoned condominium building and its isolation. I was the only one there, aside from the Ecuadorian family managing the building.

The condo I was in is owned by an aquaintance who promised me since Thanksgiving that I could stay in her place. Guess she never dreamed I'd take her up on her offer. Next are photos of the building from the beach below. The first is a photo of my friends, Jenn and Ritch:

We watched as the truck seen below hauled off sand from the beach. Trucks came everyday and left with loads of sand, thus contributing (sadly) to the beach's erosion. Years ago the bay across from Bahía de Caráquez may have been beautiful, yet now it is polluted with garbage.

We had a beautiful time the day we spent in Canoa. That's when Ritch and Jenn encouraged me to rent the little casita at Il Tramonto. I moved in the very next day! Above is a photo of Ritch and Jenn taken at Saboreáme Restaurant, right after we'd eaten our almuerzo!

Right away, I met other friends while in Canoa. The first photos are of some Ecuadorian women (from Guayaquil) spending the weekend here. I was honored to spend time with these women, who chose to enjoy themselves together rather than spend their time caring for Grandchildren. They included me in their fun, for which I was most grateful!

Below is the beautiful employee at the Hostal Cocoa Inn, where my friends stayed.

Rita, seen below, is the owner (along with her Chilean husband) of the Hostal Cocoa Inn, close to the property on which I am staying at the South end of Canoa.  

Next are photos of some young people I've met in Canoa:

I especially enjoyed Marit and Stefan, shown above, who will be staying in my casita when I leave. Marit is from Norway and Stefan is German. They met 8 years ago while traveling in Southeast Asia. They're in Ecuador while their houseboat is being built and beginning April, will live on their boat in Oslo. I found Marit and Stefan wise beyond their years. Marit has a beautiful blog highlighting her art, which can be accessed at http://www.maritdahlstrom.blogspot.com/p/paintings.html

The young Argentinians and Brazilians camping out nearby were beautiful. I greatly valued spending time with them and their children. Their vehicles are impressive! They've traveled throughout South America.

Some small children playing at a beachside recreational area are shown below. 

Below are photos of little boys playing in hammocks behind El Goloso, a beachside stand where I whiled away hot afternoons savoring the ocean breezes. 

Last year my wonderful friends Kawai and Dolf, from the Netherlands, were here in Canoa. One night, Anne Risager, from Greenland, took us out to dinner.  I'll always remember the terrific times we shared.

Next are photos of my good friend Rosa, who has traveled from Connecticut for visits in Canoa since 2010. Together we enjoyed walks and other pleasures. She is seen serving breakfast in the first photo, and in the Museum at Bahía de Caráquez in the next:

Miguel is shown above, petting his year old kitty, Carola. Miguel is the kind and hard working property manager at Il Tramonto. Below is the affectionate Bimba (Italian for baby), Miguel's year old dog. Bimba and Carola grew up together and are good friends. They're quite adorable together. 

The beach is just a short walk from Il Tramonto:

The Hotel Baloo is just across the road from Il Tramonto:

Below are some more scenes from Canoa, starting with the lovely Cocoa Inn Hostal:

Hostal Coco Loco is popular with young people who want to stay right on the beach,

I spent a lot of hot afternoons hanging out in a hammock at El Goloso with a batido. The sea breezes are always refreshing. Owners Maria and Javier are widely respected in Canoa.

The Hotel and Restaurante Amalur is a few blocks from the beach, so it's quieter than some other hostels. The owners, Diego and Lorena (from Spain), are well loved in Canoa and speak English.

The Bambu hotel and restaurant, located at the Northern end of the beach in Canoa, is a little more expensive than others. However, the food is the best! The owner, from the Netherlands, runs a well organized and popular institution in Canoa. The views of the beach and sea breezes are excellent.

The Surf Shak is filled with Gringo "Reprobates," as one man I met calls them (he said they had their favorite drinking holes in the Virgin Islands, where he lived 15 years). I went once, on Trivia Night. One night was enough for me.

Canoa on a Friday night:

Saturday morning on the road along Canoa's beach:

Canoa is a fishing village, first and foremost. Watching fishing boats going out mornings, and families and friends come together to bring the boats safely ashore late afternoons was among my favorite daily activities.

 The two fishermen below are carrying their day's catch in burlap bags on a pole

One frequently sees men carrying their weighty boat motors ashore.

Below, this group of family and friends is bringing their boat ashore.

Soccer on the beach is a favored activity just before and during sunset:

And of course, the local surfers (they start at a young age) in Canoa are outstanding:

When I want to go to Bahía de Caráquez, I just walk down to the gas station and catch a bus:

The bus stops at the Mercado in San Vincente. Vendors come onto the bus, including this man. 

     Above, Bahía can be seen in the distance, across the bay from San Vincente.

Below, we cross the bridge into Bahía de Caráquez, built just 3 years ago.

After crossing the bridge, and getting off at the first stop, it's easy to catch another bus into Bahía's El Centro, and one of my favorite mercados in Ecuador. 

 I bought a week's worth of fruits and vegetables for $4.50 from the vendor below:

 The man below was cutting slices of dorado when I stopped by:

 I bought a pound of giant camarones and ate this delicious shrimp salad (with pesto) for lunch:

There is a shopping mall in Bahía, which can be seen from the bridge. The Bus Driver and Cobrador will stop if told you want to go "shopping." It's important to pronounce the word with a long "o" sound, if one wants to be understood, which I find humorous.

The next photo was taken from the back of the mall, while waiting for a bus North to Canoa.

This year I visited to Isla Corazon again, because of having such a good time last January. Isla Corazon is only 20 minutes from the San Vincente terminal. People helped me get on the bus there. This year's tour of the natural preserve at Isla Corazon was even better than before.

For more information, here is the link--http://www.islacorazon.com/html/birds_of_isla_corazon.html

I was joined on the tour by a pair of Ecuadorian sisters and their families. The older sister is married to an Italian and living in Venice. Together, this pair and their son came to Ecuador to visit after being away from Ecuador 5 years!

This year's tour was better than the one last year because we toured the manglades in canoes!

The only problem with the tour of Isla Corazon is that prices have increased dramatically this year. I was told I would have to pay $20 to tour solo and $12 with a group. Wow, that's steep. Last year I paid $3. Because I'm over 65 and have a Cedula verifying I am "de tercera edad" I paid $6 this year.

Lunch after the tour cost $4 and it was excellent. The part of the day I enjoyed most was playing cards with employees at Isla Corazon before and after the tour!

Next are a few sunsets in San Vincente:

Below are several of the many photos I took of Canoa sunsets:

Well, that's a wrap on Canoa for this incredible stay here! Monday, February 22, I'll leave for Cotacachi, in the Andes of Northern Ecuador. I've had a great time here, and I'm ready to leave the hot afternoons of the beach. It's been humid, and the mosquitos have been getting to me lately. 

Cotacachi, 2 hours north of Quito, is about 10 hours from here. I'll leave on a bus for Quito at 8am from Bahía de Caráquez, just South of Canoa. My plans include house sitting 4 months there for a friend who is going to the United States at the end of February and will stay through June. So, the next blog update will be about Cotacachi, where I've stayed previously. 

Thank you for taking the time to look at my photos and read this blog update. I look forward to staying in touch with you! And Happy Valentine's Day, 2016.