Monday, June 24, 2013

Field Trip: Beach Life in Canoa

After Grandma Cassie and Jordan's visit, we'd pulled Sylvia out of school (with 1/4 to go) in order to further our travel education.  But following a trip to the Amazon, we found ourselves restless and purposeless in Otavalo very quickly.  So we decided to head to the beach for a month.  Why not?   

In the province of Manabí, in the town of Canoa, we found an apartment in the back of a hotel named País Libre.  And we found warm and friendly hosts, met new friends both local and traveling extranjeros, some of whom were volunteering and working in a local school.  In fact, we met a family of Andersons whose situation was similar to ours (teachers on a leave-of-absence with two kids), and we quickly hit it off.  It took us a few days to slow down to the rhythms of life on the coast, but we managed.  

Here's a little photo-journal of our time there.  By little, I mean 100 photos or so.  As always, they look better as a slide show, haz click para empezarlo y disfrutala!

Pacific lobstah washed up on the beach

Oakes' sand angels
Makena ripping a wave








Oakes is fascinated by all creatures
Charlie and a friend
Our trip to Edgar and Rachel's farm to "help" with some tree planting
Edgar getting water for the trees
Banana cycles


Using a post-hole digger to prepare places for trees
Rachel and Sylvia planting a tree among the banana trees.  Eventually, the new trees will take over for the bananas providing fruit, shade, and soil stability


Fancy bathroom

Sylvia's first tries on a board were successful!

A walk to the end of the beach...
...and looking back toward town
These little buggers hurt when you step on them.
Living on a river, the mosqueras were necessary.
Sylvia and I went to surf school with professor Manuel.  He was awesome.




Proud teacher in the background, proud parents on the beach


The Andersons minus one


Aguas malas, or baby jellyfish.  The sting is immensely painful, but that didn't stop Oakes and Sylvia from collecting them on the beach one day after rough seas washed them ashore.

The hats/bags guy at work, every day
Canoa is a working fishing town.  Here the boys are heading out.
The fleet


Sylvia with the catch



Breakdance dudes on the beach.  They inspired Oakes' following attempts...




Nets bundled to go
Heading out to get beat up... again
This is our street.
Ice cream lady
Tricycle = beach truck
Local boys using boat rollers in the surf.  This is how the locals are so good.
Looking dorky, but getting it...






Our castle


Looking over San Vicente with Bahia de Caraquez in the background (high rises for people of means from Quito)

We took a trip up the Chone river to Isla Corazon, a community run/benefitted mangrove sanctuary

Through the tunnel by canoe
20,000 frigatebirds call Isla Corazon their home
Male frigate with a deflated balloon

Don Francisco teaching the kids how to "plant" a mangrove seed
Kids taking the mangrove pledge
Zoe and Sylvia building a fort

Isa and Oakes

Xavier with the kids.  They had a lot of fun with him


Da Boyz (and a girl) of Pais Libre

Oakes getting his "trensa"
vacanisimo!


Finally, riding some waves (nice tan line!)
Don Giovanni.  Kerry declined his many proposals, somehow resisting his charms.  I did buy several beers from him though.
Boogie master
Mr. Favio, king of his castle, with the gringoes
Gustavo, the night watchman who always knew where people were.  To'bien!