Third visit to Ecuador. This time with a text blog as well as videos. The video site had been removed due to lack of interest. All pages have at least one photo. If you don't see them you may have an ad blocker on or need a cache purge. (Firefox Win)
Fishing off the Coast of Puerto Lopez
While waiting for the fishing trip pickup I went across the street to ask about the cost of a place for sale. Third floor walk up in an older looking building. The manager showed me the place which smelled of old fish. Three bedrooms etc plus maid's quarters. Totally new and nice floor tiles. No AC. Price was 100k negotiable furniture included. Not buying it but at least I have another comparison.
We got started with the fishing trip when Viktor Tchernikov picked us up at the Torremar at 11:00 am. We headed north on the routa de spondylus through Ballenita, Monteverdi, Valdivia, Montanita and Olón. At this point we were a bit over half way.
Then we passed through the Parque National Machalilla of the rain forest in Manabe province, winding back and forth to climb up and drop down through the mountainous rain forest region. There was also a separate beach reserve area near Playa Del Salango for the sea turtles. You could stop there and walk to the beach to see if you could find turtles.
Puerto Lopez
We stopped to take photos of a couple of points of interest as well as some flowers called Bird of Paradise.
Most of the trip we were whisking along with trees too close and blocking the sea view. At other times we were passing through villages where stores and people were oozing out onto the highway. The only thing slowing traffic were the electronic speed indicators and sleeping policemen- or large speed bumps which are everywhere in Ecuador. Actual police don't do much to curb speeding as drivers will just pass them but many just drive around with their lights flashing all the time.
Apparently the hill ahead is home to several species of poisonous snakes.
They run a regular busy business here.
It was nearly two and a half hours before we arrived at the fishing company office in Puerto Lopez.
Perfect timing as the boat was just returning from a tourist outing. We got all our fishing permits stamped and passport numbers checked and were on the water by 2 pm. Apparently president Rafael Corea went for a tour on this boat as there was a picture of him and the captain.
We were out on the water for nearly five hours. The view was fantastic as we passed small beaches, daunting cliffs with pelicans, blue footed boobies, gannets, gulls, and several more that we would not be close in guessing their names.
We traveled at full throttle for twenty minutes or more until we got to Salango Island. There we spent at least an hour trolling with four lines out hoping for anything. Eventually we got a barracuda. Not much fight and once they strike you really cannot feel much at all as you reel it in.
Here I am with my barracuda and with Viktor our guide who jumped up from
sleeping so he could get his photo taken with the fish.
You can see how far south we went from our start location at Puerto Lopez.
We trolled around and near a few islands. Later we caught another barracuda. But during the waiting for bites we saw a lot of great views on the water and nearby cliffs.
Yes, I did catch fish. Here is a barracuda I am reeling in. Not huge but I am sure the guides ate it the next week.
Yep, I don't travel well in planes and boats.
We pause now for station identification and ample time for an aforementioned passenger to fire stomach projectiles over the side of the boat. No harm done as this interlude had been prophesied and the gradual buildup of sallow eyes and pale skin had accurately predicted the time of content ejection.
Back to fishing. We fished and toured for a couple more hours. No more catches but did get several strikes. Lots of birds flying to and fro just barely off the water level. And the sunset on the ocean was spectacular.
This was when we were leaving but it was dark when we came back at about 7:30.
It was quite dark when we arrived back at the dock.
A quick potty break and we were back in the SUV for the two hour drive in the dark back to Salinas. I had mentioned the number of people on the road on the way up. But now in the evening the number of pedestrians and slow motorbikes had increased. It was almost like riding in a rally car dodging pylons. If I was not in the front seat I might have got sick again. Nope; for sure I would have.
I had the chef assemble a rice and pepper steak dinner. It was in a special non traditional chutney of fresh pumpkin, with roughly chopped onion and yellow sweet peppers- and black pepper.
