So we went into it with low expectations. And normally, if you go into something with low expectations, you won't be disappointed.
The fishing port in Manta, Ecuador.
There are quite a few of these little yellow birds around.
Manta is the tuna fishing capital of the world.
A little fish bargaining going on.
There is a malecon along the waterfront.
Tuna fishing boats.
It's a busy port.
Notice that there isn't much sun!
It's definitely raining over there!
Surprisingly, we only felt a few drops all day.
There is a big new park, but hardly anybody around.
Maybe it's busier when the kids are out of school.
Me!
The circus is in town.
KFC is a big thing here!
Big concrete outdoor stadium.
Fountain not working.
New playground for the kids.
Big car carrier ship.
This statue was kind of neat.
Pelican.
There is a small expat community here. I'm afraid we don't see the attraction. Rainy season is from December through May, with the heaviest rains February through April. I know, most people love the beach, but the beach here isn't the nicest. Living expenses are quite low, so we get the attraction with that... but it's the same all over the country. Rent prices here are reasonable... you can rent an ocean view 1 bedroom for about $600 USD a month... with two and three bedrooms between $800 and $1,500 USD a month depending on the amenities at the building.
Manta is almost 300.000 people, so there is a public transportation system. The bus costs $0.30 per person. Taxis are plentiful and you can go anywhere in the city for between $2 to $5 USD.
The waterfront at Manta.
The main public beach.
This cat mural is outside our hotel.
Lunch.
We each had a stuffed arepa with a lemonade for lunch. It was actually quite tasty, but the chicken was a bit tough. Total came to $14 USD ($19 CAD) for the two of us. There is not much of a tipping culture in Ecuador, but most restaurants include a 10% "service charge".
Scenery along the way.
Pretty tree.
Interesting flowers.
There is a lot of new construction.
We're not overly thrilled with the food choices. A lot of burger and pizza places. We did find a decent BBQ place for dinner though...
Ribs, fries, and a decent size salad.
$16.75 USD ($22.75 CAD) for the two of us.
For our two night stay, Manta has been fine and we enjoyed wandering around. But we really don't see the attraction. There is no central downtown area. Many building are in rough condition and run down. there are quite a few beggars. Time to move on! My guess is that we've started with the worst and it will get better from here!
Today, we've got a three hour bus ride to the big city of Guayaquil. We had a $250 travel credit with our Scotiabank Preferred Infinite Privilege Visa card and so we've splurged on a two night stay at the five star Oro Verde Hotel right in downtown Guayaquil. If you're going to treat yourself, it makes sense to do so in a cheap country!
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Good deal on this Brother All In One Printer.
And in Canada...
I doubt you'll find Guayaquil much better - and 6 years ago it was quite dangerous there. We were there in February and it was 99 degrees and like a sauna! But if you're going to Cuenca, that's a place we could spend lots of time in! We're enjoying your blog, thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSo far we think we like Guayaquil better than Manta, it seems a little cleaner and not quite so run down. We will have a better impression of Guayaquil today as we get out and spend the day exploring.
DeleteI think we will like Cuenca too, although we think there will be too many expats and foreign tourists for our liking but I am sure the setting will be more to our liking as well as the temperatures. We are also hoping to spend a few days away from the cities and up in the mountains so we can enjoy some nice hikes and the beautiful natural surroundings.
I've heard that Cuenca is nice. I think the main draw of Ecuador is that it is highly regarded birders paradise, but I think that's mostly in the mountains and jungles, not at the beach. The tree with the red flowers is a Flamboyant Tree, I think. They were beautiful in Belize and Merida, Mexico. One of my favorites. I think everything would have looked nicer with blue skies and sunshine, like most places!
ReplyDeleteWe have also heard that Cuenca is nice, I guess that is probably why there are so many expats living there.
DeleteI think we will enjoy the temperatures better there as well as the mountain setting. We are actually hoping to spend a few days away from the cities and up in the mountains so that we can do some hiking and enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery.
Yes, that tree is a Flamboyant tree and the flowers are just beautiful on it.
I am sure things would have looked a bit better if we had blue skies and sunshine but really Manta doesn't have very much to offer and is quite dirty and rundown. We did enjoy our day wandering around though but honestly one full day there is enough, at least to us it was.