Ecuador Photo Travelogue -Surf Spots-Playas to Puerto Lopez

[Old Sponger Dude]

Flew on Copa Airlines from Orlando to Panama City Panama to Guayaquil Ecuador.My friend Evelio picked me up and we drove to Playas about an hour to the coast from the city.


View of Playas from the house I stayed at on top of hill overlooking Shark Bay.


House where I stayed, the family rents out a room on the top floor and then they stay downstairs most of the time. Carlos and Edith and their 4 kids, a wonderful loving family whom can use the money right now. $10.00 a night per person, and she will cook if you wish.


My good friend Evelio, a local who has been surfing Ecuador since the 60s. He is an old guy like me. He runs WaveMastersEcuador Surf tours and serves as a guide for colleges, tour companies, etc.


View from House


View of Shark Bay from house, see the lines starting to show from a south swell ready to hit us soon, a 3 meter swell!
House inside looking out from living room.

House Inside

I end up staying here for 10 days, the surf, family and beach were perfect no need to go further for awhile.

We eat the first night at Jalisco Surf, Juan is the owner and head of the local Playas Surf Federation.

I had to try the local oysters, fried, huge, incredible, mild, delicious! $5.00

Sopa De Marisco $3.50, killer, killer, a meal for sure!!

Stay tuned, I'll do these in installments. Not trying to blow my own horn just wanted to share in case your thinking about going someday.

[Old Sponger Dude]

Next day we goofed around Playas then went to a point break which ususally breaks before the others called Engabao. The road was bumpy and the route lined with shady characters.

The break is located right in front of a fishing village.


I surfed and then tried to snag a few shots, the sun was setting fast. The take off was right in front of the rocks.



The sun was setting fast.


Gone.

[Tube Rid3r]

Great sun set pics. Looks fun

_________________
Hawaii OR BUST!!!

C U THERE!!

[tubewhorrior]

I could go for some of that soup.

Glad those bikin briefs are blurred!

[Paya]

Nice Randy!

[Old Sponger Dude]

The next day,the beach in downtown Playas, many of the grom spongers surf right at the end of the jetty.

We see that the swell has started to arrive so we head out to El Pelado.
Here is what we see when we arrive.

The word is out and plenty of surfers are hungry for the peak, stand ups had the peak.







Plenty of surf, if you didn't want to fight the pack just hang inside down the line and wait, no problem.

[granade]

Thanks for the pics.

Incredible!

[ale]

te curaste randy!

[Old Sponger Dude]

Necesito un poco más, Ale. Quiero ir con usted a la DR con mi amigo Ale!

Para mi español para obtener una mejor necesito práctica, Ecuador Hola, hola Costa, PR Hola, hola DR!

ja ja ja.

Tu entiende, es necesario para mí viajar.

[Old Sponger Dude]

We checked out about three more breaks close and found this one, no one out.


Stopped for a refreshment.


Never felt far from home!



Scenery was always good.


Had a couple of these sail by me while I was out surfing, it was like being in a time machine, rigs like these have been used for hundreds of years.


Thought about you Los! These beer tents are great!! You choose your man, he finds you chairs, will play your choice of music, brings you beer all day long, cerveza grandes were a buck!!!

[ale]

i'm on it randy! ya tengo trabajo y la costa sur de DR es bien buena en verano, lets see if we can catch some of those storms over there.

Glad you had fun in ecuador.

[Tube Rid3r]

These pics are awsome!!

_________________
Hawaii OR BUST!!!

C U THERE!!

[Old Sponger Dude]

We surfed Playas again the next day, I loved Playas because you can choose from 10 point breaks to surf! One after another and they get bigger as you go. I have few pictures of Playas surf spots because you walked to the breaks and surfed home. I surfed 2 miles one day it took me 4 waves!
This house is right on the beach and I can rent it for $400.00 a month.


Stopped to see a shaper friend of Evelio's


Went for drive to Posorja to take care of some business, I loved these purple flowers. Posoria is a large fishing port.




Went to this place called "Deadmans" to check out the view from the top.




Loved this sign, had to take a picture!

This guy is from Peru! They are candy salesmen who tell jokes, dress up, and are a pain in the ass when they see you eating or drinking they come up and hassles you to buy candy.
A friend of Paya's.


More to come...

[imaroxstar]

I lovethe pics. Keep em coming!

[jbm]

Great thread. I'm ready to go there without seeing many pictures of the waves.

[Tube Rid3r]

I will go anywhere right now!!!!!!

_________________
Hawaii OR BUST!!!

C U THERE!!

[granade]

Do you need a passport to go? I have a green card only.

[Old Sponger Dude]

After we checked out the view from the hill top at Deadmans we decided to have lunch. At the restaurant as I was reviewing the days pictures I heard giggling behind me, there were these kids looking over my shoulder at the pictures. Evelio and I have a rule, we feed hungry kids when ever we can. Many times as we are sitting down to eat kids will come and beg, so we invite them to dine with us. We take many things for granted here in the USA, Ecuador is beautiful as are the people, but poverty plagues these beautiful people. Providence repays you in the coin you hand to others!
This is our new friends Melissa, Julio, Layla, and their little brother. Julio had lost his right eye somehow, he made loud sounds of approval all during his meal, uummm good!



It's nice to be able to make a difference in someone's life, even if for only a day. Their Mother and father worked in the fish market, she cleaned fish and he carried them from boat to the market. Mellissa was 14 and like the mother, she was good at it too. This is Layla below, she had a bad case of the giggles.



For two bucks we got the lunch special, fish soup, rice, plantain, chicken and a fruit juice. I have not eaten with better dinner guest, my stomach and my heart were both satisfied.


After lunch we went to Andy's house. Andy came to Ecuador in the 60s with the Peace Corp and never left the country. He has been in Ecuador for over 30 years. He shapes boards, surfs, and dances a mean Salsa!
This is his crew and me talking about a break that happens miles off shore of the coast.


Andy turns me on to Blood Mussels. One of the few shellfish to actually have blood in them.


After we talk about this mystery break that happens in a shoal area way off shore the decision is made to rent a boat the next day and see if we can find these big offshore waves. We go here to rent a boat and a Captain who knows the waters.


The next day we load up boat and head offshore in search of the WAVE.



Did we find it? Stay tuned!!

[flasponge]

sick! Did u catch Manta? Let me know if you scored any video, Id like to incorporate any vid action you got into the monies travel section, I have some ecquador footage to

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[Paya]

NIce Randy