EXPLORING: Montanita - finding the perfect pole

We have finally made it to our new home and while Internet cafés are a plenty it has taken a little more effort finding the local wireless connection which was essential because hey who wants to sit in a sweaty internet café when you can lay back in hammock and have the world at your finger tips?

We arrived in Montanita at about 9am on Thursday on a 'directo' bus from Guayaquil which in fact was not direct but stopped to pick-up and drop-off everyone and their dog that needed a lift along the way but hey why not play the local taxi for an extra buck? Yet, every second of our epic 32hr journey was worth it because I think we may just have stumbled upon paradise!

We were dropped off on the side of the road leaving us to stumble through the town balancing a bike in one hand and a years worth of luggage in the other. We had arrived 3 days earlier than what we had agreed with the Spanish school but Jim from the school fortunately had a cabana that we could stay in until Sunday when we would move in with a local family which they had prearranged.

Jim and David (pronounced Dabid) the caretaker, very impressed by the amount of stuff we had managed to drag halfway across the world, helped us to carry our stuff over to the cabanas which are a little out of town. Mark and I were beginning to get a little concerned as the only places we could see along the road we were walking down looked more like shacks than the pretty hostels we had seen back in the town but as we came through the bamboo gates we knew we had ARRIVED! Could this be paradise?

From World Travels - Ecuador

Everyone in this town is friendly, everything is cheap, fresh fruit cocktails are made to your taste in the streets, buildings are covered in bamboo and leaves, and the sea and beach are just perfect! Another defining factor is that the place is incredibly safe - one of the Swedish girls we met told us that the family she is staying with does not even have a front door! Bicycles just stand up against street posts without chains, wallets and phones lay on tables without growing legs – its simple criminals are not welcome here – if you steal you leave and you don't come back. Tourists are the locals only livelihood – simple.

Every moment here has been fantastic so far –this morning we woke up at about 7:30am and went for a run down the beach and just as we were thinking it was time turn back we began looking for a pole where we could do a few pull-ups before heading back. A pole a on beach ideal for this in the middle of nowhere - ha what are the chances. Well just ahead we spotted a few of what looked like abandoned bamboo stalls one of which had lost its roof leaving a single strut just at the perfect height for us to reach. As we began to do our pull-ups we noticed our shadows stretch down the beach, across our foot prints in the pristine sand, towards the ocean where the waves roared and broke in prefect form – could this be the perfect pole?

We have met some very cool people here including Jim's girlfriend Dennisse a local from Guayaquil (Jim is from Chicago) who has made some effort already to teach us Spanish. What is really great is that we are the only South African's most of the locals and the travellers have ever met – in fact Jim said we're the first South African's that have been to the school since he started 6 or so months ago.

We have now been allocated the homestays that we will move into on Sunday and it turns out that Mark will be staying with a family in another village 5 minutes away by bike – just behind the perfect pole. I will be staying in Montanita itself – all the action is here and Ross will be staying in the cabanas that we are staying in at the moment so that's all good but I think it will be great for Mark to have the isolation when it comes to learning Spanish. I'd happily trade places if he was unhappy.

It is elections here on Sunday so all locals have been banned from drinking for three days before – looking at our election results maybe we need to do the same! Fortunately the ban does not extend to us so I think its time to head to the bar – cocktail anyone?

PS. I finally bought a local SIM so if anyone wants to call or text us the number is +59382916335

PPS. If anyone has heard from Ross and knows his plans or at least can confirm he is still alive please would you leave us a comment to that extend. Last we heard from Elmari was that he was surfing (or attempting to) somewhere on the Peruvian coast. Holding thumbs he pitches on Sunday!