NYE on the Beach in Puerto López

Happy New Year! Feliz Año Nuevo!!

I had an amazing time celebrating NYE on the beach in Puerto López.
Last Friday I woke up at 5am and took a cab with my roommate Caitlin to the Guayaquil Bus Terminal. We wanted to get to the terminal early because everyone goes to the beach for New Years and the lines to get tickets are infamously long this time of year. We arrived at the terminal at 6:15 and the temperature and humidity inside the terminal was already climbing due to the masses of people waiting in line. I’m still adjusting to the fact that there is no concept of a “personal space bubble” here. While waiting in line for our tickets, the man behind me had his forearm in my back and was yelling at the man at the counter to hurry up. After thirty minutes in line, I had sweat pouring down my face and the line had not moved an inch. I watched as other customers yelled at a woman who was muscling her way to the front of the line. A security guard tried to maintain order of the frustrated crowd by telling the woman that she would not be sold a ticket unless she got to the back of the line.

Fast forward another hour and a half ……and our bus was pulling away from the station bound for Puerto López!!! It took us about 4 hours to get to the small beach town. We walked down the boardwalk and found some of our Peace Corps friends playing baseball on the beach. We then checked into our hostel and changed into our bathing suits and beach clothes.

Puerto López itself is a small coastal town of about 10,000 people in the province of Manabí. Every year, Humpback whales travel from the northern Antarctic to give birth on the Ecuadorian coast. The warm waters off the coast of Puerto Lopez are the ideal refuge for the birth of calves. Puerto Lopez is also home to the National Park of Machalilla known for its beautiful beaches and hikes. We took a 2 hour hike that goes first to Playita Negra, a black sand beach, then to La Tortuguita beach, to a lookout point over the beaches, and ends at Los Frailes Beach.

Here are some pictures from our hike to Machalillla Park and NYE on the beach…..

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I had a really amazing time spending all day on the beach and relaxing with friends. Puerto López was the perfect little beach town to spend NYE.

Tessa arrives in 3 days!! She flies in from Brazil on Saturday and we leave Sunday afternoon for Quito. Here is the rough itinerary for our two weeks of travel.

***Tessa and Leana’s Travel in Ecuador***
Tessa arrives: Saturday, January 8th 3:10PM GYE

Sat 1/8 Relax, walk around downtown Guayaquil, dinner

Sun 1/9 Morning walk on the Malecon….Cab to Airport …Flight to Quito at 1:40pm …arrive and check into Casa Grande Hostel

Monday – Tuesday 1/10- 1/11 Explore Quito : Museums, Churches, Night Life

Tuesday – 1/11 Bus to Cayambe (20 minutes on metrovia to Ofelia station; 1 hour on the bus…Dinner in Cayambe at Cafe Aroma or dinner with host family in Paquiestancia

Tuesday 1/11 – Thursday 1/13 in Paquiestancia/ Cayambe (hike to waterfalls, Incan ruins, milking cows, spending time with host family, explore

Friday, 1/14 take bus to Ibarra (good night life and restaurants)… stay in Ibarra in hostel

Saturday 1/15 -Take bus to Octavalo…Check into Hostel Hotel Riveria Sucre…Walk around artisan markets and go to famous pie restaurant

Sunday 1/16 train to Primer Paso Train (travels toward Colombia border)

Mon – Tues 1/17-1/18 Visit Leana´s Peace Corps friend Bed Alfred in Cahuasqui

Wed 1/19 Flight to Cuenca : 4:50pm ….Check into Hostel Cigale Hostal ….Dinner and Happy Hour at Hostel Cigale

Thurs – Friday 1/20 Explore Cuenca (Chuches, Markets….California Kitchen Restaurant, Sterio Night Club, Baños Spa, Cajas National Park)

Saturday 1/22 Bus back to Guayaquil (4 – 5 hrs) ….Arrive in Guayaquil & cab to apartment….Dinner on the Malecon or at Lee’s apartment

Sunday 1/23 Pack and relax in Lee’s Apt. & get ready for flight in morning

Monday 1/24 Tessa Flight from GYL to Santo Domingo – 6:30AM