Montañita

Montañita is the first beach town we landed in on the coast of Ecuador.  It’s a pretty hopping place.  According to Lonely Planet:

An omnipresent laid-back atmosphere and good year-round surf draw a steady stream of cosmopolitan backpackers – as many South Americans as gringos – to the beachfront village of Montañita. The cheap digs and Rasta vibe mean some travelers put down temporary roots and take up hair braiding and jewelry making or the staffing of their guesthouse’s front desk. No localismo here: it’s an easygoing surfing community willing to share its waves. Montañita is ideal for the kind of person who, regardless of age, balks at the typical restaurant dress code: bare feet and no shirt is practically de rigueur.

One can get a pretty good idea of the culture by this statue located at the north end of town:

It is the closest “biggish” town near to us, and about 15 minutes away by bus.  This is where we can access pharmacies, ATMs, and a plethora of restaurants.  We’ve had great meals, particularly at the restaurant at the Rocia Hotel, where Ali and his brother (friend’s of Susan’s) plied us with Turkish hospitality at a family style dinner with Ali’s Columbiana girlfriend, his 3-month old, girlfriend’s mom, and girlfriend’s friend (who teaches parasailing).

There is quite a bit of partying, as apparently is true in most surfing meccas.  One smells the scent of weed on the streets.  There is quite a bit of woo woo energy/healing/tantra stuff going on.  One can find “Whiskey Alley,” where vendors set up bars along the street, and another block featuring vendors making crepes of all varieties.  It is common to see backpackers getting off of the buses and roaming the streets.  People are known to pass out or sleep on the beach.  I suspect that most illicit drugs can be found here.

Business is down 70% and all of the merchants are nervous.

It’s not really where we would want to stay, but it’s fun to visit.  Click on any picture for slideshow mode.