-
2018 Orphanage Christmas Preparations
Thanks to generous donors and volunteers like you, the 2018 orphanage Christmas preparations are just about complete! Friends of Santa Maria Orphanage (FOSMO) has gifts ready for 72 children plus their mamitas (caregivers), who live at the orphanage in Olon, Ecuador.
-
Los Frailes – Ecuador’s most beautiful beach
Los Frailes Beach is often referred to as Ecuador’s most beautiful beach for good reason. With pristine sand on a gently sloping beach surrounded by cliffs on either end of a crescent shaped bay, Los Frailes Beach provides an environment perfect for relaxation. Located a few minutes north of Puerto Lopez, Los Frailes Beach is inside Machalilla National Park and often free of people. Rare July blue sky On an unusual sunny day in July, the beach is as full as I have seen it since February’s Carnaval holiday. Typically, the Ecuador coast has sun during the rainy season (explanation here) and clouds during the dry season. By “clouds,” I…
-
Horseback Riding – Las Tunas to Ayampe, Ecuador
Want to go horseback riding on Ecuador’s coast? I found the perfect spot in Las Tunas, ManabÃ, a few minutes south of Puerto López. During our two hour ride, we galloped on a beach, crossed a river, watched butterflies on a forest trail, and rode along the top of a hill with a spectacular ocean view. Finding horses to ride in coastal Ecuador Finding horses to ride in Ecuador is not difficult. Finding good, healthy, well trained horses to ride in Ecuador is not easy. I rely on Tsafiki Resort to find good horses. They scout area horses and guides so they are always up to date regarding who…
-
Emily in Ecuador is moving from Blogger to WordPress
After months of planning, excitement and a lot of work, I am moving Emily in Ecuador from Blogger to WordPress. I have converted all of my content to a new website that I administer (WordPress) instead of using Google’s free blogging software (Blogger). Why am I moving? Blogger (owned by Google) has not been updated for years. During the past year, I noticed some things that did not work properly in Blogger. Two in particular pushed me to make the decision to abandon ship: People filled out my contact Emily page and I never received the email. Comments on my blog stopped being emailed to me. Thank you to Jz,…
-
WildAid Working to End Sea Turtle Trade in China #WATWB
In Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, we are blessed. Four of the seven sea turtle species in the world live and breed here. The four species that live here are endangered (I wrote about them here) so breeding is critical.
-
Preserving Ecuador’s Tsachila Indigenous Customs Through Heritage Center #WATWB
Indigenous Tsachila Tribe  The Tsachila people are an indigenous tribe in Ecuador with under 3000 people remaining. They are located in Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas (highlighted on map here). Albertina, a Shaman living in one of their communities runs a Tsachila heritage center in an effort to introduce their culture and traditions to world travelers. She is helping prevent the loss of their old way of life as technology and other cultures blend with theirs. Albertina’s Story Excerpt from the story on South American Backpacker, which you can read in its entirety here: Contently sitting next to the fire, Albertina began sharing her own story. At a young age she…
-
Puerto Lopez, Ecuador A to Z Summary and Reflections #AtoZChallenge
Summary I survived the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge! Throughout April, I wrote about Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, where I live with my husband and cats. This post contains a complete list of April 2018 Emily in Ecuador posts and my reflections on the Challenge. Links to all April Posts The 5 most popular are in bold. Almuerzo – Good Lunch Choice in Puerto Lopez Boats in Puerto Lopez Coconut Water on Puerto Lopez Beach Dolphins – Puerto Lopez Emily in Puerto Lopez Fish Market – Puerto Lopez Greenery Delivered to Your Door in Puerto Lopez Hammock Time on Puerto Lopez Beach Internet Cafes in Puerto Lopez Javico, A Puerto…
-
Zapatos in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Puerto Lopez is hard on zapatos (shoes). As I explained in Mototaxis, walking is the most popular way to get around town. Paved streets bake in the sun, in turn wearing down shoe soles. When it rains, dirt roads turn to sticky mud, threatening to become one with your footwear. Puerto Lopez shoe repair When your shoes are falling apart, you buy new shoes or repair the ones you own. The Zapateria above has repaired my ten year old Teva sandals twice. I wear them nearly every day so they are well worn but still going because of Zapateria repairs. I am wearing them in the…
-
Yellow Orb Over Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
A Yellow Orb (YO) arrives every morning in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador at 6:30, dazzling us with it’s beauty. It silently preys on our eagerness to celebrate beneath it. It’s primary victims are tourists, freshly arrived from cooler climates, where they have been protected by clothing for months. They arrive, strip off most of their fabric and offer their skin up to the YO. Ecuador is named for the equator, which runs through the middle of the country. Did you know? The Earth is closer to the sun at the equator than elsewhere because of our planet’s Equatorial Bulge. As it spins, the Earth forms an oblate spheroid rather than a sphere.…
-
eXpat Creates Kids Skating Club in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge #WATWB
Skating and rollerblading are relatively uncommon in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. It is becoming more common thanks to one man. Matthew Meinzer, a former semi-professional hockey player, has introduced Puerto Lopez kids to the joys of skating with a kids skating club. Kids flock to his practices and the participation level increases weekly. I have watched many girls transform from unsure on their wheels to beaming, confident skaters. The following 2:10 video is from March 9, 2018. (You can watch on YouTube here.) With more than 10 years of coaching experience in New York City, Matthew is able to adapt practices to the skill level of the participants. Each skater receives…
