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Visitor Center, Machalilla National Park, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Machalilla National Park surrounds Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. Two monkey species and more than 270 bird species, including the endangered Waved Albatross live in the park. Whales mate and birth just off the coast and turtles hatch on the beaches. If you like active outdoor vacations, this is the place for you! Activities in Machalilla National Park Hike, bike and horseback ride Dry forests – from sea level to midway up the hills, the dry desert-like flora is brown for about half the year, waiting for water Cloud forests – always green hills where monkeys, orchids and a wide variety of birds live Hike beaches – Playa Los Frailes is often referred…
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Ultralight Flight Over Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Sunday, 5:29 PM “You did what?!” “I know you’ve said they are deathtraps, Dad. Before I went, I… “Ultralights ARE deathtraps, Emily!” “…weighed the risks verses my desire to see Puerto Lopez from the air…” “It’s not worth your life!” “…and decided it was more likely I would land safely on the beach than crash into the ocean.” So it went when I told my retired pilot father about my first ultralight flight. Friday I first saw the plane Friday afternoon. The pilot took off, looped the bay, and landed on the beach. I watched several takeoffs and landings, timed the flights (about 4 minutes), and yearned to…
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Tiendas – Puerto Lopez, Ecuador’s neighborhood stores #AtoZChallenge
Neighborhood tiendas (stores) are part of the fabric of Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. They supplement larger grocery stores by stocking single rolls of toilet paper, small containers of milk, yogurt, ice cream, cooking oils, sugar, and other daily essentials. Tiendas have daily necessities Let’s say you are seven years old and helping your siblings fix a bike in front of your home. Your mom is making dinner and realizes she is out of milk. She calls to you, hands you money and sends you to get milk. Tienda door visible on far left Two tiendas are about a minute from your house, one in each direction. The tienda uphill…
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Sunrise in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
My favorite place to watch the Puerto Lopez sunrise is the south end of the bay. For an overhead shot of this area, click Boats in Puerto Lopez. As the sun rises over the eastern hills, I love the reflections in the bay. If you read my post, Rainbows and the rainy season in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador, you know overnight cloud cover is common this time of year. I took the first three photos on the same day as the clouds shifted while the sun rose. They managed to hide the sun itself the entire time. We do sometimes have clearer skies during sunrise. I personally prefer the sunrises with…
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Rainbows and the rainy season in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Puerto Lopez sunrise rainbows are most common during the coastal Ecuador rainy season. The same is true for Puerto Lopez sunset rainbows. The rainy season, December through May, is also the time for cerulean blue skies. This causes confusion when people are planning their visit. They see blue skies on social media photos yet all of the guide books say it is the rainy season. When does it rain during the rainy season? Rain usually falls at night though certainly not every night. The above photo was taken at the Victor Hugo Hotel in February at 10:00 pm. Hours earlier, I walked there in the sunshine. I was drenched when…
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Quake: Puerto Lopez two years after a 7.8 rocked Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
April 16, 2016 at 6:58pm, a 7.8 earthquake shook Ecuador’s coast. If you have not read my reliving of that night in Puerto Lopez, find it here. Some have asked what the buildings in the photos look like now. What follows are the photos from April 17, 2016 and the same location two years later. The first building was torn down and has not been rebuilt. The second building was rebuilt with some finishing work still to be completed. The fire house had to be completely demolished. Puerto Lopez has turned the land into a parking lot and the fire department has moved to a new location. The night…
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Palo Santo products made in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
For centuries, Palo Santo has been used for it’s healing and cleansing properties. The tree grows in coastal areas of South America, is in the citrus family, and smells of pine, mint and lemon. It is a relative of Frankincense, Myrrh and Copal. Palo Santo translates to “Holy Wood” or “Sacred Wood” in English. Dante Bolcato (top photo, lower left) makes products sold on his website, El Artesan, in Puerto Lopez. While walking along the malecon, you can find his store by following your nose – there is always Palo Santo wood smoking on the front sidewalk. In fact, in the evenings, you will smell Palo Santo smoking in many Puerto Lopez…
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Oeste de Puerto Lopez (West of Puerto Lopez), Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
You may be surprised to learn that if you cross the Pacific ocean 993 kilometers west of Puerto Lopez, you will be in Ecuador. Specifically, you will be in the Galapagos Islands’ Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Thanks to Hosteria Mandala‘s directional sign, you can find out how far it is to other places around the globe. A few distances from Puerto Lopez: Jacarta, Indonesia is 18824.80 km west. London, England is 9463.62 km NNE. Ottawa, Canada is 5210.32 km north. Nairobi, Kenya is 13999.18 km east. Buenos Aires, Argentina is 4331.64 km southeast. Cape Horn, Chile is 6143.12 km south. Come to Puerto Lopez, learn a bit of geography! __________________________________________ A look…
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Nets, Fishing Nets Made in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
As you walk around Puerto Lopez, you will likely find someone working on a fishing net. One of the steps in creating a new net is to string rope between two posts and attach the net. As one long section is completed, the rope is moved along and retied, finished portion on the ground. The fish market I wrote about recently (see it here) is behind the guys in the first photo. In the second, they are working along a river walk 5 minutes from the fish market. __________________________________________ A look back Last year, I wrote Nurturing Owl Parents.
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Mototaxis – Second Most Popular Way to Get Around Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Walking is the most common way to get around Puerto Lopez. Riding in a mototaxi is second. Dogs welcome Puerto Lopez is a casual town. Sometimes you will even find a mototaxi driver who brought his dog to work. Hiring a mototaxi Wave your arm when an unoccupied mototaxi is approaching to flag them down. Unless they are already on a call, they will pick you up for your trip anywhere within Puerto Lopez. There is no central dispatch. If you regularly need pickup in less traveled areas, get a couple of driver’s phone numbers. Want an informal tour? Hire a mototaxi! Many drivers are…
