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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…
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Lights Reflecting Off the Ocean, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Stand at the end of the Puerto Lopez pier after dark. Street, building, and beach cabana lights dance to create a symphony of color reflecting off the water. The photo for E (see Emily in Puerto Lopez here) is a daytime picture from the spot above. Next, walk to the south end of the malecon to see the pier lights reflecting like in the photo above. The pier has all white lights. In this photo, many are turned off because it is after 11:00 PM, when about half of the lights go dark. Purple and red lights from the nearest beach cabana are the only cabana lights visible from this vantage…
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Kayaks, Puerto Lopez, Ecuador #AtoZChallenge
Puerto Lopez bay is a good spot for kayaking. There is even an annual kayak race. While contemplating what to write for K, I wished I had photos from the race. Then I looked at my April photos. What a nice surprise – I found several Puerto Lopez pictures with kayaks in the background. Perhaps “Kayaks in the Background of Puerto Lopez Beach Scenes” would have been a more appropriate title for this post. Kayaks are not the focal point of any photo here. Do you kayak? Several locations around town rent kayaks. Contact me when you are coming to Puerto Lopez and I will give you up…
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Javico, A Puerto Lopez Grocery Store #AtoZChallenge
You will find several grocery stores in Puerto Lopez. Family owned and run Comercial Javico is one of the two largest. The store is on the main through street, the only stoplight is a few steps away. If you click here to view it on Google Maps, you can see Javico is right in the middle of Puerto Lopez. Alberto, in the above photo, seems to work every day and always with a smile and kind word. Javico sells to the public and to small businesses, who in turn sell the products in their neighborhood stores or use them in their restaurants. Bulk foods are carefully weighed and packaged…
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Internet Cafes in Puerto Lopez #AtoZChallenge
Many families in Puerto Lopez (and much of Ecuador) do not have internet at home. They do have internet needs – communicating with family abroad or school children who need to perform research. Internet cafes (cyber cafes) throughout Puerto Lopez fill both needs. You lease computer access for 15 minute intervals. School begins later this month, which means many internet cafes will be fairly empty while school is in session. They fill up as soon as the school day ends with kids researching subjects and catching up with distant friends. Internet cafes do not have wifi When you are in Puerto Lopez, your hotel will have wifi. If you need…
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Hammock Time on Puerto Lopez Beach #AtoZChallenge
Even a broken hammock is correct twice a day. Wait, that’s not right… Relaxation Recipe Bring book Buy fruity drink Find hammock Enjoy sea breezes and waving palms A Note on Theme Changes Before the A to Z Challenge began, I loved the idea of sharing one Puerto Lopez photo per day and writing a 26-word description. I placed both restrictions on myself. Now that I have used this theme for a week, I sometimes want to use a few more words. This paragraph alone has 55 words. Also, I spend an inordinate amount of time trying to decide on just one photo. Announcing AtoZ Challenge…
