IT WAS WITH GREAT SADNESS THAT I LEARNED THAT A NEW FRIEND MADE AT SUNDOWN PASSED AWAY SATURDAY THE 16TH WHILE VISITING THE GALAPOLAS ISLS WITH HIS WIFE DEB.....R.I.P. ALLAN
We only spent the night in Montanita catching the Wanderbus at 7 am and headed north along the coast. We had agreed that our exit at Puerto Lopez would end our time with the tour and we would strike out on our own. Upon arriving in the town which is the coastal centre to the ISLA de La Plata which is 43k off shore and known as the poor man's Galapagos Isls.
It was 8am and we had no idea of how we would get to the Isl or when/how we would find a bus to Canoa, our home base. Hungry for breakfast, we strolled a block and soon were surrounded by taxi drivers wanting to take us where ever. None spoke English and the best I could do was say no entiendo ( don't understand ).....they dispersed with one guy hanging back...turns out he was a ticket agent for a tour company of the Island we wanted to get to. We followed him to the office and purchased 3 tickets for $ 35.00....this included the tour guide, morning snack on route, lunch of sandwiches and snorkeling with the fish after wards. Our trip would begin at 930am...it was now 830am so we left our luggage at the office and headed to a taxi to get a lift to the bus terminal and see about a ticket to Canoa and departure time. Tickets purchased for 3 hour ride at 5pm to Manta only where we need to get tickets for Canoa. ( needed the assistance of 2 young ladies as only Spanish spoken) Our tour was to be back at 4pm so this should work.
Arriving shortly before 4 we quickly headed to get our luggage and taxied to the Terminal. I asked an attendant if any buses leaving for Manta and showed him the ticket...his reply was 5pm....it is now 410pm and I knew their was a 4pm bus......a minute later he says to me ...bus for Manta...hurry...( I assume the 4pm bus was late and they were waiting to see if it was full before offering us an earlier ride. This turned out to be a stop and go bus picking up and discharging passengers along the route. Arriving in Manta at 7pm I felt a bus may not get us to Canoa as it would go to another city first and unlikely that a bus would go to Canoa until morning. I went and bartered with the taxi drivers and was able to secure a ride for $50.00...1 1/2 hours trip. We arrived in Canoa at 9pm.....home away from home.
Friday/Saturday/Sunday was restocking with food supplies in Bahia and San Vicente and resting. Monday with sunny weather my friend Julia escorted us to San Isidro.an Interior town about 50k away. We stopped at a farm tienda along the way. If you didn't know it was there you would have driven on by....Julia had purchased coffee here before and this turned out to be one of the highlights of the day with a tour of the farm. This small but productive family enterprise harvests it multi diversity of crops which includes multiple fruits and vegetables; as well as Cocoa and coffee. They in turn manufacture this into such commodities as ice cream, chocolate and coffee which is sold locally.
The farmer and his daughter...he gave us a banana which is so good compared to what we get at home.
The farm is mostly on a slope...here we have reached the top and are cooled though slightly by a gentle breeze....it is so hot and humid that our cloths are sticking to us. We are drenched with perspiration from the climb....except for the farmer who must be amused at our condition. He is super friendly and converses with Julia who interprets for us...thanks Julia
Next, we motored to San Isidro stopping for a snack before taking a back road for 40k which was a motorcyclist dream....up and down with continuous curves all paved and no traffic.Turning back towards Canoa at the main coastal highway for a few k ....then exiting unto a hard packed potholed mud lane for 7k to RIO MUCHACHO an organic farm.... https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1023820-d3736782-Reviews-Rio_Muchacho_Organic_Farm-Canoa_Manabi_Province.html
My rear tyre seemed low with the extra 230 lds I was carrying and the Noby's on the rear wheel would rub on the pannier frame support.....
The Happy Motorcyclists
It was a semi disappointing experience with the exception of the organic meal prepared for us which was a delicious combination of vegetables from the farm and a fresh pineapple drink all served in bowls and spoons made from the shells of plants.
Great meal
don't eat the spoon Julia
Man power for the shower raising water from the well
The disappointment comes as the result of 5 star reviews by National Geographic, and Lonely Planet who must not have visited this site in a long time......it appears to be in a state of disrepair and neglect in part due to the April 2016 Earthquake which destroyed the main house and damaged other structures. I suspect a lack of $ has slowed the rebuilding process.
We made it back to Canoa ahead of thunder and rain which would have made the road treacherous for 7k.......the day ended with a late HAPPY HOUR.
We only spent the night in Montanita catching the Wanderbus at 7 am and headed north along the coast. We had agreed that our exit at Puerto Lopez would end our time with the tour and we would strike out on our own. Upon arriving in the town which is the coastal centre to the ISLA de La Plata which is 43k off shore and known as the poor man's Galapagos Isls.
It was 8am and we had no idea of how we would get to the Isl or when/how we would find a bus to Canoa, our home base. Hungry for breakfast, we strolled a block and soon were surrounded by taxi drivers wanting to take us where ever. None spoke English and the best I could do was say no entiendo ( don't understand ).....they dispersed with one guy hanging back...turns out he was a ticket agent for a tour company of the Island we wanted to get to. We followed him to the office and purchased 3 tickets for $ 35.00....this included the tour guide, morning snack on route, lunch of sandwiches and snorkeling with the fish after wards. Our trip would begin at 930am...it was now 830am so we left our luggage at the office and headed to a taxi to get a lift to the bus terminal and see about a ticket to Canoa and departure time. Tickets purchased for 3 hour ride at 5pm to Manta only where we need to get tickets for Canoa. ( needed the assistance of 2 young ladies as only Spanish spoken) Our tour was to be back at 4pm so this should work.
Arriving shortly before 4 we quickly headed to get our luggage and taxied to the Terminal. I asked an attendant if any buses leaving for Manta and showed him the ticket...his reply was 5pm....it is now 410pm and I knew their was a 4pm bus......a minute later he says to me ...bus for Manta...hurry...( I assume the 4pm bus was late and they were waiting to see if it was full before offering us an earlier ride. This turned out to be a stop and go bus picking up and discharging passengers along the route. Arriving in Manta at 7pm I felt a bus may not get us to Canoa as it would go to another city first and unlikely that a bus would go to Canoa until morning. I went and bartered with the taxi drivers and was able to secure a ride for $50.00...1 1/2 hours trip. We arrived in Canoa at 9pm.....home away from home.
Friday/Saturday/Sunday was restocking with food supplies in Bahia and San Vicente and resting. Monday with sunny weather my friend Julia escorted us to San Isidro.an Interior town about 50k away. We stopped at a farm tienda along the way. If you didn't know it was there you would have driven on by....Julia had purchased coffee here before and this turned out to be one of the highlights of the day with a tour of the farm. This small but productive family enterprise harvests it multi diversity of crops which includes multiple fruits and vegetables; as well as Cocoa and coffee. They in turn manufacture this into such commodities as ice cream, chocolate and coffee which is sold locally.
The farmer and his daughter...he gave us a banana which is so good compared to what we get at home.
The farm is mostly on a slope...here we have reached the top and are cooled though slightly by a gentle breeze....it is so hot and humid that our cloths are sticking to us. We are drenched with perspiration from the climb....except for the farmer who must be amused at our condition. He is super friendly and converses with Julia who interprets for us...thanks Julia 
Next, we motored to San Isidro stopping for a snack before taking a back road for 40k which was a motorcyclist dream....up and down with continuous curves all paved and no traffic.Turning back towards Canoa at the main coastal highway for a few k ....then exiting unto a hard packed potholed mud lane for 7k to RIO MUCHACHO an organic farm.... https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1023820-d3736782-Reviews-Rio_Muchacho_Organic_Farm-Canoa_Manabi_Province.html
My rear tyre seemed low with the extra 230 lds I was carrying and the Noby's on the rear wheel would rub on the pannier frame support.....
The Happy Motorcyclists
It was a semi disappointing experience with the exception of the organic meal prepared for us which was a delicious combination of vegetables from the farm and a fresh pineapple drink all served in bowls and spoons made from the shells of plants.
Great meal
don't eat the spoon Julia
Man power for the shower raising water from the well
The disappointment comes as the result of 5 star reviews by National Geographic, and Lonely Planet who must not have visited this site in a long time......it appears to be in a state of disrepair and neglect in part due to the April 2016 Earthquake which destroyed the main house and damaged other structures. I suspect a lack of $ has slowed the rebuilding process.
We made it back to Canoa ahead of thunder and rain which would have made the road treacherous for 7k.......the day ended with a late HAPPY HOUR.
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