peru

Rather than staying in Quito and tolerating the bullfights, excessive drinking, and chivas running round the clock (party buses that play loud music and drive past my apartment), I decided to use my four-day weekend to my advantage and get out of the country. Thursday morning I flew to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador located southwest of Quito, and then took a 6-7 hour bus ride across the border into Mancora, Peru. This small surf town has been featured by the New York Times as one of the best surf beaches, and just general beach, in the world. It's in the middle of nowhere, and it's a royal pain in the rear to reach, but it was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited, rivaling many beaches in Hawaii. Some of my co-workers and I rented a house and a bungalow on top of a hill that had the most beautiful view.
The main source of transportation in Mancora is motorcycle-driven rickshaws. We used these a lot for getting around the town and helping to make our walk back up the hill not so tiring.We grilled dinner Saturday night on the barbecue at the main house, including huge shrimp that were caught fresh that morning. We had more than enough food and were able to share our dinner with the local family that lived in an adjacent bungalow and were caretakers for the house. That made us feel pretty good, too. It was a nice end to the trip, and then we packed up the next morning, and after 8 hours on a bus and a half hour flight, I was finally home again in Quito.