Ayampe, Ecuador - Days 1 & 2
Sunday, February 27
Our first full day in Ayampe, Ecuador was pretty uneventful. Both Andi and I have colds and didn’t feel up to sitting outside at the beach in the hot, humid air. Plus, it’s Carnival (Ecuador’s version of Mardi Gras) this weekend and we can hear the crowds of people around town. Probably best to stay home and rest today, so that’s exactly what we did.
We did watch church together, and crushed a lot of internet today. I don’t think Tory and Aden mind being glued to their phones.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of food so we had to venture out for dinner this evening. Andi picked an outdoor food court across the street from our airbnb called Plaza Madre Tierra. Several restaurants each occupy a “cube” of retail space with outdoor tables set up between them. Food choices included Mexican, Mediterranean, Hawaiian, BBQ and coffee. I love these places because it’s easy for everyone to get what they like.
Andi ordered two falafel wraps for he and I + a pile of al pastor on a plate for Aden. Tory wanted tacos from Ayampe Tacos. Food isn’t cheap here in Ayampe like the rest of mainland Ecuador. Maybe because this small surf town attracts a lot of tourists. We sat at a table in the back corner of the outdoor garden patio and ate our meals.
Tory and Aden wanted dessert, so we stopped at the Enjoy Ice Cream shop on the walk back to our airbnb for chocolate and vanilla cones.
Andi and I could hear live music playing at the outdoor food court well into the evening & hoped it wouldn’t be a loud night. Given that it’s Carnival this weekend, we had the feeling it was going to be. Randomly, there’s a donkey tied to a fence post across the road from our airbnb and every time someone walks by him (men specifically, Andi thinks) the donkey makes a loud, jarring he-haw sound.
Monday, February 28
Andi walked to a food stand called La Esquina del Cafe this morning to grab coffee and breakfast & returned a half-hour later with enough scrambled eggs, boloñes, and bread to feed us for days!
We’ve grown to love this traditional Ecuadorian breakfast food made with green plantains and cheese. Andi said he watched the woman at the cafe peel and mash the green plantains, mix them in a bowl with cheese, roll the mixture into balls and then pan-fry them to give each ball a warm, crunchy exterior.
I’ve never seen boloñes so large — these could easily feed our family of four for several breakfasts.
After breakfast, the kids and I did school at the kitchen table.
Andi had some calls this morning, so I decided to take Tory and Aden to the beach to give him a quiet house. The beach is about 2 blocks away from where we’re staying in Ayampe. Fortunately, it wasn’t too busy this morning. Most Ecuadorians have today and tomorrow off work for Carnival, so later today I expect the town to be bustling.
The kids played in the sand and splashed in the waves for the next two hours. Wow, it was hot already!
Sometimes Tory and Aden play so nicely together, and sometimes they fight like cats & dogs. I suppose that’s what all siblings do. This morning was one of those times where they bickered with each other nonstop. This probably wasn’t the most quality parenting move, but the only way I could think to re-set the tone was to buy them ice cream. I flagged over the man who’d been walking back and forth selling ice cream cones and let Tory and Aden each pick out a treat from his cooler bag. Each cone was marked with a $.75 stamp on the top of the wrapper so I handed the man $1.50. “Quatro,” the man said back. Four dollars? For crappy convenience store ice cream cones? Geez. Everything is more expensive in Ayampe.
I suppose it was worth it because Tory and Aden were happily ate their ice creams and we enjoyed another hour or so at the beach.
At 1:00pm, the three of us walked back to the airbnb to meet up with Andi. We all hung out there in our air-conditioned bedroom for the hottest part of the day. I don’t know if it’s hotter near the Equator or if we’re turning into wimps after spending the last month in Andes mountain towns, but we are melting on the coast! During the hours of 1:00pm - 4:00pm, the four of us turn into lazy bums who don’t feel like doing anything but sitting (and sweating).
For dinner, Andi and I decided to try the sushi restaurant in town called Selvamar. The place was empty when we arrived, but quickly filled up around 7:30pm. We were surprised to see the type of sushi offered — a lot of cooked fish and mostly salmon rolls. Andi picked a few items off the menu for us to share including one topped with toasted coconut flakes.
The sushi was just OK. After dinner, we walked home and headed to bed.
I’m mostly feeling better now with a few lingering headaches and sinus pressure. Andi has more chest pressure. We’ve been to the pharmacy several times over the past week & I finally found a medicine that’s helping me. Good to the last drop!
Is there anything worse than feeling sick in a hot, tropical place? It’s like having a cold in the summertime. Hoping Andi and I both feel back to normal tomorrow.
