Tom and Gail came to visit!!

I am always sad to leave the beach, but departing from Canoa was a bit easier because I knew we had planned to be back on the coast the following weekend.  While we were home this summer our family friends, Tom and Gail, let us know that a cruise they were taking would be stopping in Manta for a day in December.  Lucky for us, the day was a Saturday, so we were able to hop on the quick flight to Manta to meet them.  It was a bit odd to us that the cruise stopped in Manta since it is not one of Ecuador's nicest cities.  It is a bit of an industrial town, known for its tuna industry (a smell that greets you as you enter and walk the streets of the city).  Therefore, Javier and I proposed a little trip down the Ruta del Sol to show Tom and Gail what we thought were prettier beaches!

We stopped at San Lorenzo, a beach Javier and I had never been to that turned out to be gorgeous.  I can't believe I didn't take a picture (but apparently I didn't), but the taped off area behind mine and Tom's head marks the sea turtle nests that are protected on the beach.  Much to my chagrin no turtles hatched while we were walking the beach. 

We found a little cave at the end of the beach.

... that Tom and Javier were willing to investigate a bit more than me.

The rock formations really gave the beach some character and options for exploring.  I was super happy that we took the time to stop and learn about another beautiful beach in Ecuador.

Mostly our day was filled with fun conversation and catching up.  I grew up vacationing with Tom and Gail's family every summer.  We mostly went to the beach, but also saw some other gems of the US (like a town called Ellijay in Georgia that we still joke about when we are all together).  They have two daughters right around my age and a young son that we got caught up on while we walked and drove.  Tom and Gail are also travel adventurers like we hope to be, so we traded some travel stories as well.

And like any good tourists...attempted to befriends some locals...

We found a nice balance of driving and stopping.  Here we are at a little lookout that offered an amazing view of the coast to the north.  The little tienda at the lookout offered $1 coconuts.  The owner (who chatted animatedly with Javier and Tom) first hacked off the top and stuck a straw inside so that we could drink the coconut milk.

After we drank our fill, the owner used his rather large machete (is there any other kind?) to cut the meat of the coconut from the dense shell.  He bagged it up for us as a little snack for the road.  Gail wisely noted that he was missing the blender needed to turn this fresh coconut into a delicious pina colada (a typical refreshment on our beach vacations in the US), but we managed to suffer through its fresh taste regardless.

We made it to Los Frailes, the beach named the most beautiful in Ecuador and walked a bit up the hill for this view.

Tom and Gail enjoying the sights of the lookout.  Doesn't the water look teal and gorgeous?

Beautiful view looking north up the coast

A fellow hiker said the water was clear enough to see fish in the water if you leaned out over the edge and looked down, but none in our group decided to attempt this.

It was a quick day.  We had to have Tom and Gail back in Manta by 5pm to board their ship and head out to sea, so after lunch in Puerto Lopez we headed back.  After we dropped them off, Javier and I enjoyed a sunset on the beach before heading to the airport.  As I've said before, it is so special to see friends and family and share this country with them.  We were so happy that Tom and Gail enjoyed the day and found Ecuador to be as beautiful as we had described.