Ah Puerto López. I think we only planned to stay a day but this is our fourth.

The main attraction was the whales. We went on a $40 whole day trip. We left Puerto López in the morning by boat with two guides and about 10 other people. half way through our journey we saw them. There were 3 humpbacks playing in water. Unfortunately they didn't do any of the jumps we'd seen in photos but it was nonetheless pretty damn cool. The boat took us to Isla de la Plata where Francis Drake once buried large amounta of treasure. There we walked along a nature trail where we saw blue footed boobies guarding their eggs, a sealion, a snake and 2 albatrosses. We had lunch on the boat on the way round to another side of the island where we canged into our bikins and dived in to snorkel with a school of large amazing angel fish! After the snorkelling it was back to the mainland with a few more whales spotted along the way.

Apart from that there isn't alot to do in Puerto López but somehow we've managed to stay with out feeling remotely bored. Its got a really relaxed vibe to it, some really nice places to eat and drink and we're staying in a nice little hostel full of lovely people. We've joined a little but ever expanding crew of assorted tourists and locals who we hang out with and spend the evenings drinking caiprinhas with. Theres two northern Irish girls who are volunteering here, 2 english girls from lewes (one called aisling whos birthdays the same as mine), an american guy, another gap year student from dorset and a few others. Then theres aisling from lewes' ecuadorian boyfriend (of 4 days or so) she doesnt speak spanish or him english but apparently its love! then theres all his friends, the staff of the local bars and a strange guy who calls himself pablo picasso. we've grown to really like it here as has everyone. the other english girl lauren doesnt actually want to leave! we are though. tonight me and ash our getting the bus to our final stop in south america, Quito.