Isla de la Plata, aka "poor mans Galapagos" with English speaking guide....lol So we were ready 10 minutes early and he picked us up more than 10 minutes late and we were rushed by a Tuk-Tuk to catch up with the group......not off to a great start! I gave the guy the other 35 bucks and asked him again if we had a English-speaking guide, he said "oh yeah, oh yeah" and then he took off with my cash without giving me any receipt...... But before you knew it we wer...

Puerto Lopez, Los frales and agua Blanca. A nice guy in the restaurant that we were eating in on the beach in Montanita set us up with the tour guy in Puerto Lopez, so we got on the bus and headed north. He met us at the bus station and took us to a hostel we didn't like and asked for another one closer to the beach and found a real gem with a nice ocean view and a really nice lady who owned it! We booked the Isla de la Plata tour (Poor man's Galapagos) with him...

Los Frailes , Puerto Lopez, Cristina's big scare and back to Montinita We checked out of our sweet hotel, and after breakfast started walking North on the Ruta de Sol, that's the name of the main highway running all the way up Ecuador is coast. With our thumbs in the air the plan was the same as always hopefully get picked up before the bus comes! Within 10 minutes the man with the pick up drove us to the next small town of Olon. Within minutes again and ex-pat ...