Friday, Feb 9, 2018
High Season
Things are really picking up around the area lately. From May through December last year we saw the same few faces everywhere we went. Now, new faces outnumber recognized ones 5-1. You can tell it is “high season” because restaurants that Heidi and I sometimes were the only people eating at, are now filled past capacity. Reservations are a must if you want a place to sit. It is an interesting phenomenon, and I’m certainly happy for the business owners.
Of course, no matter how busy it gets around here, there is always room for a man and his horse… and a couple of dogs.
Carnival in Olon
Carnival
Carnival begins this weekend so the town should be at max capacity. Buses bring people from all areas inland to the towns along the coast . Montanita will be wild chaos. Olon will just be controlled chaos.
Around the square in Olon, colorful rides with all their flashing lights have already been set up for days waiting for the crowds to arrive. It was exactly this time last year that Heidi and I made the trip here to find a place to live so we could move from Cuenca. The time has gone by fast no matter which way I look at it.
Store on Wheels
Store-Bike
Heidi and I were having coffee in Montanita and I heard a man hollering out to buy his wares. When I looked over I saw this vendor riding by on his “store-bike”. I’ve seen mountain bikes and street bikes, but this is the first “store-bike” I have seen.
Of course you cannot see the vendor on this bike, except for his feet on the pedals. How he can see where he is going is beyond me. Fortunately anyone from several blocks away can see him coming and get out of his way. 😉
His innovation is impressive though, using long bamboo poles, rigged to the frame of his bike, to create a canopy to hang all his “plasticos”on. It still does not cease to amaze me how people living here do whatever they need to in order to make things work for them.
 Sunsets Galore
The sunsets continue to be amazing here. Almost every evening we gather on our terrace to watch the blaze of colors swash across the lightly covered cloud filled skies. The sun tends to hide behind these clouds, creating all kinds of interesting rays and hues of light. It isn’t until it gets just above the plane of the ocean that it pops out in all its brilliance to sink softly into the sea.
My sister-in-law Chris captured a great shot of the sunset at the gate going out to the beach. I will say Chau with it.
Chau
Beautiful sunset photos and interesting local color.
Thanks Karen. It is incredible the colors we get to see. 🙂
Just back from Amazonia as the locals call it and we are in Quito for carnival. Then off to Mindo to see the birds before returning to Cuenca for a few weeks then flying home. Ecuador is a very diverse country! I continue to see why Heidi and you are spending some of your life’s path here. The sunsets are beautiful, thanks for sharing.
Hey Catherine, glad to hear your adventure continues with so many different experiences. I imagine Quito at Carnaval is crazy! Very busy weekend for us here on the coast….and it continues still!
Thanks for your update.
Todd