Kitesurfing Santa Marianita, Ecuador

For almost a month now, I have been living at the beach in a little fisherman's village in Ecuador called Santa Marianita, kitesurfing every day.  There is good wind, a good beach, cheap fresh seafood, humpback whales jumping, and pelicans every day.  Decent old month.  Some of these pictures are Julia's and Angie's - labelled below.  Click to enlarge.

Tomorrow I leave for Colombia - fingers crossed for no kidnapping or shootings.

Julia photo

 Setting up kites

 Julia photo

 My new kite.  Julia photo

 Breno riding, Julia photo

More Breno in the waves - Julia photo
The wind looks poor today unfortunately, but I hope it picks up so I can go and try some wave riding.  I had a few rides yesterday but nothing very big.  I've got the toeside carve transitions down too so I can look cool spraying the shore after riding a 'sick' wave...

 Off to the shops - Angie's photo

 This is Brian.  Brian is 9 years old, tiny, and comes to the beach every day after school to kite.  It is about an hours walk there and back for him, up a huge hill.  He helps out at the kiteshack, sweeping, carrying peoples boards, launching and landing kites, and in return, Robert the owner of the kiteshack, has bought some smaller kites and equipment to teach the kids for free.  His name is Brian, but gets called Pulpito which means 'little octopus' because he loves octopus.  He will be an awesome kitesurfer in a couple of years.

 We went to the cinema and the mall in Manta, Breno's treat for the kids.  Pulpito was mega excited all day about the big trip.  We watched some animated superhero film about a green finger or something (all in Spanish).  3D though which was cool... Pulpito had to leave near the end because he was scared.  Angie photo

 Pulpito and Pablito in the truck on the way back to the beach.  Angie photo

 The truck.  Chevy kite bus yeaaaaaaa

 Martin, Breno, Pablito and me.  Standard transport in Santa Marianita on the way to get 'batidos' in the next village.  Batidos are a kind of milkshake smoothie drink thing.  Absolutely incredible, and 50 cents a go. 

 My house on the hill before I moved down next to the kiteshack

 Angie, Breno, Martin, and Marie organised a surprise bbq/fire/party on the beach for me for my birthday which was cool.  Loads of food, and ice cold beers.  These are the last remaining few at the end of the night.

 Even a nice sticky chocolate cake.  Angie photo

 There were Germans, Swiss, Norwegian, American, Ecuadorian, Colombian, Brazilian, Latvian and Venezuelan people - and me, the only Brit. Angie photo

 Puffer fish washed up on the beach

 Baby scorpian found in my kitchen sink.

 View from my new residence in the morning.

Dinner almost every night after kiting is at Pentado's Cabana.  Pentado is Pablito's Dad.  A 3 minute walk up the beach to a little bamboo cabin, right on the sand.  I have the same thing every day - a whole pargo (red snapper fish) with the standard accompaniments of rice, salad and patacones (fried plantain/banana).  We eat about 6 every night as the sun sets, and the Pargo is bought from the fishermen up the beach 6 hours earlier either by Pendato, Pablito, or one of his other sons, Vander.  $3 well spent.

Kitesurfing Cabo de la Vela, Colombia  - link to a later post about a trip I took to Cabo de la Vela in north east Colombia to kite.  There is also good kiting at Lago Calima, near Cali but I did not go there.