Canoa

One of the places we visited over Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Ecuador was a beach in Canoa. We stayed at a resort called the Bamboo and for $10 USD each, we had a fantastic time. Getting to Canoa, however, involved some serious travel. We took a taxi from our apartment to the airport, then after arriving in a town called Manta, took an hour-long taxi to an unnamed resort community. Next, we climbed into a small watercraft loaded down with local commuters and our luggage. The time went fast, though, thanks to a little boy who serenated us with singing and clapping. After disembarking we took our final taxi ride to the coastal village of Canoa. The beach had great surfing, we were told, and the water was very warm. It was a perfect place to relax; I thoroughly enjoyed resting on the wooden chairs under the shady cabana on the beach, swinging and reading in the hammocks, and sipping hot cocoa on the balcony of my room. The Bamboo resort had a special section of its menu devoted to crepes, which of course were stuffed with shrimp. Ecuador has plenty of fresh seafood. Our crepe meals averaged $3.50. Wow.