Traveling in Ecuador is cheap and generally very simple. The bus I take to school costs 25 cents. A cab across Quito costs about $2. A roundtrip flight from Quito to one of the other major cities is around $100. The low cost of travel, combined with the fact that Ecuador is an enchanting and beautiful country, makes it popular among tourists. After arriving in Ecuador, our Boston College group traveled for the first two weekends and then took a break, staying in Quito for the next two weeks. We decided that those two weekends would be our last in Quito - there was far too much to see. The group met, and we drew up a schedule for the rest of the semester. We would see all of Ecuador in three months.
This weekend we endured a nauseating 12-hour bus ride to Montañita, a tiny beach town on the coast of Ecuador that is very popular for tourism and partying. Because Friday was a festival - Independence Day - there was no school. Thursday night we took our Ny-Quil, boarded the bus and headed for Guyaquil, Ecuador's second-largest city. At 6 a.m., we arrived at a bus terminal that was swarming with people. I was pushed and shoved between babies and older couples as everyone fought for the next tickets to the beach. We stood in a seemingly endless line and bought tickets to a place called Santa Elena. After two more hours in the bus, we found a cab that would take us straight to the door of our hostel for $20. Between our exhaustion and aching bodies, this seemed to be the best option. We stayed at "Casa Blanca," a hostel on the main street in Montañita that cost $10 a night. It was decorated with a tiki/beach motif, which included bamboo roofs and ocean murals. The rooms were set up comfortably with queen-sized and bunk beds as well as lofts. Each room had a balcony complete with hammocks, where I spent much of my weekend reading and napping.
It was raining the entire weekend but it truly didn't matter; there was plenty to do in Montañita. We wanted to rent surfboards ($4 for seven hours), but hypothermia seemed unavoidable. We did brave the weather for a quick dip and some wave-hopping, but we couldn't endure a long swim. With so much time on our hands, we roamed the streets where they were selling the most beautiful jewelry I have seen in Ecuador (and I have seen a lot of jewelry here). We ate in as many of the cafes and restaurants as possible. We sat on our balcony, relaxing and people-watching while Bob Marley or Jack Johnson played from one café or another.
We met tourists from all over: Germany, Austria, Australia, England, Italy. We met Ecuadorians who have devoted their lives to surfing, working in restaurants and living the beach life daily. It was fun to meet fellow tourists as well as natives who were willing to share the stories of their lives in this great place. We were told that the sun always shines in Montañita in December and January, so I will certainly be going back.
After a lazy Sunday morning, we knew we had to return to the real Ecuador. We boarded the bus to Guyaquil and spent a few hours there, another site certainly worth returning to. At 6 p.m. we popped a few more Ny-Quils and climbed onto the bus for Quito. I was dozing off, looking forward to waking up in my city, when the bus was pulled over. Great. We were told to bring our IDs and get off the bus because we had come across police checkpoint. My tired body stumbled out of the bus; I presented my "censo" ID card and sat around and waited. We watched from outside the bus as our suitcases were taken down from the overhead shelf and searched. Not until later were we told by our host families that they were most likely looking for weapons or drugs, as it was a popular weekend on the coast for tourism. Two hours later, I was almost asleep for the second time when the bus was stopped again. Same deal: get out, show your ID, open your purse, wait.
This was my first experience with Ecuadorian police and it was certainly surreal. When I was standing outside and they were touching all my dirty clothes and bathing suits, I felt as if my rights were being violated. This kind of searching is illegal and unheard of in the United States. There was no probable cause, no search warrant - just a police force that had the unquestioned authority to check up on whomever they chose. The Ecuadorians on the bus didn't seem bothered, telling us that it was a pretty routine search. In truth, it was an interesting cultural experience. I felt grateful for the general justice that I experience in the U.S., and I spent a lot of time thinking about corruption and political injustices in South America. I was directly affected by them (even if it just meant being inhibited from sleeping) and this proved to be an educational experience.
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