With our hopes of opening a beach hostel in Nicaragua dashed, we were faced with the question “now what”?
It seemed like we had a lot of options. Too many options. So we decided to narrow our search to a Latin American beach with amazing sunsets. We love sunsets and have been fortunate enough to watch some spectacular ones around the globe. We enjoy Latin American culture and food and Jay has always wanted to become fluent in Spanish. I speak French and German, but was open to adding another language to my travel bag. So, while Jay set about selling his business, my sister and I moved our travel plans to Ecuador.
Why Ecuador? I had a friend who was considering moving there a couple of years earlier and I heard it was a great place to learn Spanish. Curious, I had spent a week solo at a beach hostel in Montanita in 2016 and had a fantastic time. I was eager to see more of the country. My sister wanted to explore the Amazon, so in July 2018 we met in Quito and made our way to the Amazon for a couple of weeks. After she left, I spent the next two weeks exploring the coast from Mompiche to Montanita on my own. I had an amazing trip and spoke with many travelers and hotel owners and got a lot of great advice. But the one thing I kept hearing over and over was: You should check out Colombia. You may not find your sunset beach, but you may find something you weren't expecting.
So though I really did enjoy Ecuador, I was open to exploring other places. By the time I got home, Jay´s business was sold and I was eager to see what everyone was talking about.
Beautiful walk to nab this pic in Quito
Contemplating the universe with my sister in the Ecuadorian Amazon
Los Frailes on the coast of Ecuador
Blue footed boobies on Isla de la Plata
Isla de la Plata: the poor man's Galapagos