Manta, Ecuador - Day 2

Thursday March 15

I had a tour set up with Narwell Ecotours of the Fish Market, Pacoche Wildlife Refuge, and Montecristi where they make the Panama Hats. Today we were joined by Charlie & Leanne and Heather & Matt. Great group today. We have had some great groups for tours. (phew!)

I woke up sick as a dog and didn't think I was going to make the tour, but somehow I managed to get in the shower and get out the door. I think the cold meds were messing with me. It was a great day so I'm glad I was able to make it.

Our guide Franklin and driver Carlos were there waiting with the sign with our names on it. (quite a novelty on this trip) Franklin appeared to be Irish??? He also was nearly blind. To read the menu to us he needed a huge magnifying glass. That explained why he kept calling the fish at the market by the wrong names. They were either sharks or tuna. I didn't know what they all were, but I do know a shark when I see one. lol

We started out at the fish market in Manta where we saw tons of Tuna and other fish. Yesterday we watched from our balcony a huge tuna boat that unloaded truckloads of fish all day and most of the night into refrigerated trucks. It was quite an operation to watch them use a crane to lift the full nets of tuna into the trucks.

 arrival at the fish market

 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

 Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

 octupus

 open for breakfast

 immature Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

adult Yellow-crowned Night-Heron

lucky cat lives at the fish market

We also saw the construction and repairing of large wooden fishing boats.

From there we went to Pacoche Humid Forest for a hike through the forest with a nature guide. Same Wildlife Refuge as yesterday, but a different trail in a totally different area. We saw quite a few Howler Monkeys.

we passed a cemetery on the way

 Blue-grey Tanager

 Black-cheeked Woodpecker

 only 1 at a time on the bridge

 Howler Monkey

 mother & baby

 mating snails

We then went seaside to a restaurant for lunch. Most excellent shrimp and fried fish. It was hot out, but we were outside on the second floor and a nice breeze came through.
We stopped for photo ops at San Lorenzo beach. We also had a brief routine traffic stop and the police didn't like that the tour sheet they had only listed our names and not the other 4 people in our group, but they eventually let us go on.

 the drive to lunch

 we stopped at a viewpoint

 Greg & Annette, Heather & Matt, Franklin & Leanne & Charlie

 we ate upstairs

 the restroom on the side

 Charlie & Leanne, Heather & Matt, Franklin & Greg

 Greg's fish

my shrimp

Next we drove quite always to visit the Ciudad Alfaro and the Montecristi handicraft shops (where you find Panama hats and typical crafts). We watched a woman demonstrate how the Panama hats are made. We did visit a museum and the mausoleum of General Eloy Alfaro Delgado. A couple in our group bought Panama Hats that can range in price from $20 to hundreds off dollars, depending on quality.

Ciudad Alfaro

 General Eloy Alfaro Delgado

 Montecristi

 demonstrates how they make the hats

It was time to make our way back to the port and once back on board I called Dad's friend Bud to talk about Dad's condition. After we return to Florida after the cruise, we will need to wrap up a few must do's and head directly to Iowa.

We ate upstairs and then went to the show which was the Lettermen guy again Mark Preston.

We gain an extra hour tonight and I need every extra hour to sleep off this cold. Thank goodness we have 1 sea day before we hit Costa Rica.

Manta, Ecuador day 2 https://photos.app.goo.gl/cvdyrkINHosuCrio1