Huan Chaco, Përu

From Guayaquil I took the bus from 9pm at night before arriving in a city called Chiclaya in Peru, the next day at around noon.  Bypassing Mancora which is the big party location on the Coast, most famous on the coast of Peru.  I was pretty exhausted although for the first time ever I was able to sleep on the bus.  In Chiclaya there were no affordable hostels, only expensive hotels.  It was on the beach but it was not a place I wanted to stay being a backpacker on a budget.  I hear rumblings that further down the coast was a place called Huan Chaco.  I remember meeting a French Canadian couple that I met in Ecuador that raved about Huan Chaco.  These hippie french Canadian surfers were my type of people so I decided to go to this Huan Chaco place instead of Chiclayo.  Another 5 hour bus ride and I was in Trujillo.  From there it was a 50 cent bus ride to Huan Chaco.  On the bus I met this surfer from California.  He made me promise myself never to start surfing because it is a contagious disease and I would never stop.  He led me to the hostel he was staying and it was a very good one. 

My boy Eric.  Born in NYC but living in San Fran.  Still getting used to my new camera, finger in the shot.

The view from the hostel I was staying at.  I am getting very good at knowing how to relax and not feeling like I have to explore and go to tourist destinations everyday.  Spent a lot of time on the terrace looking at this view.

BMX and two young guys hanging in the outdoor basketball stadium in Huan Chaco.

Beautiful streets like this everywhere in Huan Chaco.  You can literally wander for days through the maze of streets like this finding new and amazing restaurants everyday.  The seafood here is to die for.

Big ass waves here in Huanchaco.  This picture doesnt do it justice but they were the biggest waves I have seen anywhere on the coast so far: Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador.  But maybe I just hit it at the right time of the season, and the other ones at the wrong time.

Coke truck rolls through on the beach to stock a nearby tienda.  Hippies and Bohemiams sit on the ledge of the sidewalk selling trinkets and bracelets.  A really laid back beach vibe hear in Huan Chaco but at the same time it has great tourist infrastucture.  Tonnes of affordable hostels and good restaurants mixed with discotecs, bars and a multitude of surf rental shops.

Really can't say enough about Huan Chaco.  Those French Canadian Hippie Surfers I met in Ecuador were sure right.  This probably has been my favorite spot on the coast so far.  If I ever meet that amazing couple from Quebec again I owe them huge.  Fuck Lonely Planet!  Instead I use Word of Mouth Planet.

Back to Trujillo.  The nearby city to tiny Huan Chaco.  Trujillo has a population of 300,000 people.  It is even bigger than Cusco.  Here you catch the bus to another city.  Bye bye beautiful coast.  Time to head to the mountains for Christmas.

Guayaquil, Ecuador

Guayaquil, Ecuador.  The second biggest city behind Quito in the country.  It used to have a reputation for being sketchy and dodgy.  It still kinda is.  Would I recomend going there?  Probably not for backpackers.  There are no good hostels.  Only private room hotels.  Is there much to see?  Yah some nice streets to walk downtown.  The Malecon district is the most famous for nightlife and bars.  There are lots of pretty girls here, the most in Ecuador.  The Medellin of Ecuador for this.  Its not quite on the Ocean.  Its in a River Delta kinda like Buenos Aires.  really Good seafood here though.  Famous for the Ceviche which is raw fish with lime juice.  The acid of the lime juice cooks the fish, it needs about ten minutes.

 The Bahia is the famous street market. If you are  a gringo that had your camera or phone stolen there is a good chance that it ends up here.  You can also buy new electronics as well, these probably fell off a truck.  Electronics are expensive in Ecuador because the government has strong import taxes on goods from outside the country.  Stolen or new you  usually pay the price with the import.  I searched hard and found a new camera for sixty bucks.  Really good Fuji film that goes for 150 in Canada.  But the sony camera that I paid 100 for new in Canada goes for 110-150 in the street markets new.  Word of advice, never buy a sony camera.  Nothing but problems for me.  First the LCD broke and then the zoom got sand in it and wouldnt close.  Then it stopped working completely.  My new camera doesnt have a zoom.

In this picture above you see a vendor selling soccer jerseys at the Bahia Market.  While I was there they were getting geared up for the final championship game of the year in Ecuador.  And it was two teams from Guayaquil in the final.  Barcelona vs Emelec.  The Barcelona team named after the famous one from Spain.  The guy in the picture was not pleased that I took this picture.  He asked me to delete it.  He is probably a criminal.

 The market is overwheleming.  It is so huge and goes forever.  You constantly get hassled to buy things that you dont want.  But its kinda fun, but tiring.  There are not a lot of gringoes there, and Ecuador does have a reputation for ripping of gringoes.  So expect to have to bargain really hard and shop around lots before buying.  Gringoes dont go to Guayaquil.  The Gringo train is usally Quito, to Banos to Mantanita.  Whatever you want to buy at the Bahia there will be fifty other vendors selling the excact same thing, so shop around.

 Street Shot in Ecuador with Suzuki Tracker rolling in front of my Church Frame.

 If you thought Fried Chicken was big in the US, you have to come to Ecuador.  This places is unreal for fried chicken and its actually kind of expensive too.  the rest of the food though is dirt cheap.

Club!  The best bear of Ecuador.  On the high end a 600 ml bottle goes for $1.50 on the cheap end $1.10.  All prices in American of course because Ecuador uses the US dollar.  

All in all Ecuador was fun times.  I definitely liked the coast best.  Its so underated.  Most tourists only go to Mantanita and see nothing else on the coast.  I spent three weeks rolling down from the north end startin in Attacames until Canoa and I never even made it to Mantanita.  Peru next for Xmas and NYE!