Manta Street (and Beach) Scenes

It is so easy to walk all over little (and big) towns in Ecuador. Be mindful of your steps though - sidewalks can have (doggie) bombs, and plenty of holes, as well as rebar/wires sticking up and hanging down! So with the standard warning, let's have a tour:

Playa Murceilago Hotel - nice hotel, walking distance to the beach, in a very nice area. Close to restaurants, shopping and main streets. This is where we stayed in Manta:

We had so much fun walking, walking everywhere from the Supermaxi, to the beach, walking down side streets to see the vendors out early in the morning with large crowds eating ceviche....for breakfast. I opted for a warm cinnamon roll without icing and Ken had a huge croissant, along with our cold beverages, to start our big hike through the city. After stopping for breakfast, we headed towards the beach:

Delicious lunch at Mediterraneo, on Flavio Reyes, just a few blocks from our hotel:

We walked down lots and lots of stairs to get to the beach. What you see here is barely scratching the surface! There was another set up higher, and one to the left. Whew. 

After the long long walk on the beach, we are starting up another set of stairs, this time closer to the Malecon (Murceilago) where there are plenty of vendors, and restaurants.... 

We explored many streets hoping we were headed in the direction of our hotel (we were); we even stopped by the Fybecca to grab a couple of cold drinks. It was hot outside, but not unbearable. Living in the South, we are used to it. Now I see a reason for me tolerating the outrageous humidity in Alabama! Yes, it was/is to prepare me for the move to Ecuador!

Ken posing in front of what we called the Gringolandofshopping:

Manta was a fun city to explore by foot. We walked quite a bit, and we better get used to it if we are going to live in Ecaudor!

Hasta luego, chao chao, and all the good stuff,

Tami

Sea-Foodie Heaven-Part I

Seafood galore on the coast. Fresh, too. Out of all the meals we had, not one dish had 'old' seafood. Nothing 'fishy' going on here except the freshness of it.

We had fabulous and/or just plain yummy meals in Manta, in Bahia, Puerto Lopez, Jama, Salinas and Guayaquil. For this post, I am selecting just a few of my all time favorites, meals I would eat over and over again.

MY favorite meal was ceviche camerone at El Muelle Uno in Bahia. Top dog, could PIG OUT all day on this stuff:

They serve the delicious plantains with these awesome(!) sauces:

The green one was a pesto mayo type sauce, great for dipping the perfectly crispy plantains. The aji had tomato, onion and some peppers - very spicy/picante, and my favorite. The other sauce was a slightly sweet sauce, a cross between a BBQ and a sweet & sour sauce. It would be good on meats. Or for those that are not into spicy.

Our (Ken and I are in total agreement on this one) favorite almeurzo/lunch, hands-down was in Puerto Lopez at a little place called Dona Elsie. It is run by a Colombian family, and we ended up eating there twice, it was that good!

 For $3 each we got: a pitcher of fresh juice - I watched the son make it in the blender, and each day it was different. Soup with dorado and yuca, and our secundo was a tun (tuna) in coconut, mildly spiced, yet very flavorful. The sides were typical of an almeurzo - rice and a salad.

Fresh hot soup, I put homemade aji sauce in it, yum yum yum:

Fresh squeezed juice:

And, our secundo:

Who says Ecuadorian food is bland? Some of it, yes, just like in the US (mushy veggies, yuck). We found the food to be very flavorful, and if you like heat, like me (love spicy anything and everything), most places have plenty of hot sauce, all the places we went to except one had homemade aji and it was fun trying out different versions.

If you are a seafood lover, you will be in heaven on the coast. Everything is very fresh, caught that morning fresh, and the families are proud of what they serve. When we complimented a dish, usually the cook/chef heard it, looked up and smiled. We were treated very well with gracious service, the bills were accurate, and many places did not charge us the tax (service charge yes, but not tax) - we were paying with cash, small bills please, and they appreciated that.

Go to Ecuador with an open mind and empty stomach. The foods, just like the people, are beautiful.


Tune in next time for......Part II
Our favorite dinner was at Rocko's in Salinas - hands down the best grilled meats, pappas stuffed with carne, and the corn........


Hasta luego, chao chao, and all the good stuff,
Tami

Chowing Down in Coastal Ecuador-Part I

The first step is to admit it. Fine. I am a foodie. Love. Food. Must.Try. Everything. Preferably with wine.  

My grandmother was an amazing cook. She didn't measure. She just knew. Obviously she was not a baker! My father - same way. By the time I was 12, I was whipping up some pretty decent meals for our large family. And I have passed along our family's culinary (and wine) appreciation to my oldest son-23, who graduated from culinary arts (JWU-Denver) and is now a chef in VA, moving soon to Chicago. 

So I can't help it. The foodie in me is in my genes.

Whenever we go on vacation, I always take pictures of our food, much to the amusement of my husband. Ken isn't picky about his food - he just prefers that it be cooked. That's about it. Me, on the other hand, well....let's just say I will analyze the dish. I am yammering away about the presentation, the colors, the smells, the flavors, all the while my adorable husband is patiently looking at me, smiling in between his bites, and pretty much mumbling 'Yes, Dear.' He could care less whether or not the plate has pretty little garnishes. The poor guy just wants to eat.My son enjoys taking pics of foods he's eating to prove that he did, indeed, just eat that!

Alec and Ken chowing down at lunch - Hotel Caridi

Here's the low-down, complete with pics (surprise!) on a few of our culinary adventures while in Salinas:

Herminia's - on the Malecon. Ken and I stopped in for a quick bite sans Alec and when Alec saw the pic of Ken's dish, he wanted to visit the restaurant, so a few days later we went again. Very humble surroundings, we sat outside both times, people watching is so fun! 

First visit I ate the octopus ceviche. Served with rice and plantains and on our 2nd visit I had the pescado ceviche, both excellent. Very fresh tasting, tender meat, flavorful and not overly acidic. Different styles, the fish having more ingredients, and a slightly spicier tang from the peppers.

Ken had the arroz con pollo our first visit. Alec had it on our 2nd visit. Can you tell the difference between Ken's dish and Alec's? We know the Ecuadorians love kids...the "mom" must have thought my son needed some 'extra' since he was a growing boy - and the 'extra pollo' was gratis! Alec ordered a batidos pina con leche and it was delicious. He let me have a sip :) 

RaPaNui - on the Malecon next to the Doral Bldg. Great little outdoor area, and the service was excellent. I enjoyed a fresh mojito that was not too sweet thank goodness, and we all enjoyed a nice lunch. Ken and I had the almuerzo and Alec snacked on a pizza, in addition to trying some of our caught-that-morning fish. 

 The soup looked thin, but it was filled with goodies, and very delicious!

The portion of fish missing was eaten by my kid, who actually liked it. Here's a pic to prove he ate some fish:

There ya go Alec, take a bite! You'll like it!

Cheers,

Tami