carolina y sud america

Montinita (meaning little mountain) is a tiny surf town on and it is where we took surfing lessons and also where we got our first paid jobs as ´film stars´. We both got $5.00 for 20 minutes of our time, as extras for an ecuadorian soap called ´TC´. We played the rolé of party girls (stop laughing) and wandered in and out of a beach bar with some local lads. The ´bar´ was made form Caña and full of dry ice to give that special fiesta effect. The soap was to be broadcasted 5 weeks later. Briefly, TC seems extremely cheesy, with some total posers as the main characters, branding bikinis and guns and it is on 90 minutes at a time a few nights a week - ive yet to see it!

There was not much to do in montañita besides surf, sun and eat. Once again we made some really good friends here and besides the power cuts and bad drainage it was a pleasant place to stay whilst organising somewhere to go next for some work!

One night after the full moon party a crowd of us walked along the beach back to Papaya Hostel. En Route Vicky lost her one of her expensive hiking shoes, whilst attempting to scale a wall of huge rocks. The next day Magnus and Teis and I wandered back to the spot with some tools - a washing line with hooks, penknives, rope, cameras torches and 4 hours and a sunset later....14 locals had gathered. It turned into a Machismo mission but 5 hours later the shoe was hauled up at the end of some sort of contraption by a 10 year old!

After 2 weeks in Montañita I headed north to Manta. My bus broke down in the middle of a hot coastal road - i was the only person onboard at the time and the conductor came and sat with me at the scorching roadside whilst I awaited another blue bus (same company) -he then paid for me to continue my trip north to my destination of Canoa. Despite the blatent machismo way of this country, I sometimes think being a gringa girl works wonders. I find people bend over backwards to assist and share. its the little things - e.g. on that same bus ride the woman opposite took my orange peel from my hands to put into her own litter bag.... or on a previous crammed bus journey the family of 4 who were piled ontop of each other on 2 bus seats yet insisted my 6ft4 swedish friend sat on the arm of the chair instead of standing. Its the little things....