s/v Nine of Cups Ecuador

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2003-2004

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General Info: The equator crosses Ecuador and gives the country its name.  Ecuador is the Spanish name for equator. Land area: 103,000 sq. miles - smallest of the Andean countries, about the size of Colorado.

The country is divided into 4 geographical areas: Costa (coast), Sierra (mountains), Oriente (eastern jungle), and the Galapagos Islands (600 miles due west). Capital: Quito, 9000 foot elevation Population: 11 million - 50% in cities Highest Peaks: Chimborazo (20,109'), Mt. Cotapaxi (18,870´) highest snow covered active volcano in the world. Political units: 21 provinces Language: Spanish (Castellano) and Quechua (People's tongue). Currency: Used to be the sucre, however, in 1999 the U.S. dollar became the official currency. Exports: Petroleum is the chief export.  Other major exports include bananas, cocoa, coffee and shrimp.  The U.S. is Ecuador's main trading partner.

We're sure you thought the equator was an imaginary line, as do many people, but as you can plainly see, it's actually bright yellow.  We're told it is sometimes nearly invisible, but we were lucky as it was quite clear the day we crossed...reflection of the sun on the water maybe?  Makes up for not seeing the harpy eagles in Panama.  Here, David pays homage to Neptune as we crossed the equator.

Our first port of call in Ecuador was the port of Manta, a large commercial tuna fishing port (they claim to be the tuna capital of the world!) with about 250,000 people.  The harbor in Manta is crammed full of fishing boats ranging from the most modern available complete with helicopters aboard to spot the fish, to dilapidated pangas barely able to stay afloat.  We enjoyed watching the small work boats nestle around the "mother ships".

Montecristi - Hats, hats, hats!  Everyone thinks the Panama Hat is made in Panama... makes sense?  But they are actually made (and always have been made) in Ecuador.  Panama was the major export center for shipping hats in days past and people mistakenly thought they were made in Panama and named them "Panama Hats", but now you know better!  Here, David and hat maker Modesto, count puntos in his shop in the town of Montechristi, the hat capital of Ecuador.  Puntos are  the number of weaves per inch, which is one of the measures of quality in a hat.

Isla de la Plata - Blue footed booby Also known as the "Poor Man's Galapagos", Isla de la Plata is part of the Machililla (Maw-chi-lee-ya) National Park.  There are several species of birds and plants that are only found here and in the Galapagos, and no where else on earth... including the Waved Albatross.  Since sailboats seldom visit here, we thought we'd give it a try.  The island got its name when Sir Francis Drake, having captured a Spanish galleon, stopped here to count his booty.  "Plata" is the Spanish word for silver, but also the common word for money.  Isla de la Plata is small... about 4 sq. miles, but packed with lots of bird, animal and plant life including sea lions, red and blue footed boobies, frigate birds, albatross and in season, it is the mating area for humpback whales.

Guayaquil - Las Penas view Ecuador's largest city, Guayaquil, (2 million people) offered lots of sightseeing as we took a leisurely walking tour through iguana-inhabited parks, past historic statues and cathedrals and along the Rio Guayas.  From the Malecon (boardwalk along the river), we could see the brightly colored houses of the Barrio de las Penas, a famous old neighborhood, originally home to writers, poets and artists.  As part of a city reclamation project, it is being restored.  The climb to the top is via 444 steps through the neighborhood that is now primarily restaurants and shops, though some private homes remain.

La Libertad - On the hard The city of La Libertad and the Puerto Lucia Yacht Club heralds the end of another passage... Colombia to Ecuador... a total of 1,280 nautical miles.  Nine of Cups is having some major work done here (teak decks removed among other things) and will be "on the hard" a total of 5 months.

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