Thursday, 14 Dec 2023 – The ship was scheduled to dock at Manta at 8:00 AM. Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west, with a population of 17.1 million. It uses the US Dollar as its currency. The capital city is Quito, which is also its largest city.
Manta is a major commercial and holiday resort center and the second major port of Ecuador, behind Guayaquil. One famous episode in Manta history occurred when a Boeing 707 carrying cargo crashed into the town’s wooden church in 1996. Manta’s main industries are fishing, and tuna canning and processing. Original and official “Panama” hats, known throughout the world, are favorite souvenirs among visitors of Manta. Prices range from $30 to $25,000!
We had been to Ecuador previously, during our cruise in 2020. We booked the same excursion again, a 2.5-hour afternoon tour, “Ecuadorian Tea & Local Dance Performance.”
We enjoyed our usual breakfast in the Terrace Café. Thne we met in the Marina Lounge at 12:25 for our excursion. The bus drove us to the Montecristi Golf Club. In 2020, the tea and dance performance were indoors; this time, they were outside under a covered patio. Our tour guide was Andrea. She narrated the trip through the city. We passed an area where wooden fishing ships were being built, with prices ranging from $30,000 to $100,000, depending on size.
Upon arrival at the golf club, we were escorted to an outside patio, with a canvas roof. Several round table and chairs were set up around the patio. The food and drinks were on long tables on the back of the patio. We were served samples of local food and drinks, including coffee, hot chocolate, tea and fruit juice. The blackberry juice was exceptionally tasty. (The menu in 2020 had been much more extensive.
Then an Ecuadorian dance troupe, consisting of several young men and woman, probably in their late teens or early 20’s, dressed in brightly colored costumes, performed a variety of modern and traditional dances that reflected the multicultural character of the country. The African influences and Andean rhythms were at play as the dancers gracefully covered the stage. (The dances were much more impressive than they were in 2020!) After the performance concluded, the dancers invited some of the guests to join them on the stage; Sally was one of them. Andrea continued her narration during our ride back to the pier.
Upon our return to the ship, Sally lay down for a nap, but didn’t sleep. Then she got up and helped Jesse select excursions for the next leg of our cruise, from Lima to Buenos Aires. Before dinner, we went to the Horizons and danced to the 4 Corners Band from 7:00 to 7:30 PM.
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