Eight Days of Ecuador…Day 5

On day 5 of our eight days of Ecuador photography travel abroad class, I felt I had finally had a decent night’s sleep. The bed in Bahía de Caráquez at the Saiananda Hotel was comfy, and my room on the water was amazing. Be sure to read day 4 if you want to follow along on our adventure!

Day 5: Tuesday, April 24: Embracing Ecuador’s Unique Culture and a Shift in Focus

With an average monthly income of around $355.00, most Ecuadorians in urban areas rely on public transit for their daily commute. Interestingly, traditional mail still serves as a primary form of communication, even though we did observe people using cell phones. It’s fascinating to consider that tribal communities still live in remote areas, and it’s not uncommon to see children from the islands coming into the city to sell candy and cigarettes to earn money.

As a photographer, all the facets of this region make Ecuador incredibly appealing, drawing me in with its unique culture, diverse climate, and the palpable love of life evident on the faces of its people.

On this fifth day, our trip took a significant turn. We were comfortable with the changes to our trip, shifting our focus to allow more opportunities for photography, something we hadn’t been able to do as much as we’d hoped. I was awake early this morning and captured some beautiful shots right from my window: stunning views of the water, the local fishing boats in the bay, and fishermen along the shore casting their nets.

I had a beautiful room, the windows looked out over the water with a side deck and hammock near the dock. In the room, there was a glass area on the floor where I could see the tide rise and watch the small crabs when the tide was low.

Once everyone was up, we all were served a wonderful breakfast of fresh squeezed juices, fruit, with fresh baked bread with jam.

After we ate, I watched Alfredo’s team feed their 135-year-old turtle by hand and water him down. He seemed to love the water and almost appeared to be smiling. He was rescued from the rubble of the recent earthquake 2 years ago.

Witnessing Resilience: The Aftermath of the 2016 Earthquake

Today, we would visit areas that bore the brunt of the devastating 2016 earthquake. Registering a powerful 7.8 magnitude, this natural disaster tragically claimed 668 lives, left 8 people missing, and injured over 6,000. While we observed some evidence of the quake’s impact in Guayaquil, the damage in Canoa, Bahía de Caráquez, San Vicente, and surrounding areas was far more apparent, visible in vacant buildings and widespread destruction of streets and sidewalks.

After breakfast, we all headed to the dock and split into two groups to board boats. They took us up the channel, allowing us to witness the extent of the damage from the waterside. This vantage point also offered a unique opportunity to observe local fishermen diligently working from their boats in the bay.

After several hours of shooting, we arrived back at the hotel, where we packed up to visit Sendero los Caimanes for lunch, where the locals caught the fish and cooked our meal while we watched.

Lunch was a combo of fried fish, fish roe, rice, and plantains served with fresh juice and coconut water.

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for our last adventure of the day. The people at the hotel were making fresh bread in the kitchen for our breakfast the next morning.

Street Photography in San Vicente with Local Escort

Later, we traveled by bus to the small town of San Vicente to capture street photos of the locals. We split into two groups and were escorted by local police, ensuring our safety and the security of our gear. It was heartwarming to witness the local children approaching and hugging the police officers. They clearly held them in high admiration for their service and were highly respected in the community. We walked for several blocks, photographing the local people, who were all smiles as they enjoyed their late afternoon daily activities.

Before we left, we caught a beautiful sunset along the shore of the Gad Municipal de San Vicente.

As we were headed back to the hotel, we stopped at a local sports pub for dinner to complete another long day of travel.

Before I headed off to bed, I went into the kitchen for some water and had the pleasure of a rare sighting of the local sloth visiting the kitchen. Alfredo said he has been making himself at home there for 45 years.

A few of us accepted the invitation to once again experience the soothing Tibetan Singing Bowls at Saiananda, this time performed by Alfredo’s son. As I lay in bed that night, a wave of contentment washed over me. We had finally had the chance to truly immerse ourselves in the local culture and capture some fantastic photos. The students, too, seemed noticeably happier and more relaxed with our adjusted daily activities, and that, of course, brought a great sense of satisfaction to me regarding the trip.

Hold tight, Day 6 is on the way, and it gets even better!

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