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A beach vacation? I never was much of a beach person. Most people love the idea of relaxing in the sun and swimming in the surf. I guess I'm just more into exploring a wilderness or even a large city as a vacation. But Salinas Ecuador changed my mind.
It was in 2004, when my wife Ana and I were visiting her family in Ecuador. Her father took us to the coast for a beach vacation. After a quick tour of several coastal cities, we ended up in Salinas, where the five of us stayed for a couple days. We went downtown the first night. It was busy and alive and full of good restaurants. The next day we went to the beach, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The first difference you'll notice from beaches in other places is that there are people trying to sell you things everywhere. You might think this is annoying, and in fact, the vendors would be removed from most beaches in the world. But once you get used to it, this part of Ecuadorian culture is what makes the beaches here so special.
Would you like a chair? You can rent one for fifty cents. We sat on our towels. I quickly learned to chase off the jewelry vendors with a glance. They did have some necklaces Ana would love, and I suppose it could be fun to shop while laying on the beach, but we had enough shopping already.
Then came a lady with cold beer in an old cooler - seventy-five cents per bottle. I couldn't help but buy a couple for me and Ana's father. I told the woman to be sure to check back later, and she continued down the beach. I was starting to like just sitting here and being waited on.
Ana and her step-mother bought some ice-cream from another vendor who was passing by. I was hungry, so I bought some peanuts covered in lime juice. Ana's father told me that this was considered Ecuadorian Viagra. I handed the peanuts to him and flagged down the beer lady.
Ana's brother wanted to try out a jet-ski, and invited me to tag along. I thought it would be expensive, and I had never been on one, but this was a vacation. Ana's step-mother went down to
Afterwards, I laid back on the towel again and let the deliveries of food and drink continue. Two musicians stopped by and put on our own personal concert for almost thirty minutes. It cost five dollars - and they were actually very good. I was beginning to think that a beach vacation isn't such a bad idea after all. I didn't argue when we returned to the beach the next morning.
