Blog No. 20 – The Adventure to Los Frailes National Park

(Ed.  This is Mr Lambes blog effort...and just so you can see how things can be misinterpreted he has done two and would like you to guess which one is the truth.  I won't be making any editorial comments so that I can't influence your decision.  Something tells me Mr McMillan has had something to do with one of these Hahahahaha ) 

Adventure No. 1

After another great breakfast at the Hotel Pacifico we boarded public transport and made our way to the Los Frailes National Park where Ecuador’s world famous beach was situated. After a very enjoyable 40 minute walk along sandy paths and through unusual trees and bushes we were rewarded with the spectacular view consisting of white powder sand and the crashing waves of the turquoise Pacific Ocean. It was a hot and humid day and so everyone enjoyed a dip in the cool water. A game of beach football followed before we made our way back to our hotel in Puerto Lopez. It isn’t often one gets the opportunity to explore and enjoy such a secluded and beautiful coastline and this was certainly an experience none of us will ever forget. It really was a vision of absolute paradise.   We caught the bus back to the terminal where we all jumped on board Tuk Tuks for the final part of the adventure back to our luxury hotel in Puerto Lopez.  For some of the boys this was their first experience of these marvelous contraptions.  We arrived back at the hotel with HUGE smiles on our faces.

Mr Lambe et al

Adventure No. 2

After a decent breakfast at the hotel we embarked on the arduous walk in the midday sun to Los Frailes beach having ignored the sound advise given by the locals to take cheap taxis. Cliff insisted that the walk would do the boys good but soon the boys were wilting in extreme midday heat on the Equator. A lack of water, suncream and sunhats was a concern but Cliff marched them on to a bus terminal that was supposed to be round corner when in actual fact it was 4kms. 

When we eventually made it to Los Frailes National Park the boys had had enough just short of the beach so they had a democratic vote and decided to go no further through fear of heat stroke. Po was already extremely dehydrated so the boys decided it was time to eat the pineapples purchased earlier; however, Cliff had forgotten to pack the team knife. At this point Cliff told the boys that votes count for nothing in a democracy and forced the boys to march on like mad dogs and Englishman in the midday sun.  

When we eventually reached the beach we were all extremely underwhelmed: Portstewart Strand on a wet day is more attractive.

Eventually Cliff permitted the boys to make there way back to the sanctuary of the hotel in Peurto Lopez. 

Lets not even talk about the tuk tuk journey back to the hotel 

That was a day that will live long in the memories of all concerned and for all the wrong reasons.  

Mr Lambe et al