Tales of Puerto Lopez #AtoZChallenge

“ And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” I have a couple of thoughts to end this column, but before I do I want to share two other items. The first is a Q&A posted on Facebook last year. I think this short dialogue might describe my town better than anything I could say (minor editing by me): Christos: Hola Puerto Lopez, I'm currently enjoying the grand hospitality at the DD in Playa Santa Marianita, both of which I highly recommend:) However, along with the much larger Crucita to the north, I find it lacking in the basic services which I hope to find in PL. So, ***does*** PL have a butcher, a baker and a barber?;) (And perhaps a shop selling the fresh fish being caught daily?!?) Oh, and maybe at least one tienda selling fruit and veggies (and Rum;~)? I get that the Ecuadoran Coast is relatively new as a travel destination - ergo many beach towns are entirely dependent on Manta, Porto Viejo, Guyaquil, etc. - but I

“ Anywhere I roam, where I lay my head is home” There are two general categories of expatriates that live in Puerto Lopez (or anywhere, for that matter): those that reside here permanently and those that visit. Like the “snowbirds” that spend winters in Florida or Arizona, we have seasonal guests for a recurring duration. Most will stay between three and six months, and most are here during the ‘rainy” season – a time of year when rain is occasional but most days are warm and clear. In this post, I’m referring to them as “Yankees” (primarily to use the letter “Y”). Our seasonal guests are almost entirely from North America, and (unofficially) better than half are from Canada. A common phrase used to describe their stay is as a “six-and-sixer”: six months here, six months at home. During their time here, the attitude is fairly festive. Not only does their visit coincide with the nicest weather, it also occurs during the year’s major holidays: Christmas and Carn

 “ Stick those needles in your arms” Xavico’s is the largest privately owned store in town, and it’s owner Javier (or Xavier) is one of the progressive businessmen in town. We have upcoming elections for mayor, and I would support his views of town development. XXX – However, this post is being hijacked. For a friend: X today stands for no: no es bueno, nicht gut, nada. The quote from “That Smell” at the top is all I want to say today.

“ It seems to me I could live my life a lot better than I think I am I guess that’s why they call me, they call me the working man” I think frequently about opportunities for the young people that live here. This post isn’t going to have any suggestions, only observations. Traditionally, there were very few work opportunities for growing wealth. Most revenue generation came from fishing; other food was grown here, construction was simple and service industries (like restaurants) were minimal. The growth of tourism, especially over the last five years, has brought new opportunities and additional revenue to town. Our two largest stores, TIA and Xavico’s, have doubled in size, new accommodations (long- and short-term) have been developed and personal services such as salons have grown. Growth in these services has translated into increased payroll for residents. Hotel and restaurant staffs are seeing increases in pay, professional training and uniforms

“ It’s great to be here to see you all; I know for me it is like coming home” There is some discussion over which is the best hotel in Puerto Lopez. “Best”, of course, is subjective. I have my favorite, the Victor Hugo Hotel (VH), and I’ll explain why. First, I want to run down some of the others. The primary “challenger” to the VH is the Mandala Hosteria ( http://www.hosteriamandala.info/ ). Established about twenty years ago, it is favorite of many. The hotel, along with the private gardens and beach structures, is meticulously appointed, and the restaurant is top-notch. Aurelio and Maja have created a wonderful destination resort, and they receive absolutely top reviews from all of their guests. The Mandala, however, is not open to the public. To visit the restaurant or tour the private gardens, a person needs to be a patron of the hotel (or a guest of the owner). This creates a secure, private environment for their guests, but it isn’t availa

“ You don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone They paved paradise, put up a parking lot” Before I talk about Puerto Lopez, I want to provide a little history on a couple of other familiar locations. People familiar with Bugsy Siegel (or anyone who saw the eponymous movie) know something of the history of Las Vegas. Because of his investment in the Flamingo Hotel and other efforts in the 1930’s and 40’s, Las Vegas went from a dusty travel stop to a travel destination. Today, the 23 major casinos generate over $6 billion per year in gross revenue. In the early 1970’s, Cancun, Mexico had a population of 3. Because of investments through the Mexican government’s FONATUR ministry, the vacation getaway now boasts over 90 hotels and nearly 5,000,000 visitors annually. When my wife and I first visited Bahias de Huatulco, Mexico in 1996, there was a single resort. (It offered days trips to “Old Town Huatulco”, but they were not recommended after dark.)