H - Hector's


 “When I look over my shoulder, what do you think I see? 
Some other cat looking over his shoulder at me.”



Many coastal towns have multiple scheduled outings where expatriates get together to meet and chat, most with a theme: Movie Mondays, Wine Wednesdays, Poker Saturdays. In some towns, it feels as though there is event arranged for every night of the week.

In Puerto Lopez, we have one such event: pool night at Hector’s, every Thursday, 4:00p. (Hector is a local entrepreneur with a very nice, young family.)

Hector’s place doesn’t look like much, and it’s not that easy to find. Located on a side street behind TIA, the “door” is a section of fence that is swung open when he’s open. The walls are thatch and block (of course) and the floor is hand-set, unmortared brick. I won’t mention the “bathroom”, but the roof is solid, the beer is cold and the weather can’t be beat.

There are five pool tables and most of them are close to level (they are in pretty good condition, I should add). I will frequently provide music; otherwise, Hector has a YouTube playlist of 60s/70s era music that fits our demographic. (Bonus points to the reader for identifying the lyric at the top of the page – BK&S-style only.)

The number of people that show up depends on the time of year. During the low/rainy season, there might be four or five of us; during the high/snowbird season, there have been as many as twenty. It’s mostly the guys in town that show up, but women are always welcome of course and some show up regularly.

The fact that it is the only regular meeting point for us is what makes it special. For some of the attendees, it’s the only time that the rest of us will see them all week. There are even a couple of remote guys (north of Crucita) that like to check in when they’re in town.

It’s the place to share accomplishments without judgment. On multiple occasions, myself and others have arrived straight from Manta or Guayaquil with news of an achievement to share, and we know that everyone else will be there to share the fun.


Comments

  1. Hilary Melton-ButcherApril 9, 2018 at 6:56 PM

    Hi Scott - sounds like Hector's is a great place to have as a regular meeting point when friends can meet ... and not overdoing it seeing the same people at many meetings ... cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete

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