Olon

' We Survived a 5.9 Earthquake ... The Good News ? ... A Tsunami Is Not Predicted!'

We'll spend our final two weeks in Ecuador, equally divided between the Pacific Coast beach towns 
... of Olon and Puerto Lopez. 

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OLON

Most townsfolk here, speak limited English, but are friendly and helpful.

The village appeals to the young surfing crowd and is quickly becoming a popular international destination, for that reason. The flat, dark sand, 3 km beach here is also good for walking. 

There are many small restaurants and bars along the beachfront that serve traditional, common, regional fare ... the local potatoe and quinoa soup, rice and bean dishes, deep fried chicken and fish dishes and of course ... a variety of ceviches. Eating out is very inexpensive here; the blue plate special in many restaurants is $2.50 (sopa, rizo, vegetales, pollo de coco, jus), a copa (cup / glass) de vino is around $2.00. 

With the exception of a few expensive private beachfront homes, Olon is still, mostly under-developed; there are no large resorts here ... only small hotels and hostels. Some might call this and other nearby villages along the coast as having ... a 'Bohemian' feel or character. Historically, Olon is a very old (but still active) fishing village. Available accommodations are limited and offer minimal amenities at best. We're paying a bit less than $50 a night for our accommodation at Rincon d'Olon; we have a smallish room, with kitchenette, queen bed, small pool, buffet breakfast included (large selection of fruits, homemade granola, breads, cheeses, cold cuts, fresh juices, eggs made to order), decent but not that clean, the owner Chris and staff are all helpful and friendly.

Shopping is also not very extensive; most items that travellers may need are available, but the selection is poor. Stores hours are random and certainly unpredictable. Example ... there is a government operated liquor store in town, we were shown it's location ... we dropped by every day for a week at various times of the day and ... never found it open! Once ... a helpful local, operating a nearby cafe business, pointed to staff, that (he knew) managed the liquor store, as they strolled towards the beach ... even he was confused about the hours they kept!?!

We've seen a couple of overland vehicles since our stay here; 2 TC's (one a pop-up, one a large hard-side), both on Ford trucks, an older Argentinian plated truck and a van beach boon-docking and a surf truck (with a Chevy badge but obviously built using a variety of manufacturers' parts). 

And, it's certainly not quiet here ... lotsa street dawgs 'barking and fighting', too many roosters 'crowing and fighting', music blasting through crappy PA systems at just about anytime of the day or night. Many residents rely on motorcycles for transport, some ride horses.

Restaurants: We had good meals at The Roadhouse, Mi Continga Beer and Wine Garden, and ... Bululu

Quite possibly ... our BEST restaurant experience in Olon (and maybe in all of Ecuador); Mi Continga Beer and Wine Garden. Operated by a couple of Russian expats (and world travellers); features an international menu, a takeout delicatessen, a surprisingly decent wine selection for Olon ... located on a quiet backstreet with the bonus of good Jazz played through, a more than decent audio system.

Still an active fishing village ... boats compete daily with tourist umbrellas.

The beach starts to fill mid-morning ... easy to stake out a spot.

NOPE! ... this dawg isn't dead ... its where they usually sleep ... drivers just drive around and dawgs rarely lift their heads! Owned and operated by a Canadian from Vancouver, The Roadhouse  (yellow building with flags) offers good food at reasonable prices and often features local musicians.

A boondocker ... we noticed next day that they had moved on. Signs read 'No Camping'.

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Fishing

We were told, the community gathers about 3 times a month, for a morning of fishing. The boat in this picture was manned by several oarsmen who dragged a large net from the headland on the left about 1/2 a mile offshore and then trawled back towards shore. Once close enough, the net was then tethered to the waists of several more men who pulled it into even shallower water ... exposing a bountiful fish harvest. Big smiles from the crowd as they rushed to fill bags and containers with a variety of fishes. The waiting truck will take a large quantity to market here or at a neighbouring town. The larger fish (like striped bass) will sometimes be bartered.

If you look closely, you will
see the rope belts some of the
men wear. They tether themselves
off and pull the net in close to the
shallows.

Striped Bass 

They circled and hovered throughout the netting ... now, Great Frigate Birds dive for leftovers.

Those same waist tethers serve a second function ... now used as a belt they turn the wearers T-shirt into a second sac (see amigo in yellow T) for carrying even more fish.

No winches here ... tides coming in, the big boat is hoisted onto a log by the group and rolled forward. It'll soon float freely.

Happiness is carrying a sac of pescado ... home to the familia.

... or a successful barter for a couple of striped bass

Later that day ... More Exciting News!

That blue dot is fairly close to Olon ... at around 11:30 am today, there was a 5.9 earthquake registered in Olon. Certainly the largest we've experienced; furniture moved, our building rumbled and shook a bit and it's foundation is on concrete, not bamboo (as many are), a 10 - 15 second duration. There was an earlier earthquake 2 days ago in Guayaquil, but we did not feel it. And another the following day; that one was further inland.


A moderate earthquake registers between 5 and 5.9 on the Richter scale and causes slight damage to buildings and other structures. There are about 500 of these around the globe every year. 

Reports:  The quake was felt in 15 provinces. So far, no reports of major damage or injuries. Three tunnels in Guayaquil were closed for inspection of possible damage.

Last stop, Puerto Lopez ... see you there!

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We're LOAFin Around  

... but without LOAF this time (he's in his winter spa). 

Follow along, if you like.

Our latest route is included on TRAVELMAP 2019.   

For all posts from this latest adventure click Trip 146 

Wikipedia and others have provided backlinks.

All photography is by LOAFin Around, unless otherwise noted. 

And finally, here's a link to our complete 2019 ECUADOR photo gallery. You'll find Olon photos at the end ... if you're still interested.

Wry and Crusty ... 

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