Did you know that most of Ecuador is available on Google street view?

On recent trips to CNT and Puntonet inquiring about internet service, they used Google street view to locate the house, important since many neighborhoods don't have street numbers on the houses.

Nards I remember when you were asking about Machala some time ago. So I drove around Machala.

It actually looked nicer than most of the coastal towns. It has a waterfont with some kind of pedestrian cafe promenade, but strangely, there's no one there. The google car captures all the action, stray dogs, and pedestrians, but that place was empty.


Here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-3.2667739 … 56!6m1!1e1

gardner, I still haven't made it to Machala, but good to hear you found it pleasant.

P.S.
Are you on vacation in Ecuador or scouting out for retirement?

When I said I drove around Machala  - I meant in the google car. 

But yes, the plan is we're coming back to Ecuador in December. Escaping the plastic Chinese manufactured Christmas that has overtaken America like polystyrene jingled  red-and-green nightmare.

gardener1 wrote:

Nards I remember when you were asking about Machala some time ago. So I drove around Machala.

It actually looked nicer than most of the coastal towns. It has a waterfont with some kind of pedestrian cafe promenade, but strangely, there's no one there. The google car captures all the action, stray dogs, and pedestrians, but that place was empty.


Here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-3.2667739 … 56!6m1!1e1

Definitely a "working" city with significant fishing and shipping activity out of the port. The shopping mall has a Chili's restaurant!  What else do you need!

SawMan wrote:

gardener1 wrote:

Nards I remember when you were asking about Machala some time ago. So I drove around Machala.

It actually looked nicer than most of the coastal towns. It has a waterfont with some kind of pedestrian cafe promenade, but strangely, there's no one there. The google car captures all the action, stray dogs, and pedestrians, but that place was empty.


Here:
https://www.google.com/maps/@-3.2667739 … 56!6m1!1e1

Definitely a "working" city with significant fishing and shipping activity out of the port. The shopping mall has a Chili's restaurant!  What else do you need!

Reportedly that same mall with the Chilis has a Carl's Jr.

gardener1 wrote:

I drove around Salinas. It's amazing that once you get two blocks behind the beach Million Dollar Mile and the yacht club, it's a dusty two-bit town.

I saw this article in a newsletter I receive and thought it would be a wonderful idea for all the dusty, vacant areas of Salinas just beyond the condo buildings (and of course elsewhere in Ecuador).

https://www.thefinancialist.com/spark/h … Newsletter

SawMan wrote:

gardener1 wrote:

I drove around Salinas. It's amazing that once you get two blocks behind the beach Million Dollar Mile and the yacht club, it's a dusty two-bit town.

I saw this article in a newsletter I receive and thought it would be a wonderful idea for all the dusty, vacant areas of Salinas just beyond the condo buildings (and of course elsewhere in Ecuador).

https://www.thefinancialist.com/spark/h … Newsletter

Great find SawMan. That's a really good, and practical idea/partial solution to an ailing problem. Chile doesn't get enough credit. Know they have up, and downs, but considering where that country was 30-40 yrs. ago, and where it is now is night and day. Literally a horrible thirld world country. Now by in large pretty much a first world country, and the most developed Latin American Country.

Strange, I would not by any stretch of the imagination called Machala pleasant, but it may be my bias, I only made two flying trips on the bus in order to do things with my visa.  The temp is usually about 36 Celcius and it is smothering humid, a big city with a lot of cars, etc., not my cup of tea.  I did not have time to go to the beach area, but would instead suggest going to Playa/s, not sure of the 's', a friend of mine has property there and is building, it is evidently somewhat close to Machala.

The only thing that I could so far recommend here is the ice cream in a package on a stick, which is very good if you get the Belgian chocolate.

HP