Manta and Montecristi, Ecuador

Arrived at the port in Manta - tuna capital of the world - this morning and headed out to explore the area after breakfast. Not really scenic but once we reached the beach area it was more interesting. It was quite hot so we headed back to the ship before noon and had lunch.

We’d booked an excursion for the afternoon: to travel by chiva, an Ecuadorian bus, to Montecristi, where the Panama hat originated. People mistakenly believe the hats originated in Panama. UNESCO has added weaving the hats to the “List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” since there are few weavers remaining.

We were in Ecuador in 2016 and Brad bought a Panama hat then in Quito but it got destroyed a few years ago when he put it in the overhead bin on a flight 😫. Brad’s a hat guy so he was excited to be able to replace it. Which he did. It’s in a special box so it’ll make it home safely.Read more