Manta is the Tuna capital of the world, it brings in more tuna, pound for pound, than any other port in the world. Manta is also a major commercial and holiday resort centre where the evenings see a hive of activity of partying people, loud music and meandering cars that form around the nearby streets and main frontage of the Malecon that arcs around the bay. With a constant fresh breeze the Malecon is aways a pleasant are to walk in the evening as you take in the sites.
The ship was early into the port to help accommodate the 45 or so passengers venturing off to the Galapagos Islands, they left at somewhere around 5 am, yikes. We on the other hand left the ship at a more respectable 9:30 am. The terminal had pretty good wifi, so we were al able to get a bit of catch up done. We strolled the Malecon to the main craft market in town, did a quick loop of it and then negotiated a taxi to the place where the famous Panama Hats are made, Montecristi. You can expect to pay about $25 USD per hour for a taxi, we negotiated 2 hours for $40 USD. There used to be a number of families that made the famous hats but I believe the number is now around 28 families. Our taxi took us to one of the family businesses where we checked out the hats, I was the only one buying (Marcel already owns 2, so he was very helpful in identifying the quality work). There are several levels of hats, which all basically depend in the tightness of the weave and the size of the straw. You can get a basic hat for about $25 USD, these are fine but will break down faster. The next level up is the $50 USD variety, then the $80, then the $100 etc. Not sure what the top end is but the weave is so fine that you can roll it so tight that it would fit through a ring and yes, come back to shape. I settled on a hat at the $100 USD level, this can be rolled pretty tight, well tight enough to fit into the nice little box it comes in. Negotiations started at $100 on their end but I said that I liked the quality but did not really want to pay more than $60 USD. They came down to $80, I suggested $70 and thats when the heads started shaking no. I flinched to come to $75 and Jan stepped in and said to not settle for anything more than the original $60. The guy I was working with was not happy but I pulled out the $60 and he said to just give it the store owner, she took the money and now I have a very nice, good quality, Panama Hat - fun.
Our taxi driver then took us to a Historical Museum where this is also where the General Assembly meets. Very nice museum up on a hill offering nice vista views. Back into town we went passing an area where ships are built and fine waterfront restaurants. The rain started as the driver dropped off us the handicraft market where there was also a shuttle to take us back to the ship, we jumped on the shuttle to get out of the rain. We had lunch on the ship and Marianne and I headed back to the terminal for some more internet catch up where I also took a few moments to walk to the nearby beach.
This was a very nice stop where it was nice to be here on a Saturday to watch al the locals out and about enjoying their city and beaches.
Quote of the day: When in doubt, travel - Anonymous
Note we also passed the equator this morning, we are now on the other side of the world, I guess the water will start swirling in the other direction now, lol…
A few pics of our day, hope you enjoy…
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