Strolling down Avenida Charles Darwin, the main street, there’s lots to see. There are nightclubs, one of which is Andy’s Bongo Bar. I heard it’s a place where tourists and locals mingle to the sound of music videos. I was more intrigued by the sign. It seems the “Keep Calm and Carry On” theme is truly everywhere.

Besides places to eat and drink, there are opportunities for tourists to part with their dollars. [Ecuador uses U.S. currency.] One of these is “Darwin’s Cotton.” Admittedly, I was entertained by their sign. The colorful oval of the Victorian clergyman surrounded by an iguana and the yellow and pink flowers of the Darwin’s Cotton plant was too incongruous to resist.

But the best was yet to come:

The Fish Market

The market itself is a simple affair. Fishermen bring their catch. Workers at the market fillet the larger fish and display the smaller fish whole. The customers are somewhat eclectic.

Pelicans, frigate birds, and sea lions all line up to get their fair share. And they don’t want the scraps or the large fish. They want the good stuff.

Seen enough of the town? Let’s go back upslope to the rainforest.

Last week I wrote about the tortoises at Rancho Manzanilla. There are other farms offering similar opportunities to interact with Giant Tortoises.

But some farms limit their wildlife to a donkey, a few dogs and several “barnyard fowl.”

I’m embarrassed to say, I don’t have the name of the gentleman who owns this farm, but he and his family process coffee the old fashioned way.

In retrospect, maybe Andy picked a good moniker for his Bongo Bar.

Puerto Ayora is a small seaport town, but like most ports, it opens the way to new experiences.

Acknowledgements:

Featured Image: Municipal Office of Puerto Ayora

Photos by Author. All Rights Reserved.

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