Is the HYPE TRUE? Playa Murcielago in Manta Ecuador in 2024

[@pablotamayotorres9744]

Great content bro! 👍🏼

[@livingabroadwitheric]

Gracias pablooo doing my best

[@gloriatorres2756]

Thanks for the video, I am going there next Month

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@@gloriatorres2756 its amazing here! Hopefully the energy crisis will be resolved by then

[@AmericanGenXer]

I tend to go to mostly places ex-pats choose not to. Like the mercados where pretty much no one is going to try to speak English. Which is the best way to improve my spanish living here!

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@@AmericanGenXer good technique! Unknown mercaditos are perfect for that

[@BarqueCat1]

Agree- the only way to get better is to use it, and the central mercado is perfect. They are very patient with my attempts with Spanish. I probably pay more for my limes than the locals, but $1 for a bag of 20 is a pretty darn good deal and I'm not bitter about being "gringoed" a little.

[@AmericanGenXer]

@@BarqueCat1 SAME!!

[@QuinnPrice]

I live in Ecuador and get conflicting reports on Manta's safety.The blackouts are the main issue right now. Tourism is down, so if you come, you'll have great access to guides, hotels, etc. I think its safe enough.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@QuinnPrice blackouts are a serious pain. Been in manta for 3 weeks already and feel totally fine here. No danger for those not looking for it IMHO

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@@QuinnPrice where in ecuador do you live?

[@QuinnPrice]

@@livingabroadwitheric I live between Otavalo and Cotacachi. I lived in Cuenca and loved it there as well.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@QuinnPrice i was in quito for a month and drove over to ibarra to interview hans at finca sommerwind for my channel. I see you have a channel and wish we could have bumped into each other before i left. Unfortunate. Im heading to cuenca in 10 days to spend 1 month there before heading to peru. Any chance you'll be heading there in November?

[@BarqueCat1]

Humpback whales :) Definitely worth the boat ride to see them. I suggest Puerto Lopez if you are headed that way. Looking forward to the rest of your EC tour. Safety - make good choices. Stay away from the drugs and the politics and you should be fine. You have the advantage of being fluent, which also helps with pretty much everything.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

Humpback whales eh? Awesome. Such cool creatures. I totally agree on the whole "crime happens to those that look for it" type of thing. Speaking Spanish has really helped me in more ways that i can count. Didnt save me from the 500usd extortion in Colombia but yea its been helpful for sure. Are you from Ecuador?

[@GR-ju4db]

The beach area looks much nicer than I imagined it would. I've driven past it, but never got a chance to walk around the area as you did. Try going there during carnival and it gets pretty crowded with activities and people enjoying the festivities. I like San Lorenzo beach which is about 25 minutes south of Manta. Talk about laid back and much more scenic too. I hope you check it out.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@GR-ju4db this video i made was actually my first time at the beach as well. It surprised me big time also. Im actually visiting the southern coastal towns as we speak and visited San Lorenzo on the first stop earlier today. We're currently in Ayampe heading to Montañita tomorrow. Do you live in Ecuador?

[@GR-ju4db]

@@livingabroadwitheric Not yet, but my wife and I bought a beachfront lot in San Lorenzo that I'd like to build a home on within another two years. My wife's not sold on the idea with the current issues there, but I'm hoping things will get better. Thanks for the video!

[@livingabroadwitheric]

I understand the feelings. Is it the safety or the energy problems you are most worried about? I don't see the hype about the safety concerns really. The energy problems (if you're working or don't feel like being flexible) would be a bigger issue IMO but the whole "safety" part i feel is gang vs. gang and my guess is that you're not involved in any shady business

[@GR-ju4db]

@@livingabroadwitheric It's really a combination of both infrastructure and safety deficiencies that I hope are corrected. I know the gang on gang thing is what's always reported, however, there have also been expats kidnapped and robbed occasionally along the coastal area. My wife was kidnapped for ransom in Venezuela, so she's big time paranoid about something like that happening to us as targeted gringos. I'm not afraid in the least, but I'd feel much better if concealed carry was legal there, or at least guns were allowed for home defense. I've read some guns may be allowed if purchased in Quito, but lord knows how expensive that would be, and how many hoops one must jump through to get one. Then, even if you were to shoot someone breaking into your home, they'd probably lock up the property owner instead of the bad guy. Screwed up legal system there.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@GR-ju4db wow that's crazy (especially about your wife). I havent seen any info of these expat kidnappings. Where did they happen? Got any links about them?

[@AmericanGenXer]

I would agree that the vendors on the beach are not as bad here as they are in other countries. But oh man... in places like Salinas... there are SO MANY... you can't talk for 30 seconds before the next ones come. Some of the other beaches have almost none (usually the local beaches like you were here!)

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@AmericanGenXer i went to salinas back in 2019 and didnt have that issue but perhaps it was during a weekday in low season

[@ericdixon627]

Thank you for the video. I am interested in coming to Ecuador, is it safe for me to travel pls?

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@@ericdixon627 yes absolutely my friend. Im currently in Montañita driving around with my gf loving it. No issues

[@richieyyz]

Dont need to literally translate Murcielago to Bat Beach. That would be like calling Boca Raton in Florida, Rat Mouth.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

Yea very good point. Rat mouth sounds better too 😅🤣🤣🤣

[@juliebabin]

It's not Bat Beach, it's Murcielago Beach. Don't say "Bat Beach" to ecuadorians! It's just how gringo call it, i.e. the wrong way.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

Playa murcielago = bat beach. When you reach minute ~15 i ask a local why its called that

[@juliebabin]

@@livingabroadwitheric I'm just sharing what I heard from ecuatorianos since I'm living here for years.

[@livingabroadwitheric]

@juliebabin i speak spanish and when I talk to locals i say playa murcielago in spanish, however since most of my audience doesn't speak spanish i find it more appropriate to translate both words instead of just the beach part. I don't think i have more than a few Ecuadorian subscribers since most of my content is in English so leaving it in spanish doesnt make sense to me

[@juliebabin]

@@livingabroadwitheric It's ok, it may have sound rude by text. I tend to defend the culture, especially in Manta where there's a lot of expats / tourists. I don't want that name to be accepted because it's not it's name. If that makes sense 🙃

[@RonPaulyGirl]

Actualmente, es "PLAYA EL MURCIALAGO"