Toured Manta and Monticristi Ecuador today (Sunday, January 14). Definitely coastal equatorial weather...i.e. hot hot hot. I did buy myself a real Panama hat (they were originally and are still made in Ecuador, mostly near the little town of Monticristi). If anyone is in touch with Frank...tell him I thought of him a lot today, but had not contacted him as Quito is a 6 hour drive one way from where I was.

At dinner John had a photo he’d taken a couple of years ago on the Amazon. We told our waiter that the animal it showed would be tomorrow’s dinner and that there should be enough to share with everyone, then showed him the picture. He howled! Then he showed it to the head waiter who almost exploded trying not to laugh and then showed it to the Hotel Manager who eats at a table near ours with his wife. They also got a big kick out of it. The photo was of a young boy holding up the front end of a very large dead snake...probably a young anaconda. John and Jill and I of course were having hysterics all along. It was a fun dinner, especially as none of our table mates had managed to come.

Today (January 15) is another long lazy sea day. Sat in the sun. Played team trivia (our team would have tied for first if I hadn’t been out-voted on one answer). Tonight is a formal night with a black and white theme...I’m sure we shall all look like the ubiquitous penguins.