Two years ago on March 6th, Frans Maija and I took over the Surf Shak in Canoa Ecuador.  The trip has been amazing and we have compiled a couple of photos of the Original Surf Shak and a couple of photos from the anniversary party for your viewing enjoyment.  I have finally recovered enough from the party to type.

Canoa Update:

The waves have been great as well as the company.  We’ve had sunny hot weather almost daily.  The wind for paragliding hasn’t been the best however we’ve managed a few flights here and there.  The water is warm the food is good and the crew is solid.  Come on down for a visit you won’t be disappointed.

The Old Surf Shak

Humble Beginnings

Ohh Roxanne

Happy 2nd Birthday Surf Shak

The Man the Legend....The hat

The funny hats are out

Nice Shirt

Volunteer of the Month

Surf Shak Update

Well 2010 has officially begun in the Southern Hemisphere; we take a little longer to process events like that down on the beach. Christmas was great, we ate 17lbs of Lobster here at the Shak and it was delicious. The New Year was brought in with our new friends from the Coconut Hotel with much anticipation for the great year to come.

The Coconut Hotel was recently purchased by a group of great guys from America Junior (Canada). They have been busy with landscaping, renovating, and watermelon blender drinks. In fact they have been such a part of the fun here at the Surf Shak that we decided to name the watermelon blender drink after one of the owners, “The Big Show”. Their hotel is located just outside of Canoa to the south and is set on a beautiful beach lot covered in palm trees. The hotel includes a community kitchen, hot water, huge rooms, Internet, digital cable, amazing views, a full service bar and a very hard working staff. If you are in the area and don’t want to be in town with the hustle and bustle the Coconut is our first recommendation. You can check them out on the web at www.coconuthotelcanoa.com.

We’ve added a few new items to the menu at the Shak, the Shrimp Burger for one, but most notably we are serving sushi every Saturday. A family from Quebec recently relocated to Canoa and they have teamed up with us to serve sushi on the weekends. So far we have sold out every night it has been offered, and without bias it is phenomenal. If you happen to be planning a trip to the coast and are craving some sushi stop in at the Shak. If this trend continues we will be opening a sushi restaurant in our upstairs venue with an amazing view of the ocean.

The waves have finally arrived in Canoa, last week the first northern swell of the year arrived and provided amazing glassy waves. The winds are changing direction which is bad for paragliding but good for surfing when the wind blows off shore and helps the waves stack up a bit. We recently added 5 new boards to our rental fleet and we are looking to pick up about 4 more fun boards to add to our collection.

Carnival is coming up soon and its going to be an amazing party…..for 7 days. Of course we will be hosting the Second Annual Shak Wet T-Shirt Competition together with our new friends at the Coconut Hotel. The first place prize will be $200 cash. Last year was a blast and this year is sure to be better with a bigger prize and a more people expected to be in Canoa this year for the fiesta. Carnival starts the week of the 14th in February so get here soon before Canoa is full.

2nd Annual Shak Wet T-Shirt Competition

The weather has been great for paragliding and I’ve finally worked up enough courage to take my hands off the brakes and actually snap some photos.  It’s unusual to get sunny days this time of year…we’re not complaining.  Enjoy.

Maija and I were recently invited to attend the Canoa San Pedro San Pablo festival, and walk with the Black Team as the Padrino and Madrina (God Father and God Mother) of Canoa.  Basically, this is a two day festival in which half of the town dresses in all white to represent the saint Paul, which in spanish is San Pablo and rest of the town dresses in black to represent saint Peter or in spanish, San Pedro. Maija and I felt very honored to be the “god-parents” of the black team.  On the first night, everybody meets up at the church for mass and then they carry their respective shrines in a procession around the town.  After the formalities, the two President’s mount horses and have a  sword fight “to the death.”  Of course, since this is a religious ceremony, not really to the death but they definitely  try and knock each other off their horses onto paved streets, so there is potential for some blood shed.  After the horse fights and parade in the streets, there is some music from the local children in the band and lots of food.  On the first night, it is the custom that the White team wins and is served dinner by the black team.  However, the next night is the night for the Black team!  They scream, “Vivo Los Negros!” which means “Long Live the Black Team!”  The town is excited for this because as the legend goes if the Black Team wins there will be a good harvest for the next year, and the sea will offer up more fish.  As you can probably guess the Black Team wins every year.  After being served an amazing meal the entire town erupts into a dance party in the streets…..until 8am.  It was a lot of fun, especially since we had our friends here Dave (Camel Jock) and Kate here to experience this with us and see how Canoa really comes together as a town…especially to party!  Enjoy the pictures.

Recently I’ve started contributing to the English newspaper here in Ecuador, The Ecuador Reporter.  I wrote an article for the July addition about Canoa.  Click on the link below to go to the article.

Canoa Article Ecuador Reporter

www.ecuadorreporteronline.com

Anybody that has ever had the privilege of taking a night hike in the jungle knows just how exhilarating and creepy it can be. Most of the animals in the rainforest are nocturnal, so everything comes alive at night.  The Surf Shak crew made it up to Reserve Lalo Loor to see nature up close and personal.  After eating an amazing meal prepared by our chef Sr. Bigote we waited for the sun to go down to start our trek.  Everybody equipped with head lights and flash lights we set out into the jungle, in the dark.  

We saw snakes, lizards, frogs, butterflies, beetles and a bunch of other creepy crawlers.  As Maija and I were walking along, she heard a rustling in the leaves.  What we found was straight out of a scary movie.  It was a purple tarantula, bigger than my entire hand.  We didn’t notice at first but upon closer inspection the monster had a frog in the grip of his huge fangs.  This was definitely the  highlight of the evening, and I highly recommend visiting this special place.

 Stop by the Surf Shak to book your trip to the Bosque Seco Lalo Loor. 

Click on the pictures from Alex Johnson below to get a closer look.

We’ve lost a great volunteer, friend, dude down here at the Surf Shak… Diego.  He left yesterday on a journey home to the great state of Ohio, ouch.  He worked with us bar tending at the Shak, pouring great drinks and playing the The Grateful Dead, a lot.  At the Surf Shak we are internationally recognized with training some of the most talented people on the planet.  After he put his Surf Shak credentials on his resume he was accepted into grad school to further his education, and had to end the big adventure.  Before he left he was able to sit down and write a little something describing Canoa.  Good luck Diego, you hippy.

Canoa Surf

Diego de Ohio, July 5, 2009

         Learn to Surf. Buenas olas, surf everyday, talk surf, surf friends, surf mags, surfing dreams, surf memories, surf wounds,  surf life, surf addiction, Surf Shak.  Canoa is a place for surfing people, and the non surfing people that come to party with surfers because we’re so much fun.  Surfing at sunrise, surfing at sunset.  Laying in a hammock between sessions, watching waves, getting pumped for another session.  Get your own waves in the morning while the rest nurse hangovers.  Live in the ocean.  Live on the beach. 

         Canoa is a place to relax and have fun.  If you don’t like fun don’t come.  When the waves are low, things can get slow.  You may have to pass the time with Frisbee on the beach, extended hammock sessions, checking out caves, drinking in the daytime, tequila breakfast, volleyball, read a book, capoeira fighting on the beach, get creative.  The days are full of sun and plenty of gringas in bikinis.

         The air is full of noise, except for the precious moments when the power is out.  The competing tiki beach bars pumping out salsa, reggaeton, ecua-pop.  It blends at times into a pleasant mix, and more often a tragic plague of ear rubbish.  Loud, but mostly on the weekends.  Weekdays can be much more tranquilo.  But there’s still the guy riding a tricycle down the road shouting “queso queso, queso” or “camarones, camarones, camarones,” or “tomates, papas, sandia, huevos, y zanahorias.”  One of the best sounds you’ll hear is the magical licks of Jerry on a live Fire on the Mountain, available only at the Surf Shak and only when there’s a good Ohio guy behind the bar.

         At night Canoa can be whatever you want it to.  You want a bonfire; gather some wood and the people will come with guitars, drums, and plenty of cana manabita. You want to meet a bunch of travelers and have 2-4-1 cocteles and listen to rock, reggae, and if you’re lucky the Dead, then Surf Shak is the place.  Bartenders in boardshorts, no shoes, no shirts, no problem.  But be careful, because you’ll probably end up wearing a funny hat and doing a bunch of stupid shit that you’ll laugh about in the morning.  Or even with an egg on your head.  But you’re sure to meet good folk, people that have traveled, lived, loved, experienced, and came through it all with a blessed passion for life and fun. 

         You could also find yourself dancing the night away at a beach bar, or drinking shots of Una de la Gran Bestia at a bar made out of a boat.  The night life is fun and exciting, and you never know what to expect.  There’s always the chance of a late night naked swim, just remember where you left your clothes, and hide them too.  Just don’t stay out too late, or you’ll be among the majority of the fools missing out on the beautiful mornings of offshore winds, glassy waters, and empty waves.

         Food is also a Canoa pleasure.  Everyday you get to choose between a dozen places all offering soup, seafood, and fresh juice for 2 bucks.  You can get a damn good pizza when the mood strikes, or some cow intestines on the street if you’re feeling adventurous (and like having diarrhea). Batidos are a pleasure, fresh fruit and milk blended to perfection.  Chocolate bananas if you can find them. 

         Canoa is a paradise.  It has yet to be trashed like montanita.  Let’s keep it that way.  Come with a good vibe and look for fun and surf and sun.  God damn I’ll miss this place.

Maija couldn't help herself

We have added a new tour to the Canoa Thrills repertoire, a fishing booze cruise to the private beach of Cabo Pasado, north of Canoa.  We started our journey on a sunny beautiful Canoa day at around noon.  With the crew of 10 assembled we pushed off on our pangas.  In route to the beach we stopped and swam with a huge ball of schooling fish, it was incredible.  From a distance the fish looked like a giant rock in the water, but as we approached the “giant rock” was moving around.  There were millions of little 2 inch, red fish.  After a little dip in the Pacific we continued along the rugged coastline in search of a place to drop the nets in the water, for a little sea cuisine.  

The darker color in the water is the enormous school of fish

800 meters of fishing net

With the nets in the water we pulled up to the beach for some relaxation, swimming, snorkeling, and some frisbee.  I attempted to teach some of the locals how to play frisbee golf, but in the end they were teaching me how to play.  It’s so annoying introducing a new game, and getting whooped on every time.  I’ll be practicing more.   

With a couple hours of suntanning and beach combing past we decided to go out and see what the nets had to offer.  We took bets as to how many fish we snared, with the numbers ranging from zero to five.  We put out 800 meters of netting in what looked like a promising spot, after 30 minutes of retrieving the net, we didn’t even catch a piece of trash floating in the water.  Nothing, nada, zilch, zero.  I guess that’s why they call it fishin’ and not catchin’.  Luckily there were some better fisherman than ourselves in the area, we made an offer to buy some fish off of them.  They refused to take the money and loaded us up with at least 10 huge fish.  

There was a great cheer from the crowd when we returned and they saw all the fish we “caught”.  We decided to leave out the smaller details and took all of the credit for the harvest.

 ”We were just showing the other boat how many fish we had caught.”  I said.  When asked what we were talking to the other boats about.  Being a very avid fisherman nobody disagreed with me and we proceeded to make a fire on the beach and clean the fish.  

With a feast of fresh fish cooked over an open fire the crew was ready to watch an incredible sunset over the ocean.  We loaded back up in the boats and headed back to Canoa with full bellies of fresh fish and cerveza.  

What an amazing adventure.  

Perfect timing

A little shade under the tree

That is the definition of fresh

Katie's last day in paradise

Lucky they were there.

Working on his sea legs

Happy and Handsome

Glowing blond locks

Working on the tan

Stop by the Surf Shak to book The Booze Cruise to Cabo Pasado, or contact us through email.  info@canoathrills.com

Click on the link below for more information about Spanish Classes in Canoa!

spanish-school

Cute little guy

Permaculture Internship at the Jama-Coaque Rainforest Reserve

An hour and a half north of Canoa, the Jama-Coaque Reserve has been established as a haven of conservation in a countryside subject to rampant deforestation from the logging and cattle trades. The Third Millennium Alliance, an organization dedicated to the principles of conservation and permaculture, purchased the reserve to conserve the existing virgin rainforest, expand degraded lands through reforestation and work with the surrounding communities to develop and incentivize economically viable and ecologically sustainable alternatives to land use in the area. 

3MAlliance’s Jama-Coaque Reserve in western Ecuador is the last line of protection of one of the most biologically valuable and endangered ecosystems in the world. With 275 acres of tropical rainforest and cloud forest, the reserve is part of the last 2% of rainforest in a bio-region that once spanned the length of three countries.

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in natural ecologies. The name derives from the terms  permanent agriculture, and permanent culture.  Permaculture design principles are based on the concept that the only ethical decision in land use is to take responsibility for our own existence and that of our children. All of the decisions at the Jama-Coaque reserve are made under the umbrella of permaculture principles.

Bamboo House & Permaculture Development

The Bamboo House serves as the reserve headquarters, volunteer accommodation, research center, and living laboratory of permaculture development techniques. Potable water is harvested from nearby natural springs and rainfall, and a long-term goal of 100% food self-sufficiency is underway.

A mix of local community members, university interns, ecology professionals, and traveling volunteers are working together to convert tracts of previously-degraded forest into an edible ecosystem. Wild orchards are already scattered throughout the forest, such as banana, orange, coffee, and cacao groves hidden beneath the canopy.  Much work needs to be done, and we need as much help as we can get.  Those who are interested in or who practice permaculture are welcome to work and study with us.

Scientific and Academic Research

The land in and around the Jama-Coaque Reserve is, from a scientific perspective, virgin and unexplored terrain. The extravagant ecology, its biological “mega-diversity” and endemism is matched by very few other places in the world, and yet very little of this ecosystem has ever been studied. 3MA extends an open invitation to any and all biologists, ecologists, students, and academics to explore, study, and document the life and natural systems that abound in this forest.

Short-Term Volunteer Program

The Jama-Coaque Reserve in cooperation with Canoa Thrills has developed a six day volunteer program for travelers who want to truly experience eco-tourism.  The reserve experience includes five days of project collaboration with other volunteers and locals in and around the reserve, as well as an education in permaculture, rainforest ecology, conservation and reforestation.  Projects will vary depending on need at the reserve as well as the interest and aptitude of the volunteer, but may include construction projects around the Bamboo House, work in the orchard or garden or planting native crops in the surrounding community.  During the six day period, volunteers will choose a free day to relax at the Bamboo House or lounge around in a nearby waterfall.