I can’t say we really liked it here. the marina was OK and apparently the quality of work here is very good, but one step outside it was filthy. Huge piles of household and restaurant garbage everywhere piled up. It seems the people just chuck it out of their windows – there are big mounds outside all the buildings and all alongside the roads. It’ was also very hot, persistently very windy and loud. We all went in a convoy of 4WD trucks to go to a coffee plantation and a waterfall walk and swim.

The guide for the coffee tour was a loud and opinionated Californian who decided it would be a good idea to lecture a bunch of wealthy baby boomers who rely on Starlink on the evils of Elon Musk! Didn’t go down really well. He had quite a few other opinions – was just missing the tin foil hat…… Also he lectured us on being environmentally friendly and eco conscious - all this in the dirtiest place ever!. Most of the apartment buildings had razor wire all around them and all full of trapped wind blown plastic bags. For us it wasn’t even “colourful local vibe”. The marina and the ARC people made the best of it with a couple of fun gettogethers and a paella and sangria night. We tried an escape to the nearby Marriot pool and bar, only to find the same loud horrible music and wind. At least it had reliable internet.

Lots of little hummingbirds at the Hotel Minca

1800’s machinery still in use.

Bottle cap seat.

This guy loaded three bags of shopping, his child and wife onto his bike. the wife is actually glancing a tray of two dozen eggs in her other hand.