Feb 9 Manta Ecuador

Two days at sea, crossing the equator and we're now in South America.  Along the way there were some shipboard activities.
There was another brunch.  These affairs have lots of impressive displays, but it's the same food prepared the same way as everyday meals.  It's very good food, but nothing different or special about these brunches.

 This ice sculpture was supposed to represent Insignia, or maybe the new class of ships Oceania has under construction.  Either way, I'm guessing if you put it into the swimming pool it would immediately capsize and float upside down.

 This was ostensibly solid chocolate, a variant of the Buttercream Projection seen in the earlier brunch.  We ate there early and by the time we left no one had the temerity to actually request a slice of it yet.

 The next afternoon we assemble on the pool deck for the line crossing ceremony.  We're somewhat early, but I'm guessing they wouldn't get much of a crowd at 2am.

 The ship is attacked by good looking pirates.  Apparently the pirate ship also has singers and dancers for the evening's entertainment.  Also, the most fearsome of all, a lawyer -- here dressed as an English barrister.

 King Neptune holds court

 Pollywogs become trusty shellbacks via the initiation of kissing the fish (air kisses, actually, since viruses are very much on everyone's mind right now) and then being doused with cold water.

 The King and his court

 A fearsome bunch

 Having crossed the equator we arrive in Manta bright and early.  Our tour choice is to visit the city of Montechristi via Chivas, an open air party bus.

 In our fleet of four buses, one carried the band.

 Cesar, our guide.  Everyone in the tourism industry was supposed to be wearing masks, and most of them did while they were near the bosses.  Once off the pier and underway, they disappeared until we came back to the port.

 Manta is the Tuna Captial of the World.  This fountain celebrates the fact.

 And here's the fish market, just off the pier where everyone comes to purchase fresh fish.  Then you take your purchase to the blue stalls next door to clean the fish.

 As we arrive in Montechristi, we pass Cesar's girlfriend who is weaving a "Panama" Hat, which are really of Ecuadorian origin.  They became known as Panama Hats when thousands were purchased by the Panama Canal construction firm for their workers.

 Plantains are a staple in Ecuador

 Many woven items available

 We are given a demonstration of hat weaving.  It's a long process...

 ...which requires a difficult working position.  A hat woven with thick reeds takes a couple of months at eight hours a day.  The really fine hats can take more than a year.  For the amount of work they are surprisingly inexpensive -- $100 for the cheap hats and thousands for the best ones.

 Exit through the gift shop.  After seeing the demo we walk to the town square which is a monument to capitalism and mercantilism. 

 The town church

 currently holding Sunday Mass.

 Should I decide to join a marimba band here's where I can purchase the one and only instrument I could master, the cheese grater.

 At a high end hat shop there were dancers performing the Ecuadorian Hat Dance.

 Back aboard the Chivas for the return trip.  This is the only tour I have been on that had a driver, a guide....and a DJ!

 There's Insignia at the end of the pier.  Manta has a long beach that's crowded on a Sunday afternoon.

 We pass a boat construction yard where all work is done by hand, the traditional way.  These boats may be there for repair, or they're trade-ins for the new boats purchased.