The Infamous

Recently, when I tell Ecuadorians that I lived in Montanita for 5 weeks studying.. I get the biggest outburst of laughter and the same question. Studying WHAT? Partying?! And I give the same, “I know, I know..weird huh? Actually I was a 15 minute walk down the beach from Montanita.. does that sound better?” And normally laughter still follows.

Oh Montanita! What a name you have for yourself! As I’m sure you’ve seen, there aren’t as many pictures of me studying as there are of my students and I (also a student) dancing the nights away in Montanita (& Monglaralto). Our days were filled studying and teaching from 8:30AM until 8PM Monday-Friday.. so we had to let some steam off somehow! Sophie and I tried to start running in the mornings.. that lasted.. err… about 5 days! And I didn’t lose near as much energy as I needed to.. so I was still CRAVING Ladies’ Night (Thursday Nights) like a mad woman.. I believe most Mondays starting at 10:30AM one could hear me saying “OMG, Ladies’ Night in FOUR days.. can you believe it?! Only 4 days!”

Anyways, Ladies’ Night in Montanita begins with a 10 o’clock start with unlimited drinks for 2 hours. It wasn’t until about the 3rd week that we realized.. they must be spiking our drinks.. no it must be in the fog machines.. no they have to be putting something in these. I don’t think we’ll ever know.. but we never really know what we did. There is a pool in Hola Ola that you can jump in if you please.. SOME of us did (::cough:: Daniel), he hasn’t started growing another arm yet.. so I think he’s good. There is a stage that gets lots of action, a DJ that is normally pumping the jams like crazy (everything from typical American/European music to Salsa to Regaeton.. the world in our ears).. everyone that works at Hola Ola looks like they belong in a circus or Mardi Gras.. it’s just all out insanity. I ran into two guys I had previously met in Colombia, and each of them had been to Montanita previously and came BACK for Ladies’ Night.

I don’t know why I adored it so much.. maybe it is because I love to dance.. or because I’ve never really lived in a place with dance clubs at my finger tips.. or because all of the stress from working my butt off to get a Pass B got to me! But I think it was the love for dance and crazy happenings!

We may not remember Ladies’ Nights, but it will forever be with us.

Peace Out CELTA, Hasta Luego Montanita, Forever in my Corazon