On a tribute to the Montecristi crew

To get materials for groups, decent food options, a solid internet connection, or delicious fried chicken, I have to head to the nearest town - Montecristi. It's a beautiful beach town a motorcycle and bus ride away from me. Here are some shots of the big pueblo!

Salt mines - you can buy a 5lb bag of salt rocks for $1USD.

Ocean water is pumped into salt flats and the sun dries it out in a few days, leaving salt crystals for workers to shovel up in wheelbarrows and deposit in these storage huts.

Montecristi has beaches, but the best part, perhaps, are the seven sand bars just a 20 minute boat ride off the coast. 

Friends and beach, what could be better?

I took the path less traveled by...

And that has made all the difference. 

Sand bars off the coast of Montecristi!

Only one hour after this and we'd be gorging ourselves on tour guide Soraya's homemade cheese-filled yuca balls, rice, fish and natural seven-fruit juice.

Andy and I during carnival celebrations, don't leave me Andy!!!

The crew - Lauren, me and Andy...only missing Julie, who left us last August :( 

Beach selfie!

Julie! In a photo I resurrected from our last true beach day in August 2014.

Lilo - our favorite restaurant and the only place to go for solid, reliable internet in the entire province.

And sometimes I take youth here for an escape from the campo. 

And we take goofy pictures on the dock.

Oh yeah, and I do actual work like youth conferences here sometimes!

But I mostly just come for this, El Zapato, and the most beautiful view in the country!

There are currently only 4 volunteers in the entire Montecristi province, whereas some provinces close to the capital have upwards of 30. But - I have the best crew in the world and a beautiful site I wouldn't change for the world!