I'm currently typing this blog post on Easter Sunday from my comfy bed at Pepe's House, one of the highest-rated hostels in Cuenca, Ecuador. My dorm room is only $10 per night. I've decided to explore this eclectic city in the mountains until Friday. One of the main reasons for my visit is to meet up with my contact at the Ecuador Tourism Board. We originally met at their main office in Quito. Their film commission team recorded a short video interview with me. It was scheduled to be posted to the official social media channel a few weeks ago. After multiple emails to Claudia without a response, I gave her a call on WhatsApp. Turns out the interview was accidentally deleted from the camera, so we agreed to re-do the interview during her visit to Cuenca. I'm also going to discuss licensing my aerial footage to the Tourism Board. Ideally, this will provide ample cash reserves to continue my travels through Peru, Chile, and Argentina!
I arrived here after an 2 hour bus ride from Salinas to Guayaquil and then another 6 to Cuenca. Public transportation is always the cheapest way to get around. The total cost was about $12. I spent one night in Salinas to do some work for a real estate client. My job was to get aerial photos and video of a large fish packing plant. My chauffeur, so to speak, picked me up at my hostel on the beach in a commercial bus. We then drove about 45 minutes to a little town called Chanduy, I did the shoot in about 15 minutes, took a tour of the plant, was paid on the spot, and transported to the bus station. This opportunity seemed to fall into my lap, but it just so happens I met Alexandra at a Luv n' Oven restaurant in Salinas. She contacted me via my Facebook business page. And just like that I now have extra money for travel expenses. Lately, it feels like money is simply a means to an end. It's simply a tool to get from point A to point B: to provide the basics of transportation, food, and shelter. That's really all I need to be happy at this stage of my life. Nothing is tying me down to anywhere. The majority of my possessions are packed into one hiking bag.
I spent roughly a week in Moñtanita, a small coastal town with a hippie surfer vibe. It's widely considered to be on the top surfing destinations in Ecuador. I was mostly here to fulfill my obligations for an assignment at a hostel called Balsa Surf Camp, taking professional photos in exchange for 3 nights of free accommodation. This is something I like to do in order to save money on living expenses along the way. You can read my previous blog post about How I Stayed 3 Nights at Trump International Hostel for Free. This was the defining moment when I realized this sort of thing is really possible. I'm not a supporter of Donald Trump in any respect.
I stayed at Selina for one night, the largest hostel chain in Central and South America. I've been making moves to work with them on a more professional level ever since my visit to their location in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica over a year ago. Sending emails, reaching out on every social media channel, talking with the staff, etc. I started up a conversation with an older gentleman while flying the drone during on a beautiful sunny afternoon. He was the former owner of this property before Selina swooped in and rented it from him. He provided me the contact information of the owner Raphael. I sent him a carefully crafted email within the next hour. And of course never heard anything back. However, I'm already in contact with the head manager of Selina Ecuador. I put together a professional aerial promo video which I'm in the process of licensing to them right now. Wish me luck! You can watch it below...
Apparently Selina is partnering with WeWork (valued at over $16 billion with a 'B'!) to provide co-working spaces in all their hostels. They're also expanding to Quito and Cuenca (where I am now). This is simply the direction everything is moving. As people continue to realize that it sucks being confined to a cubicle farm for the remainder of their lives, more people will pursue the digital nomad lifestyle and travel the world while working from anywhere. They are going to need affordable living environments to achieve this goal sustainably. I would love to own a franchise of Selina or start my own someday!
Highlights from my experience in Moñtanita include:
Getting the best massage of my life by a beautiful woman on the beach.
Failing at surfing lessons and taking photos of professional surfers.
Smoking marijuana and swimming in the ocean at night.
Reading my book on the beach and eating lots of ceviche.
Staying in a private room for 3 nights at Balsa Surf Camp.
Balsa Surf Camp in Moñtanita, Ecuador