Malibu South…Way South! I am looking down on a stretch of beach that will make any beachcomber smile from ear to ear…eight miles of Wonderland just waiting to be explored. You say "I want to play in those waves though"…gotcha' covered on that also. This beach has a gradual sloping sandy bottom that lets you walk out over 100 yards before being up to your chest in water and NO riptide. Grab your boogie board, surf board or just romp in the waves. Imagine you're cruising down Highway 1 and approaching Malibu when a home catches your eye, but the figure 5,000,000 goes through your mind…back to reality. Now take that same drive on the stretch of beach I mentioned above and you see a similar home on the beach and the reality on this beach is 200,000…not five million dollars.

Life is Good in Ecuador. This stretch of beach is in Olon, Ecuador. I call it Malibu Beach because it has miles of beach homes and estates on the sand. The best thing is that there are NO high rise condos nor will there ever be. There is a three story building restriction on this beach so you see nothing but beautiful homes and beach cottages (with a mix of fishermen's homes…that are disappearing slowly).

Okay it's not quite Highway 1 in California and that's a GOOD thing. You don't have all that traffic nor tons of people on the beaches here. This place is sort of a hidden paradise. Oh yeah, people know about it, but in limited numbers. I grew up in Huntington Beach, California and even back in the sixties you would have to watch where you put your foot while trying to part the crowds in order to get to the waves. You have NO problem like that here…even on big holiday weekends you can meander the beach and find your own "spot in the sand" without being stepped on, crowding others or fighting to protect your beach towel's "spot in the sand". Come lunchtime we stroll down to Lolita's Cabana on the beach and dine on the freshest seafood that has ever crossed your palate. I share with people that if you're eating seafood here…it was swimming less than 24 hours ago (more like a few hours ago). Sitting with your feet in the sand, a cold beer in your hand and a huge plate of fresh grilled mahi mahi in front of you will set you back $3.50. It's like a scene out of one of those Corona commercials, but this is REAL living in Ecuador. Catch a little hammock time after lunch (which I have found to be the "Ultimate Stress Relief System") and then once lunch has settled make for the water. You can sea kayak, boogie board, surf, swim or just let the waves chase you back to your beach towel…you choose and enjoy. Probably the best part of the day though is when that big orange ball is heading for it's dunkin' into the ocean. The sunsets here are phenomenal and beyond words. Watching that globe slowly drop into the water is a very soothing and tranquil part of the day. I have even seen that green flash people talk about a few times as the last little sliver disappears for the day. …Life is Good in Ecuador…come see for yourself.