Tumbes

East of Mancora, the road closely followed the coastline. Besides picturesque fishing villages and pretty beaches, I had the opportunity to admire a piece of automotive history that was parked on the side of the road. In the unlikely case that you have ever wondered what kind of vehicle Lieutenant Columbo would drive if he were a redneck, this may be the answer:

It's the pickup truck version of the Peugeot 403, which was build from 1955 to 1966. Despite some evident wear and tear of the exterior as well as the interior,

the truck seemed to be fully operational.

One more thing...east of Zorritos, the road turned away from the coastline and, shortly thereafter, I arrived in Tumbes

I had read some comments in my Moon Handbook and elsewhere that were suggesting that Tumbes is the typical dirty border town filled with questionable characters. So far, my impression is very different and I find it kind of nice. Maybe the bad guys are taking a Christmas break.

More tomorrow from Ecuador.