Experience in Manta, Ecuador by Melissa

What is it like to live in Manta? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Manta is one of the main cities in Ecuador and together with Guayaquil, it's one of the country's main ports. It's much less heavily populated than other main cities, I think this is a good thing as having less people has a lot of benefits.

Manta is a beautiful city. It's very hot. Something strange about Ecuador is that it only has two seasons: winter and summer. The summer starts half way through the year (in July) and it gets cold, yes cold, I mean 22-30 degrees, and I say cold because the cold and the wind is very strange for us people from Manta. Our typical climate is too hot so when summer comes, you can feel a cool breeze and, in general, you'll see all of the university students in light coats, you feel the cold especially at the university at night.

For the other six months of winter, it rains a lot, (in Manta it'll rain excessively for three weeks), it'll be hot, too hot as in 30-35 degree heat is the normal temperature. People move around the city in more of a hurry to get where they are going and to cool down a bit. Living near the beach, the weather is really dry during this season, but it's great because you can go to the beach whenever you want. As every day isn't super "cold", you can even go in the winter, the sun always comes out at the weekend, which is great, the beach is only a stone throw away from any part of the city, we have water games that you can play and enjoy.

I'd say that Manta is a great city to live in, I've lived here my whole life and, apart from the heat, I wouldn't change anything. It's a cheap city to live in when compared to Quito and Guayaquil, you can get anywhere in minutes (if you have your own car), taking the bus will be about 45 minutes. There's not much traffic, there aren't a lot of people and this is the best thing about it, because you don't get problems with traffic jams like you do in other cities. You've got a mall where you can go to eat, shop, watch films, etc. (the cinema hasn't been in use since the earthquake). You've got the beach nearby so you can go and eat the seafood that's so famous here and swim in the sea. The night life is really active, you can meet up with friends at different points. For being a small city, it has a lot of financial benefits.

I would totally recommend living there, you'll love the laid-back atmosphere and the whole variety of things that Manta has to offer, without a shadow of a doubt.

What is the student lifestyle like in Manta?

The only university in Manta is the ULEAM (Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí), it's public and all the kids from Manta and neighbouring cities study there, since, in comparison with the other universities in Manabí, ULEAM is the best. There are others, but they're much further away (for the weekend) and private (very expensive). It's a big university, it's got a stadium and an area where you can play sports, it's nothing compared to European universities (we have a lot to improve, but it is what it is). The student lifestyle is really good in the city. If you get on a bus and you see a young person, you will probably recognise them from going to the university (we start to recognise each other quickly). The majority of the faculties run classes in the afternoon to the evening, so there's a more lively atmosphere in the evening. There are lots of bars and food stalls for every budget near the university. What's more, ULEAM is near La Flavio, the main nightlife area, which is where all of the students go out partying. There's also a huge number of really cheap bars and clubs. In general, the university students always go out to La Flavio on Thursday or Friday for a few beers after class.

How much does it cost to live in Manta?

It's very cheap, the basic salary is $360, it goes up depending on your role and your ability, it's cheap to rent accommodation. If you want lower prices you'd want to rent somewhere further away from the university preferably. For example, you can pay $150 for a small room with a bathroom and tiny kitchen included (unfurnished), and at that price you'll be hardly 500 metres away maximum from the university. If you decided to live a bit further away (5-20 minutes by bus to the university), you can get the same room, maybe even bigger, for $80. If you go even further out, you can get a house for $150-200, it all depends on how close you want to be to the university. I would recommend that you live further away from the university, so you'll get a better place and you'll be closer to the city centre.

It's not expensive to eat either, lunch costs $2. 75, (soup, then arroz con presa which is a rice dish and some juice) in another restaurant close to the university, about 100 metres away, it'll cost you $2. 50. In the evening, if you want a burger from one of the food stalls in the faculty, it costs between $1-$3, a slice of pizza is $1, a hotdog is $1, and there are empanadas, sandwiches, toasties, etc. that you can get for less than a dollar.

If you go to the mall and you want something to eat, you can find things at any price. KFC costs from $3 to $10, if you go to the Parque del Marisco (at the beach) for a delicious dish, it'll be upwards of $6, but, in general, having lunch in any local place costs $2. 50-$3.

A bus ticket (the only method of transport, apart from taxis, as there aren't any metros or trains) costs $0. 30. The minimum taxi fare is $1. 25, a taxi from the North (where I live) to the South (where the ULEAM is) costs a lot at night at $3, the fare is $2. 50, you can go to any part of the city by taxi and it won't cost you more than $5.

Clothes are cheap, as most of them come from Colombia and Peru, but if you want to by from brands (Adidas, Nike) it's expensive, for example, a pair of branded shoes cost $100. If you want to buy a dress from the famous Tarqui (it has changed locations since the earthquake) it could cost from $15 to $50, depending on whether you buy it from a boutique or from a lower quality local place.

The drinks are cheap, depending where you buy them. Drinking in a bar in la Flavio, a national beer costs $1. 50, and a Corona will cost $3. 50, the range of prices for beer won't exceed $4, depending on the brand. It's cheaper to buy them from a liquor store than from a bar, and in a club, the prices shoot up to $5.

Bottles of spirits are expensive as the majority of them are imported and have special taxes applied to them, so if that's what you want to drink, you should buy one between a group. Generally, entry to clubs is free for women, so men should expect to have to pay, your entry will cost $10 minimum.

Water and electricity bills are cheap, but I recommend you always try to save so that you can pay as little as possible. My grandmother lives alone and she pays around $8 for water and $10 for electricity. There are different tariffs available on the internet, like monthly plans that start from $15 a month. Cable TV or similar costs about $15 a month, as well.

Some price examples:

• Food from the Parque del Marisco restaurant $6
• Cinema ticket $5
• Water (a jerrycan) $1, 50
• Cola Coca 1. 5l $1
• A pound of rice $0. 60
• A litre of milk $0. 80
• Tuna $0. 70
• An egg $0. 15

Was it difficult for you to find accommodation in Manta? Do you have any advice?

I live with my parents.

But it's easy to find somewhere to rent, there are a lot of student rooms around the ULEAM, you only have to look at the adverts. You won't find them on the internet, so it's better to come and look in person or to ask someone who lives in Manta for help.

Generally, those who are coming to study and find somewhere to live in the city come and look over all of the different options first. The best way to look is through the adverts posted around the university, this way you just go to the address or you get in contact with the person who is advertising to decide a date to view the place. Unfortunately, people don't normally post rental offers online, but you can join a Facebook group for ULEAM students and write a post saying that you're looking for a flat and you'll definitely get a lot of offers that way. I do recommend that you go and see it with your own eyes so that you can decided if you like the location, etc. You should bear in mind that Manta isn't like a city in Europe and you're not going to find anything that's particularly beautiful in terms of infrastructure. Generally, the people are working class and middle class, so the houses are modest but comfortable, so you should go and check that it's to your liking before you make any decisions.

What is the food like? What are some of your favourite dishes?

Ecuadorian food is very varied, since the country is divided into 4 regions: the Costa or coast (where Manta is), the Sierra or mountains (where the capital is and where it's really cold), the Amazon (the rain forest, where the indigenous people live) and the Galapagos Islands (where hardly any Ecuadorians have actually ever been).

Depending on which region you go to, you'll find different dishes and flavours, the people on the coast will always say that their food is the best in the country, because it's the truth! You can find anything in Manta, meat, chicken and a lot of fresh seafood straight out of the sea and onto the table, for very low prices. In the mountains, you'll find different food, guinea pig for example, their famous hornado (slow roasted pork) and salads. But all of the tourists from the mountains who visit Manta year after year love our gastronomy. Rice is very common in the city and in the country, so don't be surprised if you ask for spaghetti and they give you rice.

My favourite dishes are:

• El ceviche (fish)
• El encebollado (fish based)
• Camarones Reventados (prawns)
• Pescado apanado (breaded fish)
• Arroz con menestra y carne-pollo (rice with vegetable soup and meat or chicken)
• Manta barbecue
• Torta de Choclo (corn pudding)
• Bollo (a bun made from corn, yuca or potato)
• Cazuela de mariscos (seafood casserole) - delicious!
• El morocho ( a thick sweet drink or spiced corn pudding)
• and many other traditional national dishes.

What places would you recommend visiting in Manta?

• La Playa el Murciélago
• Plaza (nightlife area)
• La Playa Los Frailes (the best unspoiled beach in the country)
• Avenida Flavio Reyes (the tourist area)
• The Manta shopping centre
• The Manicentro
• The Mantacentro
• Manta Museum
• The cycle route from Manta to San Mateo

And to eat in Manta? What are your favourite places?

• El resero (expensive)
• El chamaco (expensive) $10 for a dish
• La ambulancia del sabor (affordable)
• Playita mía
• Parque del Maoisco
• The shopping centre
• Maido
• Bocaditos Chica
• Picantería Génesis

Where would you recommend to go on a night out in Manta?

• Avenida Flavio Reyes
• Plaza
• Piedra Larga

Is there any other advice that you could give to students going to Manta in the future?

If you're from Europe and you come to Manta, I recommend you come with an open mind, since we have different cultures and coming across things that aren't like anything from your country is inevitable. But Manta is a pretty and welcoming city, where the people are friendly and you'll definitely feel welcome. I recommend you come ready to enjoy the heat, the beach and the delicious food.