March 31st, 2006. A small town 15 minute bus ride south of the coastal city of Montanita, Ecuador. Jon and I duck into a sand floored restaurant for an almuerzo and are led down to the back porch of the restaurant, the Pacific Ocean. Here we are greeted by a pair of hammocks strung under independent bamboo palapas. We’re then delivered Cuba Libres gratis and proceed to order another 3 rounds before our modest rice and meat arrived.

Under the dried leaves and robust bamboo of my very own palapa I felt safe. I was protected from the vicious equatorial sun while I hung, suspended above the lava sand below. The breeze pushed through the weave of the hammock and gave me just enough momentum to serve as a subtle rocker.

After almuerzo Jon and I slept beneath our palapas for the better part of two hours. Finally waking up we had to catch the bus home before there was no more. I had made my mind up. I needed to put a palapa in my back yard. The solution to all my hardscaping woes.

Thus on March 31st, 2006 the idea for my palapa was born.