Pablo Prado, an experienced tour guide who speaks excellent English, and can provide transportation (even with animals) and more: shopping for your home, translation, setting up health insurance, errands, securing an Ecuador phone number, finding the best places to stay while in Quito, transporting your things to the coast, buying a vehicle and legalizing it, etc. Pablo and his wife, Sylvana (a physician in Quito), lived in Bahia for a time, so they are very familiar with the north central coast.
E-mail: vianaturapablo@yahoo.com
Blog: http://pablopradoservicesforexpatsecuad.blogspot.com
Jorge Perez is a tour guide with great English skills who can drive you from Manta to Bahia and beyond. E-mail: jope80@gmail.com; Cell: 084-060-231
David Day is an expat who also provides transportation near the Bahia area and north.
E-mail: papacitouno@yahoo.com
To get to Salinas, fly to Guayaquil and rent a car or hire a driver to take you to Salinas ($60-$100). An English-speaking driver you might try is Will Rodriguez: willienavy70@gmail.com; cell: 08-699-2334.