Ecuador - Guayaquil

24th - 25th July ´08

The evening that we arrived in Guayaquil, the city had erupted with scenes of jubilation. It was the birthday of Simon Bolivar (Independance hero) marking a week of festivities...thousands of people had taken to the streets, old and young, celebrating in any way they knew how. After making our way into the town centre and checking into our prebooked accommodation, we headed out to Malecon 2000 - a flagship development lined with bars and restaurants that spanned 2.5km along the River Guayas. We were told that this was a safe area to be in...several blocks away from the river was deemed dangerous (the presence of police on many street corners did instil some level of confidence and reminded us of our stay in Cuba). That night we walked along the riverside promenade listening to live bands whilst eating food from stalls and absorbing the celebratory mood.

The following morning, after talking to an American geneologist about his travels through Peru, we made our way to the historic neighbourhoods of Las Penas and Cerro Santa Ana. These quaint hillside villages had been transformed into idyllic areas with colourful homes and cobblestone streets. We climbed up the 433 steps of Cerro Santa Ana, past numerous galleries and cafes, where the lighthouse and fort were located. In the evening we dined at a parilla (local speciality grills) before the night sky was continously lit up with the explosions of fireworks (today was Guayaquil Foundation Day and the President of Ecuador had arrived to make a speech).

As had been recommended by other travellers, 2 nights was sufficient time in Guayaquil, partly because of the safety aspects but primarily because we had seen the main highlights... we had been very fortunate to find flights to the Galapagos Islands for the following morning and we were looking forward to the wildlife experience of a lifetime.