Guayaquil
01 July 2008 | Guayaquil, Ecuador
Heather
We left Hiatus in Bahia de Caraquez where she will remain safe until we return to her in a month's time. It is a 5 hour bus ride south to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador and the closest international airport to Bahia. Arriving in Guayaquil we checked into a nice hotel for 2 nights in the downtown area ($25/night) and set out on foot to do some exploring.
Guayaquil didn't have the best reputation as a safe city for quite some time. Major efforts have been made to revitalize the city but it is still evident by stationed armed guards on every street corner downtown that the city would like even greater improvements. One of the most spectacular efforts to improve the city was the Malacon 2000 restoration project which is a waterfront walkway that consists of a mix of play areas, food, and shopping. It is a fantastic design and safe to stroll day or night (with the help of armed guards every few 100 yards). The second major improvement to the city has been the revitalization of the Las Penas neighborhood, which is at the northeast end of the city center and where the Malacon 2000 ends. This area is the artistic center of the city. Many of the area's 400-year-old houses have been converted into art galleries, bars and small restaurants. 444 stairs climb through this neighborhood to a fort and lighthouse (Cerro Santa Anna) with a spectacular view of the city.
Our hotel was next to Parque Centenario which is the largest park downtown, occupying four city blocks. Benches are shaded by huge trees and always filled with people. The most interesting park in the city though is Parque Seminario which is home to hundreds of iguanas(see above picture). These iguanas run free and can be up to 5 ft in length. It is quite a sight to watch small children feed iguanas in a park instead of feeding the usual pigeons we have at home.
We hit the major sights in Guayaquil before catching our red eye flight back to the US. After 14 hours of traveling we were tired but excited to be back in Portland, OR and visit with friends and family.