Last stop, Guayaquil, Ecuador

We headed back to Guayaquil where I would fly home after an enjoyable month. Ecuador had been easy travel. I suppose after India and especially Java, Ecuador was a breeze.

A troublesome tourist

I’m not sure where I remember hearing a woman from the States grumble at top volume to her embarrassed friend.  Firstly, she complained the restaurant where we had also eaten the night before took too long to bring the food. We’d read they cooked everything fresh so naturally we had to wait, but the wait had been worth it.

Ecuador’s protected island – Isla de la Plata

I booked a tour to the island off the coast of Puerto Lopez. My daughter wasn’t interested. Unbeknown to her, she was going to the Galapagos Islands in a couple of weeks so just as well she didn’t waste money touring this island. I, on the other hand, wasn’t. Instead I headed to what was coined the poor person’s Galapagos.

Escape to Ecuador’s Crucita

For some reason you’ll never guess, ha, I couldn’t stand to stay another day in Canoa. I whizzed out of that beach resort and bused to Crucita south of San Vicente right on the coast.

From Bahia de Carauez to dog crazy Canoa

I decided to leave Guayaquil because I had to return for a flight back to Vancouver anyway. I yearned for beach and with all Ecuador’s west coast exposed to the Pacific Ocean, I headed to Bahia de Carauez.

Guayaquil’s Rio Guayas

Guayaquil was steamy after being in the Andes, but a walk beside Rio Guayas gave the illusion of coolness. The entire waterfront was open to the public with water pools, lush vegetation and even a poor toucan locked in a cage.

Guarded Guayaquil

I’d been warned about Guayaquil and what a dangerous city it was, but I found it the most delightful place.

Baffled by Ecuador’s buses

During my entire Ecuador trip, I travelled by bus but I have yet to talk about bus culture as I saw it. Oh yes, the buses were air-conditioned; there was no smoking; you were assigned a seat on long journeys; all things I appreciated. It made bus travel through Ecuador a delight – all except for one thing.

Beach time or so I thought

Being inland up in the Andes for a couple of weeks, I needed to catch some ocean. I headed to Jambeli Island off from Puerto Bolivar, close to the border with Peru.

Saraguro cave hike

Sanaguro was a quaint town with the usual open square and church at its centre. Perched in the southern end of the Andes, this town was tourist free, except for me.