I remember the day like it was yesterday. Boarding the Panamerican Express to Guayaquil Ecuador. It was a sunny morning, the mood on the public transport was somber. Almost like, something was going to happen. The bus twisted and winded up the Andean highways, I sat next to a clean cut ecuadorian gentleman. He introduced himself as Juan Carlos, a tax collector from Santo Domingo. I will get back to Santa Domingo later in the story. Juan Carlos was cordial or amable and spoke about various things, safety issues and various parts of Ecuador. Juan Carlos was quite insightful and just reiterated my current beliefs which you will learn as you follow this blog. I had the good fortune of meeting Juan Carlos because as the trip progressed. Things took a dark twist.
Santa Domingo is around four hours from Quito. On the road to Santa Domingo, I began to notice water falls on the left hand side of the bus. If you take the trip, the left hand side, or driver's side is best. These waterfalls become increasingly beautiful as the road unfolds. I had my camera handy and snapped photos out the window. This probably wasn't a good idea because, flashing wealth can increase your odds of an encounter with thief or ladrone.
The bus winded up mountains and screamed down into the valleys. My heart raced on the decents and the Xanax coursing through my veins turned out to be a god send. Around five hours into the trip, we arrived at a bus stop, a sort of a food break that is common on buses in Ecuador. Just before departing the bus, Juan Carlos offered the following advice, "take your backpack with you". He was a kind man and as he instructed, I carried my pack along to a cafeteria on the side of the road. I had a large lunch, mote, fritada, jugos y choclo, all of which are delicacies that will drive your palate wild. Upon returning to the transport, the mood changed on the bus. An italian tourist left his pack on the bus only to return and find it gone. The bus driver made an announcement and a search went under way. The pack was stolen from under the bus. Don't ask me how this happened but, I do know one thing. He had a nice pack. I noticed it at the terminal in Quito. A word to the wise, if you have good gear keep it near you at all times.
The last leg of the trip went relatively well. Juan Carlos departed in Santo Domingo, a small town famous for crime but, on the face, it is quite beautiful. There are numerous waterfalls, a lush green landscape and a earth colored river that runs through it. Before Juan Carlos departed, he gave me his contact information. I was impressed by him and will probably call in the future. The bus stop in Santo Domingo was unimpressive but, the landscape was a rich green and greenery was everywhere.Santa Domingo is around four hours from Quito. On the road to Santa Domingo, I began to notice water falls on the left hand side of the bus. If you take the trip, the left hand side, or driver's side is best. These waterfalls become increasingly beautiful as the road unfolds. I had my camera handy and snapped photos out the window. This probably wasn't a good idea because, flashing wealth can increase your odds of an encounter with thief or ladrone.
The bus winded up mountains and screamed down into the valleys. My heart raced on the decents and the Xanax coursing through my veins turned out to be a god send. Around five hours into the trip, we arrived at a bus stop, a sort of a food break that is common on buses in Ecuador. Just before departing the bus, Juan Carlos offered the following advice, "take your backpack with you". He was a kind man and as he instructed, I carried my pack along to a cafeteria on the side of the road. I had a large lunch, mote, fritada, jugos y choclo, all of which are delicacies that will drive your palate wild. Upon returning to the transport, the mood changed on the bus. An italian tourist left his pack on the bus only to return and find it gone. The bus driver made an announcement and a search went under way. The pack was stolen from under the bus. Don't ask me how this happened but, I do know one thing. He had a nice pack. I noticed it at the terminal in Quito. A word to the wise, if you have good gear keep it near you at all times.
The road from Santo Domingo to Guayaquil is quite different from roads in the Sierras or Andes. The road is lined with Banano, Seda, Piña and the various crops grown in the south. The wind changes between Santa Domingo and Guayaquil, it starts to blow warmer around mid way. The area between Santo Domingo and Guyaquil is referred to as the "Campos" or in english, "the country". The warm wind of Guayaquil awakens the senses and soon, the environment becomes dry and the city emerges, Guayaquil.
The bus stop in Guayaquil was interesting place, it was directly across from the airport and like any bus station in any country, flat screen tvs and people waiting for their transport. I had good fortune and found a taxi to downtown Guayaquil after five minutes. This was a good luck because Guayaquil is full of thieves and criminals. If you don't believe me, watch the local news on RTU.
Once I boarded the taxi, the driver was friendly and recommended the Hotel Alexander. He gave me a ride for five US, a tad bit steep but, effective. The hotel was 15 a night, with cable and no air conditioning. Which was fine for me, I like warm air. At the price point of 15 dollars, remember, the hotel's are cash enterprises. Don't make a stupid gringo move like I did and not have enough cash. However at this one location, The hotel was kind and sent a bellhop with me to get money out of an ATM. It was quite scarey, my first ATM wouldn't take my card but, the second one worked fine. The Bank of Guyaquil usually works but, has a two dollar service fee.
It is important to note. And a city like Guayaquil isn't too safe at night. Despite its tranquility and beauty, it can turn ugly quick. It reminds me of a saying of my father, "when I went to bed with her, she was a ten and upon waking up with her, she was a two". Use caution in the streets of Guayaquil and for chissakes have a guide. I was lucky, got my money, paid my nights fee and had dinner at the hotel restaurant.
The hotel turned out to be a good run for the money, it had Wifi a bonus but, I didn't have a computer. Anyway, a bald guy from San Francisco covered with Tattoo's had a computer. He surfed the internet the whole night. Upon talking to him, he told me, " I am heading to Burning Man". Small world, all my friends go that crazy festival. I am not a dust and smoke man. I pass but, he turned out to be good company. I went to bed early that night; the room didn't have air conditioning but, a good quality fan and a window did the trick just fine. I slept fine and upon waking up. It was off to the airport.
It isn't as easy as that but, here it is the story. I first wanted to find a travel agency. Not an easy task in central Guayaquil. I walked around ten blocks and found an agency. The prices for the Galapagos were high, around fifteen hundred for a tour, lodging and guides. I wasn't up with parting with that kind of money. Moreover, I noticed at the travel agency, my watch was missing. I left it at the hotel. It was a Swiss Army original around ten years old but, still worked. I decided to take the gamble and against all odds head back to the Hotel Alexander and see if my watch was about. I had amazing luck, after taking a taxi back. The cleaning lady at the hotel saved my watch in a bag. I had my trusty time piece once again. And talk about amazing, petty theft is common place in Ecuador and my watch was back in my hands, a true miracle. Now it was off to airport on a self organized tour of the Galapagos.
I wasn't too happy with paying for taxi and so, I asked around for the local bus, got fortunate and found one, it stopped right in front of the hotel. For a quarter, not a bad deal. The bus dropped me off in front of the airport. I walked through a parking lot and straight to the Aerogal, Air Galapagos. I purchases a ticket directly from them for three hundred and fifty dollars but, with a snag, the plane left the next day at 11:00a. I headed back to the Alexander using the bus in front of the airport, checked back in and decided to take a walk.
Guayaquil is a warm and beautiful place. I walked from my hotel to a place called the Malacon. On the way to the Malacon, I came across the Iguana Park. It is a beautiful park full of Iguanas. The mammals are content and docile. It is definitely a must see in Guayaquil. If you want to get there, just tell a taxi driver, "yo quiero visitar el Iguano parque". Everyone knows where the park is and people come from all over the view the beautiful creatures. I enjoyed chatting with member of the Guayaquileño congress, he was quite a nice guy, on lunch break with his family. He told me about the park and how just a few Iguanas many years ago propagated into the large population. I had good fortune so far in meeting people in Ecuador. The people of Ecuador are down to earth and, in general, very friendly. A short conversation with an average citizen makes it easy to forget the craziness of America.
After departing the park, a short distance later. I was at the Malacon. The Malacon is beautiful, it has statues, rustic wood walk ways, cheap food, a huge mall and lots of entertainment. I walked the mall had a few dollar beers and had lunch at the Guayaquil Yacht Club. The Yacht club is a first class establishment, it has a mariner design scheme with waiters in suits.The only people in the Yacht club on this day were a group of Orientals. They seemed to be enjoying themselves and didn't give me a look. I had ceviche, fried fish, ice cream a beer for around twenty bucks, Not bad deal for a ton of food, when I travel on a budget, at times, it is nice to splurge and live a little. If you want a taste of the high life in Guayaquil, check out the Yacht Club, you won't regret it.
I finished lunch and took a cruise up the the Rio Guayas. The cruise office is close to the Guayaquil Yacht club just a few hundred yards away. I paid ten dollars for the cruise. It was a real bargain, I got to see the whole city from the river. On board the cruiser, I met a Argentinian man who was a Opera singer at the Guayaquil Opera House. He was a kind man, we had coffee together but, didn't have much luck getting it. The lady who worked refreshments on the boat was more interested in providing alcohol. The singer became frustrated but, managed to tell me his life story. I would discuss it but, was drinking some rum, my memory is fuzzy.
After the tour ended, he departed by this time, I met a Venezuelan software engineer and his wife. The man had some luck and his wife was hot. I stayed on board with them got drunk on rum. The cruise heated up too, I got to flirt with some hot Guayaquilenas. And as my good fortune dictates, my Venezuelan friend paid for the second tour. By the time, the cruise was over. The view of Guayaquil was spactacular, all the lights dotted the skyline. It truly is a beautiful place.
After my cruises, I was stoned drunk and feeling pretty good. I had to decide what was next. Find a disco and get some or head to bed. I choose to head to sleep. Probably a safe decision. Guayaquil is famous for being a haven of criminals. I caught a taxi this time, made it home, watched some cable TV and nooded off. Tomorrow would be a big day, the Galapagos were waiting to be explored.
Guayaquil is a warm and beautiful place. I walked from my hotel to a place called the Malacon. On the way to the Malacon, I came across the Iguana Park. It is a beautiful park full of Iguanas. The mammals are content and docile. It is definitely a must see in Guayaquil. If you want to get there, just tell a taxi driver, "yo quiero visitar el Iguano parque". Everyone knows where the park is and people come from all over the view the beautiful creatures. I enjoyed chatting with member of the Guayaquileño congress, he was quite a nice guy, on lunch break with his family. He told me about the park and how just a few Iguanas many years ago propagated into the large population. I had good fortune so far in meeting people in Ecuador. The people of Ecuador are down to earth and, in general, very friendly. A short conversation with an average citizen makes it easy to forget the craziness of America.
After departing the park, a short distance later. I was at the Malacon. The Malacon is beautiful, it has statues, rustic wood walk ways, cheap food, a huge mall and lots of entertainment. I walked the mall had a few dollar beers and had lunch at the Guayaquil Yacht Club. The Yacht club is a first class establishment, it has a mariner design scheme with waiters in suits.The only people in the Yacht club on this day were a group of Orientals. They seemed to be enjoying themselves and didn't give me a look. I had ceviche, fried fish, ice cream a beer for around twenty bucks, Not bad deal for a ton of food, when I travel on a budget, at times, it is nice to splurge and live a little. If you want a taste of the high life in Guayaquil, check out the Yacht Club, you won't regret it.
I finished lunch and took a cruise up the the Rio Guayas. The cruise office is close to the Guayaquil Yacht club just a few hundred yards away. I paid ten dollars for the cruise. It was a real bargain, I got to see the whole city from the river. On board the cruiser, I met a Argentinian man who was a Opera singer at the Guayaquil Opera House. He was a kind man, we had coffee together but, didn't have much luck getting it. The lady who worked refreshments on the boat was more interested in providing alcohol. The singer became frustrated but, managed to tell me his life story. I would discuss it but, was drinking some rum, my memory is fuzzy.
After the tour ended, he departed by this time, I met a Venezuelan software engineer and his wife. The man had some luck and his wife was hot. I stayed on board with them got drunk on rum. The cruise heated up too, I got to flirt with some hot Guayaquilenas. And as my good fortune dictates, my Venezuelan friend paid for the second tour. By the time, the cruise was over. The view of Guayaquil was spactacular, all the lights dotted the skyline. It truly is a beautiful place.
After my cruises, I was stoned drunk and feeling pretty good. I had to decide what was next. Find a disco and get some or head to bed. I choose to head to sleep. Probably a safe decision. Guayaquil is famous for being a haven of criminals. I caught a taxi this time, made it home, watched some cable TV and nooded off. Tomorrow would be a big day, the Galapagos were waiting to be explored.
