FACTOIDS:
Never leave your hotel without taking the hotel business
card- simply hand it to the cabbie and sit back.
If you stay at the Hotel Galleria Ming, be warned that I had
credit card information stolen without the actual card (CC) being stolen.
On the topic of CC’s, it is best to take two per person for
just such a situation. It may take
a week or two to get a replacement, which is a long time to be with no money
and few people who speak English.
Before leaving the country, go to your credit card on line
account and set up alarms to notify you of transactions as you see fit. For my Chase card, I set it up to
contact both my email and my phone because sometimes one may work while the
other may not. I specifically have
the fraud alerts activated, and I specifically am notified by phone and email
of every charge that is made, regardless if the card is physically present for
the transaction or not.
I mentioned this before, but worth repeating notify banks
and cc companies of your travel plans.
For more mundane tips, you may find it handy to bring
ketchup of your choice, as the type here is very different from what you are
used to and may not be to your liking.
Other things to bring in small TSA approved containers would be mustard,
coffee creamer, hair shampoo and conditioner. You may also do well to bring a wall plug that will add
electrical outlets and usb charging ports. Ecuador uses standard electricity that is used in the USA.
Impressions of Guayaquil. This is a very large city (3+ million). It is dirty and it is
filthy. By that I mean there is
always dust, sand, and dirt around. On the other hand, there is also whole a
lot of rubbish thanks to people littering, and perhaps to some extent,
inadequate trash collection. I
witnessed a thug spry painting/tagging a bridge at a stoplight.
Guayaquil was at the same time beautiful. The malecon was very interesting but dangerous. There was plenty to do in Guayaquil
with clubs, dancing, drinking, walking, or just enjoying a nice parque or the
malecon. Regardless, I never quite
felt safe, and this colored all impressions I had of the place and the people. I don’t want to revisit this place
again.
Next, photos of Guayaquil (phonetically: Y-ah-keel, as on a
ship). From the best I can tell,
this is the pronunciation as the Guaya-killers call it.
View of the Las Peñas (colonial) district. The area is noted for the colorful homes on the hill (called Cerro Santa Ana, or I will refer to it as the hill), along
with the lighthouse, and church at the very top. In the foreground and to the right is the newly renovated
malecon 2000.
Another view of the Las
Peñas
District with dramatic clouds.
Residents of Guayaquil refer to themselves as “Guayaquileños” Guayaquil
residents are descended from Valdivia people who flourished there from before
2000 BC. Spaniards including Francisco de Orellana (who discovered the Amazon
River and claimed Guayaquil), and others.
Up close and Personal With The Las
Peñas
district. The district has (I
believe) two ways to get in and out.
The usual tourist was is a stairway to the top lined on either side with
shops, and restaurants. Side
streets are also present. Each
street is nicely numbered on the right side on a ceramic tile.
The first pic I took was at #
15. By the time I reached the top,
I figured the numbers were useful to tell paramedics exactly where my cardiac
arrest occurred. Note the girl
sitting on the cannon- more later.
A house along the
way to the top
Typical crowd of shoppers,
tourists, and residents.
Family residence
Restaurant along the way
View at sunset from around midway
up
The final tile, and a welcome sight
indeed. Carrying 35lbs of camera
gear, this was a hike. We also
hired 3 security guards ($30.00 total) to ensure safe passage.
Lighthouse at the top
Chapel at top
Sunset over the Guayas River
Views of Guayaquil from the top
Views of Guayaquil from the top
Views of Guayaquil from the top
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