Guayaquil Ecuador Jan 9,2015

M, Mary Hess wrote: Guayaquil, Ecuador January 9,2015 Guayaquil is the second largest city in Ecuador after the capital Quito. It is located about 50 miles up the Guaya River which flows in to the Pacific. We are sailing on the OceanPrincess which is a small cruise ships with about 600 other passengers. this makes for a congenial intimate setting for a 25 day cruise which will end in Tahiti. Guayaquil is the only port that we haven't been to previously . It is rarely visited as it has had a poor reputation for violent crime . I did not have high hopes for a pleasant visit but I could not have been more wrong. The main port itself mostly used for exporting flowers, bananas , melon, cacao and oil is about 30 minutes drive from downtown. We took a shuttle bus from this area. However prior to embarking on the bus I was approached by a tall gentleman in a nice suit who introduced himself as from the tourist board and asked if he could ask me a few questions. Well I had only traveled 20 feet in his country but I agreed . Immediately I was surrounded by several reporters and 2 camera crews all shoving microphones in my face. I made the mistake of mentioning I understood a loiter Spanish so they asked me to respond in Spanish. Not even sure what I said but I guess I was on Ecuador TV viewers last night. Once in the city proper we alighted at the Semenario Park home to hundreds of giant iguanas which are tame and habituated to humans. It was fascinating to watch them and I could have spent the day there. But after a quick peek at the Cathedral with its side altar bearing a picture , I swear of Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, really some saint but .....we walked a couple blocks to the river edge where the city fathers have constructed the male on 2000. This is a mile long promenade which was just beautiful. It varied in width and design as you walk along. there was a botanical garden , children's rides,museums, statues of Bolivar and San Martin the founding fathers. At the end of the promenade was the neighborhood of Las Penas which is the oldest part of the city. The small houses ran along a cobbled street with every imaginable color , lime, cantaloupe, peach, lemon, bright yellow, pink, light blue, etc. So charming. Many are now art galleries. We then climbed 440 steps up to the old lighthouse or faro. From there a great view of the city. I want to add that the people we saw , no other tourists , just locals were so very friendly. Everyone we passed smiled and wished us Buenas Dias. There were also innumerable security guards who happily answered questions, of course , but only in Spanish. Few spoke even a word of English. This is a city who hasn't been invaded by hordes of tourists yet. Prices were very reasonable ,even cheap. I noticed gasoline was only 1 dollar a gallon. All in all a great port. Sent from my iPa🐪