Best Western Doral Guayaquil

19th September 2009
Hostal Suite Madrid, Guayaquil, Ecuador (20 USD)
hot and humid
today Sta Elena – Guayaquil (131 kms)
yesterday Montanita – Sta Elena (58 kms)

We spent an extra day chilling out in Montanita, even though there were very few people there, AND the weather was still misty and cool. We found a little place where they did a good pizza, huge and only 7 usd with the best Batidos (fruit, ice and milk smoothie) we ...

... I explained how Jehovah gave evident expectation of his word relating his promises. Jehovah does not want blind faith. Relating this to the resurrection hope, I asked what examples he knew of. Citing Lazarus and Jesus, I could see him being moved emotionally (the sisters had let me control the conversation and now had tears dwell in their eyes) Roger asked how long I was staying in Guayaquil. I said that I leave tomorrow. This solid man now had a tear dwell in his eyes ...

... bus to Chone.

I arrive in chone and take a taxi to the main terminal. It is a small city mostly economical supported by the center hub. I find my bus to guayquil to depart 7 hours into the night. I wait it out by talking with a few of the local kids while we teach each other our native tongues. I also come across something i never knew existed. GIANT GRASSHOPPERS!!! As some of you may might already know, grasshoppers are my ...

... of course) about Cuba's history and their revolution, as told by older (mainly) citizens who had actually been there at the time, some even fighting. One of them was an old poet who said he had been in the guerrilla, and had a great story to tell. Both Yanara and this older man were there at the screening for questions after the film, which was really interesting (although unfortunately there were many rude people during the ...

... tells me that she is asking if I am German. Aleman . ¨No, Americano .¨ She smiles and asks another question, its a slow question, no brainer . I look at her, study her expression and decide that she is asking me where I´m going. I answer Bahia, and then butcher some phrase like ´volunterando plantaron arboles´which may mean volunteering planting trees, it may not. I get the smile, nod and the Crazy Gringo look. This is a precursor of what is to come. Guayaquil is suppose to be a ...

... employee discounts at target impact of walmart on small buisnesses halloween costume ...

... where we gawked at the boats, had some fried patacones (plantains), some strangely bland, but salty seafood, and ice cream (ice cream vendors are stationed approximately every 1.2 blocks....these people are addicted, but still pretty fit looking, so we are trying their diet plan for a while). Other than the river walk, Guayaquil seems to be just a big, humid crazy city, so ...

... we stopped by the main market, where we were harassed to buy whatever they were selling. Arik ended up buying some board shorts to replace the stolen ones from Canoa. Next we walked along the 2.5km riverfront at sunset just soaking up the atmosphere. That night we went to highly recommended Paradilla del Nato, a grill house legend. After a cheap taxi ride into a suburb north ...

... the tip our conman friend requested, the extra Ben had to pay to get his passport stamped and the lack of change coming from the cab driver) to get there.. Plus we had to walk through the roughest, most dangerous neighbourhood I am yet to see. Guayquil... The bus to Guayquil was hot and humid. Nobody was in a particularly good mood. Our spirits were brightened some when the bus pulled into a really modern ...

... es (pas assez à mon goût) et les papillons. C'est un très beau petit parc. Ensuite je suis allée au Centro Comercial San Marino (décidément, devenue accro au shopping?) où j'ai mangé un sandwich végétarien à 3$ (!!!) après quelques petites courses.
J'ai passé l'après-midi dans les banques pour arranger ma croisière aux Galápagos, quelle galère!! Avec 70 personnes pour 4 guichets ouverts.... nous sommes gâtés en Belgique: on râle déjà quand il y a 2 personnes ...