Hotel Ambato Guayaquil

... br><br>After a hard days orientation, I thought it was apt to taste a local beer called CONQUER!!!<br><br>That´s it for now folks - I think there are others keen to use the computer and since it is gratis in this particular hostel, I think I ought to move on over and give you guys reading my extra long blog, a break!<br><br>Unfortunately the hostel computer does not recognise my camera so I can´t upload the photo´s right now - I will do as soon as I can.<br><br>Until next time ...

... journey would take 8 hours, which we were mentally prepared for, but it took 10 in the end! 5 of those hours were spent going south at first (a good sign) then west (not great), then North (definitely the wrong way) and we believed we were on the wrong bus. After 5 hours we had travelled about 130kms, we were west of Quito instead of South and still another 300kms away from Guayaquil. We were so off-piste on the journey that even our trusty guide book doesn&#8217;t detail the route we ...

... last night. I needed to escape the noise and especially the mosquitoes that have left me looking like I have acne after I was feasted on during the night. I slept like a log although was awoken once more by the screeching birds. Things didn't improve when I watched a dismal Liverpool performance against Spurs - we definitely won't be winning anything this year based on that tripe! <br><br>So, now I'm in Cuenca after a stunning bus journey through the mountains. After this, Peru?<br>

... largest city in Ecuador. It lies on the southern coast and is agonizingly hot and humid compared to mountain-cooled Quito. I arrived at the bus station and was so disoriented and exhausted that I walked into the taxi driver&#8217;s hangout instead of the bus station. Luckily I could somewhat speak Spanish at that hour and the weathered old men didn&#8217;t laugh too much at the silly gringa. My friend, Diana ...

... the whole night. Wheh. Arrived in Guayaquil at about 3 the next day and took a cab to the hotel. I had the address for the driver but that didn't seem to help and he couldn't find it. I finally told him to just drop me off and I walked up and down the street looking, asking three times...and finally ...

... my stuff at her apartment) with Kahyda downtown. While Kahyda was working I had a blast walking through Guayaquil's streets, which does remind me a lot of Lima, but it seems a lot more crowded (maybe because I was in the downtown area?). There are several beautiful parks, including the "iguana park", which is famous for having tooons of iguanas crawling all over the place. Then I walked down to the (somewhat newly renovated - a few years ...

... The little coach bus took us to our nice hotel right across the street from Iguana Park, and by 3AM we were in bed. We could have been really mad about the situation, but tried to be positive. At least we got to see Guayaquil, and a bit of the Malecon. Iguana Park was so cool, there were so many Iguanas lounging in the trees, and tanning in the sun. We had a good breakfast that the hotel ...

... but when I begin to speak english they change there tune because they know I have money and am not a local. So, I enter the establishment to merely take up space and order nothing! If I can make them lose money for 10 minutes as payback for their obvious disrespect, good for me and shame on you. Otherwise the trip has been great. On an added note me and my girlfriend have become very close in these past 6 months ...

... to see in the rest of Guayaquil and it doesn´t feel particularly safe in the centre. An American even warned us not to stop and open our bag in public when we were walking back a few hundred yards from the Malecon to our hotel... We stayed in a hotel that is specifically recommended in our guidebook as being safe and decided one day was enough to see the highlights!

... very difficult. His wife Priscilla, his 9year old daughter Genesis (pronounced Hen e sis) and his mother-in-law Gladys drove me to the Cuenca airport. Little Genesis was in tears basically all the way and the floodgates opened when she had to say her final goodbye. As I said, the family adopted me and Tony. Well back to the travelling...