Hotel Palace de Guayaquil

... to Quito, the mornings are cloudy and the afternoons bright. It is warm and humid but much cooler in the evenings.<br><br>We thought we would splash out on a slap &#8211;up meal in a Spanish restaurant. It was not very Spanish at all. An attempt at a Spanish ambience, a few Rioja wines and food that had Iberian flavour in its description only. This must be how Indians feel back in the UK when dining at the local Taj Mahal.<br><br>Tomorrow - Galapagos Islands - we can't wait!!<br><br>

... scenery totally changed to a tropical landscape and we passed banana plantations and saw cocoa, rice, sugar cane and all types of vegetable growing. The weather changed too and it became very hot.<br><br>We got to Guayaquil around 1.30pm. We are staying at the Hampton Inn in the centre of the downtown area. It is run/owned by Hilton Hotels so is a comfortable business type hotel rather than the previous two character hotels. We have enjoyed our stay as it has all the conviences you ...

... br><br>The next day we saw some of the sights of Guayaquil. It is a port town so eating fish was a necessity. We went to the Caraguay Market that lies right on the port. I had shrimp ceviche, which is a soup served cold with shrimp that has been marinated in lemon juice, cilantro, onions and green pepper. I like it with chifles, which are basically potato chips, but made from plantains. The market was a chaotic ...

... s footprint so as not to interfere with the house next door; and to begin digging 4-foot holes to secure the foundation. This bamboo shelter would become the new home of Bexy, Oscar and their 7-year-old daughter, a small family compared to the others we had met. It would have no running water or electricity and would encompass the size of my living room. But for Bexy and Oscar, it would be a much-welcomed leg up from homelessness ...

... kijken wat de mogelijkheden zijn om naar de Galapagos te gaan. Het zal sowieso een dure grap worden (een maand budget in een week er doorheen jagen) maarja als je dan toch hier bent... En aangezien Rinske over een kleine twee weken terug vliegt was het nodig om ff vaart te maken. Daarbij komt dat Peru mijn minst favoriete ...

... 50c por ser estudiantes. Bastante interesante el recorrido por el museo. Vi algunas pinturas que me gustaron mucho. Papi, vi un cuadro en el piso que era como un gran plano y me acordé de ti de una. También me acordé de ti cuando iba caminando por uno de los caminos del malecón y vi una rampa para discapacitados. Jajaja....yo dije, "uyy que bien que tengan en cuenta a los discapacitados", una frase que tu siempre dices. La ...

... the charming Andean markets of Baños and Riobamba, it was more like Clydach market on a Sunday according to Catrin! In the town centre, next to the Cathedral was Boliviar Plaza. As we walked in through its grand gate, we were greeted by an enormous iguana! We followed it as it shuffled slowly accross our path and up a tree, and as our eyes levelled, we noticed the park was teaming with them! Around twenty had gathered to bask ...

... around it's historical centre, including the presidential palace, complete with armoured vehicles on every corner. Though in the end 6 hours would be enough. Huaraz... We never really sat down as a group and decided to go to Huaraz straight from Lima, but given trekking in the Peruvian cordilleras was part of the original plan, and nobody came up with a better suggestion, we all ended up there. The reason I ...

Well that´s about it from Ecuador. Join me for more exciting installments of Dom does South America coming at you from Peru. Ecuador was brilliant and I am sad to have left. It is a beautiful country with awe inspiring scenary and wildlife. The people we met were friendly and proud of their Country. Unforgettable! Thanks to everyone involved!

... when I arrived at the hostel. How could someone have stolen it? <br><br>Maybe I left both the bag and my camera in my hostel in Cuenca? Unfortunately, it was a no-name place that I happened to run across. No way of calling....so.....I'm back on the bus tomorrow morning to Cuenca in the off-chance that I left it there. <br><br>Another five hour bus ride....hopefully for something. UGH!