In the airport, I met up with a couple who were on the earlier plane ride over to the islands. Then I met a couple of sisters from Ecuador who were on the Turtle Bay tour on the island of Santa Cruz, Patricia and Fatima (locals) who were soooo sweet. They helped me score a hotel and taxi. The highlight of Guayaquil is the Malecon 2000, a beach boardwalk filled with eateries, parks, entertainment venues, etc. It was definitely a family spot as there were children and lovebirds everywhere. I took long walks, watched some parades (Independence Day for Guayaquil), checked out some performances, and ate some pretty good food. A local favorite is Ceviche, marinated seafood, very yummy!
The following day, I was invited over to Patricia and Fatima´s house for dinner. The family was lovely and prepared a feast of chicken, boiled potato with cream sauce, and rice. I brought pasteles (sweet bread assortment) for dessert. I got to see the Galapagos photos of the sisters, they were excellent!
The following day, I took a 3 1/2 hour busride to Manta, a coastal city on Ruta del Sol (the sun route) only there was no sun. Nor had there been for the 3 days I was in Guayaquil. I met a sweet young lady seated next to me for the busride, Yesinia. She was so sweet and helped me find a taxi and hotel. She rode to the hotel with me and I invited her to lunch. We had a nice lunch and she went on her way. I took a walk around the city and down to the beach which was lined with eateries. The gray skies and humidity dampened any thoughts of hanging out an extra day in Manta or even continuing up the coast to Esmerelda. That bus wouldn´t even leave until the following evening so I bought a ticket to return to Quito.
I arrived in Quito Tues. night but my luggage didn´t. It was never placed on the bus so I spent the night in a hotel across the street from the terminal. The bus driver was a total sweetheart in helping me locate and get my bags on the next bus. When I went over at 7am, luggage was there and I was able to shower, brush teeth, and change clothes.....Yeh!
After breakfast, I walked to New Quito to look for a room. Most were rented due to a convention but I finally found a cute one run by an Ecuadorian woman who used to live in Torrance (Los Angeles County). The room is clean, with a view of the main street, Amazonas, and in the heart of La Mariscal, a tourist hotspot. I tried a Thai restaurant for lunch...not too good. I tried an Indian restaurant for dinner....not too good. Decided to stick to local dishes and I know where I can get a great bowl of seafood soup for $2 that is excellent!
By the way, my room rates have ranged from $10-$16/night. The average meal has been around $3. American $ are 1:1 and the most commonly used money. In fact, the ATMs spit out USA dollars and I have never seen an Ecuador bill, only coins.
Yesterday, I visited Quito´s Cultural Center and the Musuem of Natural History. I also visited a huge shopping mall which had most of the big designer and brand name stores we have in the States. Today, I think I will play tourist some more and maybe do a lil´earring shopping.
I can hardly believe I´ll be on a plane headed for home tomorrow...so I`m going to stop writing for now so I can remain present and enjoy this beautiful sunny Ecuadorian day!
Peace and Blessings to you all and for all of those who sent me birthday notes, it meant the world to me! Love U Mucho!
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