From Cuenca to Guayaquil [Travelblog]
Aug. 16th, 2006 02:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beelikejI'm taking the bus to Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador. It's a beautiful trip through Parque Nacional Cajas (and the guy in front of the bus wasn't bad to look at either;). I was surprised about the amount of cylists on the road: the closer we get to Guayaquil, the more people on bikes we meet! Especially strange since it's a huge freeway with six lanes all the way to the busstation.
When I get to Guayaquil -around 1 p.m.- the station is overwhelming: citybusses drive on and off and they don't show names of streets, but postal-codes on the side, it's very confusing. I take a gamble and jump on a bus that seems to go to the city-center. I'm in luck and end up exactly at the crossing where I want to be, about forty-five minutes later :-)
In the first hotel I try, I find an incredibly slow girl behind the counter and after fifteen minutes of annoyance in front of me, I decide to go to the second adress on my list. Good choice: I get a room in five minutes. The one without hot water is a lot cheaper and since the heat in this city is very humid I guess I can handle a cold shower;-) I freshen up, leave my luggage and walk towards the boulevard.
An observation: so far I had not seen any baby-strolers in Ecuador, but they do use them here. Hardly any scarfs with babies, in Guayaquil kids ride around. And another thing: a lot more smokers in this town. Bleeech.
The area by the waterside (The Bay of Guayaquil) is developed a couple of years ago and exists of a luxiourious boulevard with shops and a very lovely park. It all looks very new and clean. At the north-side I climb a couple of steps into artsy area 'Las Peñas', but when I reach step number 143 I've had enough and go back down. It's very warm and even near the water there is hardly any wind. Not my favourite temperature, but I enjoy the walk. When I reach the south-side of the boulevard I have diner with a view of the Bay. It's the most disgusting meal I've had in this country: to accompany the rice and schnitzel (meat in between a crust of fried breadcrumb) I got to choose between vegetables of mashed potatoes. Of course I chose the latter and that wasn't the worst combination I've tried. But the meat was just horrendous: there was about 8 times as much crust as meat and the fried slice of animal in the middle had the quality of the soles of my shoes. It's the first time I don't finish my meal.
While it's getting dark I walk through the busy streets back to my hotel. In between the tall buildings I can see the beautiful sunset. The city itself is not very impressive. I've really made the right decision to spent most time in Cuenca.
Oh and another thing I noticed in Ecuador, but especially in Guayaquil: here it doesn't matter how old you are or what size you wear: if shirts above the belly-button are the fashion, you shall wear them. Silly women.Call me old fashioned, but I don't want to see anyone's belly (man or woman), unless I'm on a first name basis and then I'd still would like to get a proper warning beforehand. Thank you.
Next day: Back to Quito
Pictures week 3
When I get to Guayaquil -around 1 p.m.- the station is overwhelming: citybusses drive on and off and they don't show names of streets, but postal-codes on the side, it's very confusing. I take a gamble and jump on a bus that seems to go to the city-center. I'm in luck and end up exactly at the crossing where I want to be, about forty-five minutes later :-)
In the first hotel I try, I find an incredibly slow girl behind the counter and after fifteen minutes of annoyance in front of me, I decide to go to the second adress on my list. Good choice: I get a room in five minutes. The one without hot water is a lot cheaper and since the heat in this city is very humid I guess I can handle a cold shower;-) I freshen up, leave my luggage and walk towards the boulevard.
An observation: so far I had not seen any baby-strolers in Ecuador, but they do use them here. Hardly any scarfs with babies, in Guayaquil kids ride around. And another thing: a lot more smokers in this town. Bleeech.
The area by the waterside (The Bay of Guayaquil) is developed a couple of years ago and exists of a luxiourious boulevard with shops and a very lovely park. It all looks very new and clean. At the north-side I climb a couple of steps into artsy area 'Las Peñas', but when I reach step number 143 I've had enough and go back down. It's very warm and even near the water there is hardly any wind. Not my favourite temperature, but I enjoy the walk. When I reach the south-side of the boulevard I have diner with a view of the Bay. It's the most disgusting meal I've had in this country: to accompany the rice and schnitzel (meat in between a crust of fried breadcrumb) I got to choose between vegetables of mashed potatoes. Of course I chose the latter and that wasn't the worst combination I've tried. But the meat was just horrendous: there was about 8 times as much crust as meat and the fried slice of animal in the middle had the quality of the soles of my shoes. It's the first time I don't finish my meal.
While it's getting dark I walk through the busy streets back to my hotel. In between the tall buildings I can see the beautiful sunset. The city itself is not very impressive. I've really made the right decision to spent most time in Cuenca.
Oh and another thing I noticed in Ecuador, but especially in Guayaquil: here it doesn't matter how old you are or what size you wear: if shirts above the belly-button are the fashion, you shall wear them. Silly women.Call me old fashioned, but I don't want to see anyone's belly (man or woman), unless I'm on a first name basis and then I'd still would like to get a proper warning beforehand. Thank you.
Next day: Back to Quito
Pictures week 3