The Story of our trip to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador & Galapagos Trip 31.7 to 15.8.10

[jimbri]

Wow!!

[caramelo]

ha ha ha, thanks jimbri!

[caramelo]

Sunday, 15th of August

We were sorry that the cruise or expedition to the Galapagos was over. The departure was similar to our arrival with the transfer to the airport in the zodiac boat with our luggage. Our flight with the line "AEROGAL" from Baltra to Guayaquil was at 11:40am arriving in Guayaquil at 2:10pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caramelo]

 

 

 

 

Guayaquil, officially Santiago de Guayaquil, is the largest and most populated city of the Republic of Ecuador with a population near 3 million. The urban area of Guayaquil is ranked among the largest cities in Latin America.

The city got its name after an Indian chief Huancavilca "Guayas" and his wife, "Quil. " The Guayas and Quil (or Kil) Legend says that prisoner Indian chief Guayas discovered that the Spanish wanted to take away his beautiful wife, Kil. He told them he would get them lots of riches if they left his wife alone and granted them freedom. He then took the Spanish up a mountain and asked them for a long strong stick to push up a rock. Once they gave him the spear, he pushed it through his wife's heart and then impaled himself, telling the Spaniards that he was taking two treasures, the river, full of his brother's blood, and his wife, to accompany him up to the land of the Sun.

Guayaquil is the commercial center of the country, with more than half the companies in Ecuador based here, but the city is also beginning to challenge the cultural hegemony of Quito. Apart from shrimp exporting, petroleum refining, food processing and manufacturing, you’ll find a theater, film and art scene growing alongside an already lively club and bar scene that’s fuelled in part by several large universities.

In Guayaquil we had reserved a private local guide to collect us from the airport and to show usthe highlights of Guayaquil, including Bolivar Park, the Centennial Park or Iguana Park, the Administration Square, the Malecon 2000 and Barrio de las Penas.

 

In the new Administration Square there are several heritage buildings, two of which are the most important government buildings in the city: the Municipality of Guayaquil, the Government of Guayas and the old building of the Cantonal Water Company. Located in the heart of the city of Guayaquil, this beautiful square also has the monument of Antonio José de Sucre, one of the pioneers of the liberation of Ecuador.

 

 

 

 

 

[caramelo]

The Church of San Francisco in the Square of the same name:

 

 

 

The spectacular and colorful public exhibition of paintings by the Central Bank Building is a unique peculiarity of Guayaquil. The pictures are changed every 6 months:

 

 

 

 

The monument of the warrier Mariscal Sucre:

 

 

 

 

The Moorish clocktower located on the Malecon Simon Bolivar:

 

 

 

 

At the entrance of the Centennial Park, is this square with the Monument to the Heroes of the Fatherland:

 

 

 

 

The Guayaquil Cathedral is at the heart of the city and has semigotic style towers and is one of the most visited churches in Guayaquil.

[caramelo]

The Bolivar Park, which is also called the Park of the Iguanas is home to many iguanas, some of which approach 5 feet in length. Tourists and locals alike often feed the iguanas mango slices from park vendors. There is also a pond filled with colourful Japanese Tilapia.

An equestrian statue of the Liberator Simón Bolívar is located in the centre of the park. At the base of the statue is the first iguana:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caramelo]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caramelo]

You can see the iguanas in the trees above this guy´s head:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once finished in the Iguana Park, we went to the Malecon 2000 which is an ultramodern promenade along the waterfront, and has a nice contemporary art museum, a large garden area, an area for kids, and a shopping mall, this large park is the biggest architectural development in many centuries in the City of Guayaquil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caramelo]

The monument commemorating the historical conference with Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin finished in 1938:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Barrio las Peñas located at the foot of the Santa Ana hill is an area of the city with a coastal colonial architecture. It was destroyed and reconstructed several times as a consequence of fires, in particular the great fire of 1896. Las Peñas historic streets now house art galleries and artists' studios, the city’s oldest church, Santo Domingo (1548) and the nearby open-air-theatre, the Bogota. Las Peñas, where the city was founded, was actually rebuilt and painted bright colors where most of Guayaquil's colonial buildings are. Las Peñas has been home to presidents, musicians, historians, artists, captains of industry, housewives and fisherman. With a particular architectural style with narrow streets the houses near the river depict the early days of Ecuador with two fronts one for access from the street and the other for access from the river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[caramelo]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Santa Ana hill is a lovely place situated just above the Malecon 2000 and you can see almost the whole city from there. There are 400 odd steps to the top from the Malecon. There is a lighthouse, museum, small chapel and park at the top. Along the stairs, vendors sell water, ice cream and other snacks.

 

 

 

[caramelo]

 

 

Then we went to the Mountain Paradise Lookout where we saw these views of Guayaquil:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finished our tour the guide took us to the airport to catch our international flight back to Spain:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was such a very special trip that we were very sorry when it ended but it was a pleasure to share the experience with all of you.

THE END

[Terre]

Caramelo,

Thank you so much for all the time you took in writing such a wonderful review. I was kept in suspense waiting for the next chapter each day. You experienced such wonderful things and shared them with us so beautifully and in great detail -- I felt like I was there with you! I, too, am sad the story is over...hopefully I can find your future reviews on CC as I know they will be as exciting as this one.

[Canadianhey!]

I always thought that I would like to do this cruise - now I know for sure that I want to do this cruise. Thanks for the review

[Fishfish]

Such a beautiful review! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your trip, step by step. I thoroughly enjoyed every post and learned a lot!

[caramelo]

Thankyou all so much, I´m so glad you enjoyed it! :)

[chocolady88]

But the funniest images were certainly those which we saw in the local fish market with the sea lions and pelicans waiting for their share, ha ha ha........and right next to this sign warning not to give foodt o the animals:

 

We are going in April this year and I don't want to miss this show. Hope we'll see this too...It is funny. Can't wait - dreaming about this trip for over 20 years.

[caramelo]

I guarantee that you will love the trip Chocolady88, it really is something special. Have a great time........ April isn´t long now, it´s just around the corner. ;)

[ejdshannon]

June 2015

 

Obtained Bolivia visa driving in from Peru. $160 per person in US currency, not Boliviana. No photos required.

[hcat]

I think that the football stadium in the next photo could be perhaps the Olympic Stadium Hernando Siles La Paz which is the largest sports complex in Bolivia. It has a Capacity of 42.000 seated to 45.000 spectators if they are located in stands, and was named in honor of Hernando Siles Suazo, the 31st President of Bolivia 1926-1930.

 

 

The stadium is located in the Miraflores area of La Paz, at an altitude of 3.567 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest professional stadiums in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great review but we can only see two photos this one and the oxygen one....

[Host Jazzbeau]

This thread has been lying dormant for 4 years, and OP hasn't posted on CC in almost 2 years.