Guayaquil, Ecuador

January 12, 2008

The Ecuadorian pilot boarded the ship early to guide us through the Canal Del Murro and into the buoyed channel of the Guayas river. Escorted by dolphins, we arrived in the bustling port of Guayaquil (pronounced gYi-a-keel) around eleven in the morning. As with most of the ports we enter, we were surrounded by freighters that were loading and un-loading the large containers….but Guayaquil was different…there were thousands and thousands and thousands of these containers…many refrigerated and loaded with bananas. I was reminded of a documentary where a creative architect had designed a city using discarded containers for low-income housing and thought that he could find all the containers he would ever need here.

With over three million residents, Guayaquil is the largest city of Ecuador…and serves as the economic hub of the city. Although, like any large city, there are the inevitable slums, overall the city is relatively clean. Abounding with parks and public spaces, the city had a certain energy that is positive and productive.

We visited an outdoor “living museum” that showcased various species of animal and plant life of the area along with a collection of restored buildings from the late 18th century. From the wealthiest to the poorest, it was most interested to see how the locals lived…and worshiped…during this time. Colorful interiors with lots of mosaic tiles adorned the wealthier homes, while ingenious use of all manner of plant life eased the lives of the less fortunate.

An extensive tour thru the city gave us a glimpse of the new “upper class” of Ecuadorians who, like so many Americans, enjoy living in gated communities.

Visiting the famed “Iguana Park” was one of the highlights of the day. Located directly in front of the most impressive cathedral, this public park is a gathering place for scores of large iguanas. Locals and tourists alike flock to see colorful men feeding these very tame, if scary looking, creatures. One had to be careful to keep some enterprising “caretaker” from draping one of these green creatures around your neck for a photo…tip expected, of course! Likewise, it soon became clear that you had to be careful where you walked…iguanas like to evade the trees and they don’t mind where they rid themselves of the abundance of food they eat. If watching these four-legged creatures wasn’t fun enough, there was plenty to see of the two-legged variety as well. For some strange reason the young lovers of the city have chosen this park as they favorite place too neck. Every bench in the park was taken with a couple that were oblivious to anyone else but themselves. What a sight.

So…now it is on to Peru! The grand voyage continues.