Ecuador & Peru: Guayaquil

 

The eight hour bus ride from Quito to Guayaquil was a bit difficult for Finn.  Ecuador is a fairly small country but the underdeveloped road system often makes for prolonged journeys. Our son did suffer a bit of motion-sickness and had a vomit episode at about the half way mark.  On the plus side, he lost a lot of energy- which was followed by an extended nap. It was during Finley's nap that Britney and I decided to opt for the 30min flight next time vs. the bus ride.

Guayaquil is the largest city in Ecuador by population, it's a coastal region that offers many great beaches and views.  In an attempt to not only beautify it's main shoreline but also make a run at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Ecuador spent millions of dollars creating a remarkable boardwalk (Malecon 2000) a few miles long.  Sadly, the world was not able to enjoy the upgrade in 2000 because Sydney, Australia hosted the games- but the citizens and visitors have one amazing creation.

The "Imagination" section of the boardwalk had dozens of coin-operated rides for kids and Finn was in love with any item which included a steering wheel.

 

Centrally located on the boardwalk is Ecuador's oldest Lighthouse. There are 444 stairs leading up to the base of the structure.  Atop the hill is also a small Catholic Cathedral- this short hike provides some of the best views of the city.  (Each stair is numbered- Here is Finn at step #001)

The staircase goes directly through a little hillside village called "Las Penas" Some locals sell sodas and ice cream cones out their front windows to aid the visitors in their ascent. (Here we are taking a little break at step #200)

Finn needed a bit of help the last stretch. Almost there!

Step #444, We made it.

Panoramic View from the Lighthouse.

A few short blocks from the boardwalk was our hotel.  The Grand Hotel Guayaquil was very nice and hospitable to our little family and everyone loved Finn.  They have one of the few swimming pools available and we spent lots of time poolside.  We scheduled FIVE days here in Guayaquil and they all went as planned. (Always a plus)

My favorite park in Ecuador is Parque Seminario - often referred to as "Iguana Park"  There are an estimated 500 iguanas in this one square block, all of which are fed quite regularly.  Due to the excessive feeding, these creatures are fairly tame.

Finley wasn't shy or scared in any way.

I met up with one of my favorite people from when I had served 15yrs earlier.  Joseph Merchan went on countless "interchanges / splits" with me when he was only 16.  He has since returned home from his own mission, married his wife (who recognized me as the Elder who interviewed her for baptism) had two children and is now in the Bishopric of the neighboring ward.  It was so good to meet up with them and recount many stories of earlier times.

The LDS Temple was dedicated two months prior to my arrival in 1999.  I may be partial, but I think its one of the most gorgeous structures I've ever seen.  Largely due to its location, it stands tall as the most noble and magnificent building in all of Guayaquil.  Safe to say, its one of my favorites.

We ended up spending over an hour on the grounds. We also stayed for the sunset.

We ended the night a few miles from the Temple grounds at a location the Mission President takes the Elders & Sisters as they end their missions.  "Del Nato's" is traditional BBQ and its savory.  It brought back a few memories.  Perfect ending to a great day.