We go up to the Dining room for breakfast and what do we see on the coveted table? 
Success! The staff reserved our table for us on our last day! 
Even Steve looks happy at my triumph!
The manager told me was going to talk to staff about dining room policies. We said it would be good if they had more round tables. These were the only chairs that were comfortable for Steve also. As Steve was so tall, he had problems fitting his knees under the tables!
It is amazing how little things make me happy! Chocolate on my pillow at a hotel and a reserved sign with my name on it at the best table in the house! I almost wanted to take the sign with us!
Last night we were all packed and sitting around reading in bed after dinner when we realized the air conditioner didn’t seem to be working properly. It would cool a little and then shut down after an hour. Then I would turn it back on. This happened all night long. Finally it stopped working at 4 a.m. It sure did get hot in that room! It was easy to wake up in the morning, we were tired of being hot!
Let’s hope we have better luck in Guayaquil tonight. Then we will be on an airplane and soon we will be home sweet home!
Orange shirt, blue hat was not happy that we had the outside table! She gave me quite the stink eye as she walked by.
Now you might wonder why we didn’t ask to get our room changed last night. We thought that they only had a number of rooms with working equipment. Mr. And Mrs. J were supposed to be in the casitas, but they had no TV or hot water for 24 hours and were then upgraded to a villa. I have no idea if our TV worked as we never turned it on!
On the way to the airport I noted two bags. When I was little I used to get gold nugget bubble gum. Tiny yellow guy pieces were packed in small draw string bags. I think that they contained coffee and were supposed to be given to us as gifts. We never got them, so maybe they were to be brought home to Mrs. Taxi Driver!
So now we have left the highlands and are heading toward the lowlands. Vegetation is getting more sparse, with the land more arid, although there is still some green.
The familiar islands in the distance.
The boats in the harbor where we will pick up the ferry to Baltra where the airport is. The main harbor is in Puerto Ayaro.
Steve is ready to start the trip home. I had checked out mentally a few days ago. We agreed to limit trips to no more than 21 days.
Off in the distance you can see the highland on Santa Cruz Island. This is where we stayed. Most of the lowlands is part of the national park.
Here are the remains of a building that used to be part of a United States Base during World War II.
It was very dry here. The bus had to stop many times on the way from the ferry to the airport for iguanas that were trying to cross the road.
These green things are the planting of prickly pear cacti.
It’s not a big airport.
Remember about how I was wondering if I had people that I might dislike on a cruise? At the airport today we met a gentleman who had just been on a cruise. He said they had several people on his cruise who were always late! That would drive me nuts, or at least a bit more nutty than I already am!
No red footed boobies for sale in the gift shop at the airport, but they did have penguins!
Our plane was delayed so every one got a snack as compensation.
It was strange to see 0 latitude!
Good-bye Galapagos. We are not sure if we will ever go on a cruise. Steve and I have both agreed that we have never been on a boat where we hadn’t wanted to disembark before they let us! Although Steve does enjoy being on his boat, I only like it when the weather is just right, not too hot, just the right breeze and low humidity.
Our flight path.
We did get another snack on the flight. Some of the people worried that as they had gotten one snack already they wouldn’t get the regular snack!
We saw this billboard at the airport. This will be our hotel for the night. We stayed here the night before we left to go to the Galapagos. Many of the flight crews stay here. Last time at breakfast the KLM air crew had a table reserved for them. I didn’t begrudge them as it was a table just like all the others, just reserved for them.
This statue is of Guayas, the ruler the city is named after.
Beyond the fence is the grave yard. As Guayaquil is at sea level and the river floods often the graves are in above ground mausoleums. They can be used four times, then you must pay again.
Here we are at the flower market. It is conveniently located next to the cemetery.
You can also get beautiful arrangements for a candle lit dinner party.
Ecuador is the number one place for rose growing. There are huge farms up on the slopes of the Andes where flowers are grown for export. The weather there is cool and misty. Labor is also very inexpensive. Although England is famous for its roses, it can’t beat long stemmed Ecuadorian roses.
Quinceanera parties, baptisms, first communions, you come here.
The roses that don’t qualify for export are sold here. Usually it is because they are a little too ripe for export. It was a good thing we didn’t get out of the car, I would have spent hours examining all the arrangements. Our guide Lorena told me that she takes guests on trips to the rose farms. She also takes people to banana plantations.
Here is a statue given to the city of Guayaquil by the French.
I’m not sure what she is doing up there, but she looks graceful!
There was a big fire during the turn of the 20th century. These buildings reflect the French influence.
This was a former chocolate trader’s house. The chocolate business was on the main floor and the family lived above. The French loved chocolate. There is much French influence in the architecture of the city.
University of the Arts.
This seal represents Ecuador. From the Andes to the sea.
Here is a statue of Guayas and his wife Quil. When his city was conquered, he killed his son, wife and himself to prevent capture by the Spaniards when his city was doomed. Guayaquil was named after both of them.
The clock tower on the Promenade. It has an Arabic Byzantine dome. A levee has been built to prevent flooding.
Una Via. One Way. Simple things like this make me so happy. That and no table hogging!
Here is the plaza in honor of Simon Bolivar. Bolivar and San Martin freed Ecuador from Spanish rule in the early 19th century.
The Cathedral for Guayaquil is in the background. It was modeled after Norte Dame. It seems the Ecuadorians liked the French better than the Spanish. Our guide Duncan in the Galápagos told me that the Ecuadorians think the accent of Spanish people is too harsh!
This is a banyan tree, it has interesting roots.
This park is famous for its iguanas.
It was almost like Jurassic Park.
Except with pigeons also!
Marching on the ground!
Or up in the trees!
Or even sleeping off a hangover!
There were vendors selling food for the pigeons and iguanas.
Of course there was a sign saying that it wasn’t permitted, but many people just seemed to ignore the prohibition.
You looking at me?
There were snapping turtles.
We were told the fish were tilapia. They looked like carp or koi.
This is Saint Narcissa, the first Saint of Ecuador. Her dress reminds me of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz!
There was an earthquake in 2015. There was much damage to the altar and ceiling. Chile has lots of earthquakes, Ecuador not so many. As it was the first bad earthquake in 300 years, it was a pretty big deal.
Pope John Paul I asked Cardinal Ratzinger to visit Guayaquil in 1978. He later became Pope Benedict XVI.
The clock tower again from the other side.
This statue is made of teak. The promenade was built to prevent the river overflow and flooding of the city.
This is a yellow mango tree.
This is a yellow mango tree.
This tree had red mangos. They are called blood mangos!
Here was a heron that was in the tree.
This is Steve and Lorena, she had no trouble finding us in a crowd. She only had to look up. When he took the kids to Disney World our daughter said she never had problems finding us in a crowd as we were so much taller than many of the guests!
There was an amusement park at the other end of the promenade.
Lorena is telling Steve about the rubber trees. I’m still thinking about the Iguanas!
The statue to honor Bolivar and San Martin.
Everyone wanted to get their picture taken in front of the festive Guayaquil sign.
A view of the Andes across from the promenade.
The plaza was named in honor of Ecuador’s independence from Spain on October 9.
Another old chocolate house.
Off to the market where we can see many dollar stores. Many stores and much selection. Lorena had her eye on a beautiful white dress in the window. Steve may or may not have been looking at the brassieres.
Lots of people were wearing yellow jerseys to support the local soccer team that won the day before.
This store sold bras. I am sure that Steve’s eyes were looking elsewhere.
Next we shall drive to the colorful shanty town on the hill.
We could walk 300 steps up behind the wooden barrier. Let’s not and say we did!
The homes were given money for the outsides to be gaily painted.
We had some view of the city. There are 14 million people who live in Ecuador. Three million live in Guayaquil. There aren’t many high rises so the city is spread out. How many of you have heard of Guayaquil before my lessons ?
These people represent one of the 10 political parties who are vying in the coming election.
We invited our guide Lorena to have dinner with us. Her choice was Lo Nestro, which means “our thing” in Spanish. Most restaurants in South America don’t grow a crowd until after 8 pm.
We were early diners, the place was packed when we left. There were family graduation celebrations, with young graduates in formal gowns. Tourists like us too! It was the best restaurant in town.
At dinner Lorena told us if you sneeze three times in a row you wish for health, wealth and good luck. If you sneeze four times in a row, you are also wished good sex!
To go along with the bread we were given two spreads. A cheese spread was on the left and a spicy one on the right. The cheese spread looked like mayonnaise.
The bartender made me an Ecuadorian Pisco Sour. Traditionally only Peruvians, and Chileans drink Pisco Sours. So don’t be a fool like me and order a Pisco Sour in the wrong country!
A display of their specials.
I had the fried flounder and fettuccini with carbonara sauce. I didn’t think it was an Ecuadorian dish, but Lorena told me it was.
Steve had the spicy sea bass with garlicky linguini. You’d swear we were in an Italian restaurant. Steve said the fish was really tilapia.
At dinner we sat at the table on the right. The people sitting to the left were on our flight from the Galápagos. The photos and the memorabilia were from Julio Jaramillo Laurido. He was a famous Ecuadorian singer and was quite the ladies man. He fathered 40 children with 10 ladies. He must have been quite the crooner!
Here is a link to one of his songs from YouTube. https://youtu.be/3kvEKW6bSwI
No room for dessert but here was the cart on the way out of the restaurant.
Are you a table hog?
Would you have bought food for the Iguanas or Pigeons?
Do you believe all underwear should be white, black or nude?
Do you call the top part of women’s underwear bras or brassieres?
