We can now add South America to our list of continents visited!

26th January, 2023

Yes, we have finally made landfall on South American soil, at Guayaquil, Ecuador. Val and I opted for the shuttle bus from the port into the city for a wander about rather than a formal tour. Obviously, being British we walked about at midday in 32 degree heat, but it was worth it.

It did not look all that promising as we were driven out of the very big and industrialised port through the outskirts of the city that did not exude any charm whatsoever and were practical at best and run down at worst. It got better as we got into the centre where there are some of the older buildings and a large riverside development called Malencon 2000, which I gather is the city’s new pride and joy. It was really very nice, with nice walkways, sculpture, restaurants, cafes, stall and even a Ferris wheel. All this alongside the wide and fast-flowing Rio Guayas.

We had been warned about safety, but the city had made a big effort it felt at least in this area with lots of police and others there to help. One of the other attractions are the favella-like hills of Las Penas and Santa Anna. The latter has 444 steps up to the top, so we decided to look at it from the air-conditioned cabin on the Ferris wheel and also from the cable car that is a commuter facility to various outlying parts of the city (costing a massive US$0.35 one way).

We walked back along a street parallel to the riverside boulevard which gave us a chance to see some of the rest of the city, with some chic cafes and restaurants and people starting to emerge after what we assumed was a siesta. All in all, worth a visit to get a feel of the city and culture, though it would have been good to have been able to explore further afield, but that is the nature of cruising.

So that was Ecuador in a day! It was a bit of a taste of what else there is and I would be inclined to return to explore further, especially other parts of the country. However, time and tide wait for no man, as we know, and it is off again to our next port – Callao, the port for Lima, Peru. We have been informed that we will only have one day there due to the political situations (rioting protestors) and the tours will not be going to the centre of Lima. However, we should be able to see something. Maharani is also cancelled, but we have 2 new destinations – Iquique and Coquimbo, both in Chile – and then it is Valparaiso!!

More news from Callao soon.