Day 88 - 90 Guayaquil the colorful

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Finally, it was time to bid farewell to the Galapagos and commence my long homeward journey across the Pacific, the beginning of the End of this 3-month long adventure through the Latin Americas.

First it was a 2 minutes taxi ride to the San Cristobal Airport, an airport with very basic facilities, but nevertheless, a jet airport.

Right on time, the aeroplane departed, well organised and no fuss.  So it should be.  And I bade goodbye, for the last time this time, to one of my favourites, the Kicker Rock, and the idyllic San Cristobal Island.

Another short taxi trip, I was in a tourist popular part of town with a modern shopping center nearby.

Despite the area seemingly to have a lot of up market residences, however, the shops on the streets aren't too friendly, security seems to be a bit of a concern here !  Walking around here after dark is not to be encouraged, I said to myself.

As I was by now, was in winding down mode. So it was late morning on the next day, that I decided to go into downtown for a walk along the river front.  A 30 minutes bus trip delivered me to the busy part of town, noisy and jam packed with traffics.

After walking towards the river front for a couple of blocks, passing a street of shops with mainly Chinese traders for electronic and other domestic small goods, the better faces of the town came into view.

The river front is basically an recreational walking area, full of small modern facilities and shops for a leisure day out.  While having lunch, the Chinese lady owner of the cafe pointed me to the Cathedral and its main square, to see some colourful iguanas.

She even took the trouble to walk with me for a couple of blocks just to point out them out...a big thanks to her. And indeed there were...

It seems that they just while their time away, with the town folks lazying on the park benches, while a number of silly tourists like me, snapping away with their latest cameras.

So far, the city seem quite safe and leisurely, at least along this stretch of the river front..

And I kept walking north along the river, towards La Penas, a hilly area with a lot of colourful houses.  It is a somewhat renewed part of the Guayaquil seedy ghettos of the Santa Ana Hill.

From a distance, it does seem like Ecuador's answer to the famed Italian Cinque Terre.

It took 444 steps to walk to the top, starting from what seems like a local police station, with plenty of uniformed guards, secretly talking into their radios. Oops, have I done something wrong ?

Step no. 001

Around some corners, there are more of them, and there seems to be some places where they would stop us tourist going in.   I guess they are there to protect tourists.

The views at the top is certainly worthwhile...apparently, I was told, they close the top after dark, because of the potential for crimes.

Step no. 444

After another day of simply lazying around, catching up with the rest of the World etc., it's time to book a taxi for an early morning trip to meet my flight to Mexico City.

My early morning departure was a little dramatic.  The taxi ride was easy, the check-in no hassles.  But when going through security checks, I was met with searches of the severest degree that I can recall.

First, I had to pass through what appears to be soldiers manned, probably an anti-drug enforcement check-point.  I was picked out by a stern looking soldier, firstly to a small room, to answer a few questions, about what my activities in Ecuador had been etc., and I then, was told to strip myself down to my underwear, hand searched, and all my hand carries taken out for a piece by piece inspection.  And finally, through a body scanner, yes, one of those big black machines they can see through every body parts.  Then reluctantly, they were done, leaving me to pack up all my belongings again.  It must be their need to exercise every instrument at the start of everyday, and I was the lucky one picked to go through the process !!

Just out of the door, then there was the queue for security checks, I thought not again, seeing the way other were searched.  Yes, indeed, I was told to take my belt, my shoes off, and further frisking and walking through metal detectors, another looked into my belonging piece by piece, no body scanner this time !!!!!!!!  My..., my ...., I've done my "body search" cravings for a long while, not if I have a choice.

Next Post:  The modern face of Mexico City

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