The flight back home to Quito from Cuenca had a short layover in Guayaquil. Unfortunately, there was a small mechanical problem with the plane and everyone on board missed their connecting flight. It meant a 24 hour stay until the next flight we could get. At least the airline covered all costs and meals at the Marriott until the time of the flight.
Guayaquil is not a very safe city. After setting up lesson plans for my classes and using some of the hotel facilities, I thought I should go sightsee if just for a couple hours. I settled on three places I would want to see and set out in an Uber.
The first was Parque Seminario. It is the oldest park in the city and it’s also known as iguana park for all the iguanas that take up residence there. I was glad to see security in the area.
I next went to Uber to La Peña to climb the 445 stairs in this colorful area. At the top is a lighthouse and a beautiful view of the city.
From here, my last stop was actually a short walk from the bottom of the stairs. The Malecón was built for tourism and is along the water. It was a great stroll and I was happy to see that there was security along the way.
All in all a great time to tour despite my worry of safety. I did meet from the plane a great couple. He grew up in Altoona, not far from where I grew up, and now works in Philly. Such a small world.
I was happy to finally get home though it was midnight.