Pleasant evenings hanging out with Erika - thanks again and sorry you were not able to eat my spicy food. We had a very pleasant day walking around the city and also had two Reached Cerro Santa Ana after walking up 444 stairs to the top of the lookout and lighthouse for a great view of the city. Were so much fun to watch and some of them were massive! After the park we headed to the river and walked along the famous “Malecon 2000” a new boardwalk they built in the. We have never seen so many iguanas in our life and the craziest part was that they were just roaming around the park without any concern for all the people around them! They were notĬaged in! They were on the grass, in trees and on the paths! Just everywhere and you had to be sure to watch that the ones above your head in the trees were not going to fall down onto you! They We followed Erika’s great advice starting by taking a 25 cent bus ride into town, followed by visiting the main squares and churches as well as the famous Not have that much to offer, Erika told us what to see and do.
It is a city of some 2 million plus people and although it does We stayed with Erika for two nights and enjoyed a day of walking around and visiting Guayaquil. Their country, place and culture it has been awesome! Meeting so many lovely, hospitable and generous people! Couchsurfing has made our world trip so much more “real and authentic” because staying with and meeting locals you learn so much more about Another fabulous experience, we sure are loving couchsurfing and We made it to Guayaquil from Tumbes to be greeted by our next Couchsurfing host, Erika Bruner. It was the end of the Spanish rule in Ecuador!Įcuador was completely independent by 1830!Īnother country, another border crossing, another long bus ride! Lima to the border town of Tumbes was a quick stop and then on to Guayaquil, Ecuador’s biggestĬity! We had enough time to eat a cheap Almuerzo, go to the toilet and catch the next bus out. On 24 May, 1822 the famous field marshall, General Sucre, defeated the royalist soldiers and took control of Quito. In 1819, Simon Bolivar, the Venezuelan Liberador, freed Colombia from Spanish rule and it wasn’t long before he had his sights set on freeing other SouthĪmerican including Ecuador. Many iglesias and monastries were built and Catholicism was embraced by the Relatively peaceful colony for the colonists and locals alike with agriculture and arts flourishing the most. This weakened empire was easily defeated by the time Senor Francisco Pizarro arrived in the region as part of theĮxpansion of the Spanish Colonial Empire.įrom 1535 onwards the Spanish Colonial Empire had a firm hold of the region and with no significant uprisings were able to maintain control. War, but after several years of fighting Atahualpa defeated Huascar near Ambato. Internal fighting between the two saw the region experience civil Type of presidents like Senores Morales, Chavez or Senora Kirchner!).Įcuador was part of the Inca Empire and left to the two sons of Huayna Capac after he died. Stability and guidance under the stewardship of Mr Rafael Correa (in our opinion the only president in South America that looks and talks like a president – nothing like the cowboy and cowgirl Since gaining independence in 1830, Ecuador has had nearly 100 changes in government but in very recent times the country seems to have gained some much needed Amazonian rainforests, Andean summits, coastal beauties and not to forget the archipelagos that are the Galapagos Islands! Ecuador is home to more species of wildlife than anywhere else Quilotoa Loop (Latacunga, Zumbahua, Chugchilian, Sigchos, Siquisili)Įcuador is a small country that rises above many other South American countries because of it incredibly beautiful natural bio diversity and.Galapagos Islands (Isla Santa Cruz, Isla Bartolome, Isla San Cristobal, Isla Isabela, Isla Floreana).Next stop and next country from Lima, Peru to Ecuador.