Fifteen days was not enough time for a visit to Ecuador. A friend (thank you Nell!) organized a group of seven to spend a little time in Ecuador. Two of us flew into Guayaquil a day early and spent some time on the Malecon. It is a boardwalk that is one of the highlights of Guayaquil. The next day the rest of the group arrived and we were driven 3 hours to a home on the beach in the small village of La Entrada. La Entrada is approx. 15 minutes north of Montanita which is a popular place for surfers and all the fun that surfers bring with them....
Our entertainment the first week included horseback riding, SCUBA diving off Isla de la Plata ("the poor man's Galapagos"), and canopy (zip lining). I am a fan of zip lining and definitely not horseback riding (let's just say that I will pass on that activity in the future). We had a great addition to our group, the person who manages the house joined us for most of the week. His fun personality (and translation skills) were a huge plus!
After a week on the beach we headed back to Guayaquil. Most of the group went back to the states and 3 of us flew to Cuenca. Cuenca is the third largest city in Ecuador and an attractive colonial town at ~8200 feet above sea level. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is attracting Americans as a retirement location. The city has beautiful cathedrals and churches, a number of Museums, and largest Inca ruins in Ecuador are nearby. Transportation by bus was nice and very inexpensive. I would love to return and visit all the places I did not get to see - looks like another trip to Ecuador in the future. :)
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On the Malcon in Guayaquil
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| Colorful homes in Guayaquil |
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| Artifacts in the Cultural Center in Guaya quil |
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| Our home in La Entrada |
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| Relaxing in the rainforest |
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Shiny Penny at the dive operator's office
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Yes, the water was chilly
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Zip lining was a lot of fun!
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| Canopy (zip lining) |
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| Catedral Metropolitana de la Inmaculada Concepción |
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| Catedral Metropolitana de la Inmaculada Concepción |
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Cuenca
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| What are we eating? |
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| We know it comes from the sea.... |
