| Traveling to Latin America each country has it's own | | | | control boats, playgrounds, exercise areas. |
| gateway or point of entry from where you begin your | | | | The botanical garden is home to over 320 plant |
| trip - for Peru you fly into Lima, Argentina it's Buenos | | | | species from the coast, 70 bird species and 60 |
| Aires, in Costa Rica it's San Jose in Ecuador you have | | | | butterfly species. The flowering plants mixed with the |
| your choice of either Quito or Guayaquil. Having the | | | | bromeliads make this a peaceful rest stop. The |
| option of two cities in which to arrive normally brings | | | | Malecon is home to Ecuador's only IMAX theatre, and |
| out the question of which city to arrive. Quito, a | | | | a series of Museums, statues and monuments that |
| beautiful city located high in the Andes is a UNESCO | | | | include the the Moorish Clock Tower, Olmedo |
| world heritage site, rich in culture and history. Quito's | | | | monument and the Rotunda depicting the famous |
| cobblestone streets of the old city, plazas and | | | | meeting between the two great liberators San Martin |
| surrounding gilded churches make it the best | | | | and Bolivar who met in Guayaquil in 1822 to discuss |
| preserved colonial city in Latin America, it's easy to | | | | South America's freedom from Spain, the Museum of |
| spend a day or two exploring the old city and getting | | | | Anthropology and Contemporary Art, Municipal |
| lost in time. However it is located at an elevation of | | | | Museum and Museo Nahim Iscias. The Museo Nahim |
| almost 10,000 feet elevation making it less desirable for | | | | Iscias houses articles artifacts including gold jewelry, |
| older travelers or those who suffer from heart or | | | | jugs, pottery and colonial art dating back to 4200 BC |
| altitude problems. | | | | If you continue to the end of the Malecon 2000 you will |
| Guayaquil by contrast is a bustling, coastal city much | | | | reach the Mercado Sur (the large ornate iron building |
| of its colonial history has been swept away in the | | | | was designed by Gustave Eiffel) and the artisan |
| many pirate attacks and fires that make up the cities | | | | market with handicrafts from all over the country. Just |
| colorful history. However, in the last decade Guayaquil | | | | across the street near the middle of the Malecon you'll |
| has undergone a metamorphosis changing it's overall | | | | find the ornate grey Palacio Municipal and just beyond |
| flavor from a dirty and dangerous port city to a | | | | the Parque Bolivar known locally as "iguana park" for |
| modern city with new hotels, shopping centers, and | | | | the many green iguanas that can be seen in trees, on |
| new airport all waiting to invite foreign tourists and | | | | benches, in the grass and just about everywhere in |
| investors. Spending an extra day in Guayaquil, people | | | | the park. Flanking Bolivar Park is the restored |
| want to do the "tour of Guayaquil" expecting like many | | | | Cathedral, which reflects both the colonial and ethnic |
| Latin American countries a well defined tour of historic | | | | influences of the country. |
| buildings and churches. However in Guayaquil the best | | | | With all this history and shopping around my favorite |
| outing combines the historic Las Peñas neighborhood, | | | | activity in Guayaquil departs from Malecon 2000. |
| the Malecon 2000 and surrounding area with a cruise | | | | Named for a character from Guayaquil's past the |
| on Guayas River. | | | | Captain Morgan departs from the middle of the |
| Built on Santa Ana Hill Las Peñas is a colonial | | | | Malecon and takes guests on an hour long cruise along |
| neighborhood, which has been built and rebuilt several | | | | the Guayas River in a "pirate boat". The cruise |
| times. This brightly painted neighborhood has been | | | | provides the traditional view, how visitors have first |
| home to many of Ecuador's historic figures including | | | | seen Guayaquil for centuries via the Guayas River. |
| presidents and poets alike. Today many of the houses | | | | The views from the river pass the Malecon, Las |
| have been converted to a number of small | | | | Peñas and Santa Ana continuing up the river you |
| restaurants, bars, and boutiques, all which can be | | | | may pass fishermen in long thin boats while heads of |
| reached by climbing a series of 444 steps traveling up | | | | river lettuce bobbing along in the current. Cruising past |
| the hillside. Near the top you can visit the Fortín del | | | | the neighboring towns you can catch a glimpse of life |
| Cerro ('Fort of the Hill'), cannons from the fort were | | | | outside the big city. If you plan your trip for 6pm you |
| used to protect the city from pirates or reaching the | | | | can watch as day gives way to night and the lights of |
| top the lighthouse offers a phenomenal 360-degree | | | | the city guide your way back. The Captain Morgan |
| view of the river and Guayaquil. | | | | plays music along the way and offers drinks and |
| Lying at the base of Las Peñas in complete contrast | | | | snacks- at late night atmosphere changes becoming a |
| is the Malecon 2000. A restoration project of the | | | | more festive party cruise. |
| Simon Bolivar Pier, the Malecon 2000 is modern in | | | | Guayaquil's restoration efforts are impressive and the |
| design and a popular destination for both locals and | | | | overall change in the city of the last decade has |
| international travelers. This 1.5 mile walk (for | | | | created a lovely and welcoming city worthy of |
| pedestrians only) along the Guayas River offers a | | | | spending an extra day exploring the mix of traditional |
| variety of shopping and dinning experiences mixed | | | | and modern that give Guayaquil a flavor of its own. |
| together with family friendly activities including remote | | | | |