Guayaquil Day 287 02/07/2015

It was an early start for our flight to Guayaquil. The taxi picked us up at 0645 to take us to the airport, c45 minutes from Miraflores (much longer once the rush hour has started). We even saw cyclists out doing time trails on the deserted streets before the traffic madness started. We arrived in plenty of time not least because the departure time of our flight had been put back by 30 minutes to 1000. Luckily we could use the airport lounge (still got preferred status via BA which is a One World partner with LAN who we were flying with) where we had breakfast and made use of the wifi. We boarded the aircraft just after 0930 and set off on time. The flight was uneventful and we landed in Guayaquil just after midday. You are suppose to have proof of your exit from Ecuador in order to pass through immigration although apparently you are rarely checked. We didn't have any proof of exit as our plan is to get the bus to Colombia. Luckily we weren't asked and got stamped into the country without any delay. We collected our bags and jumped in a taxi to take us downtown to the Hotel Palace. After dropping off our bags we headed out to get some lunch and buy some provisions for our trip. The weather was very hot and we attempted to to stay out of the sun's glare and in the cool shaded areas but it was still humid. We again unsuccessfully looked for some contact lens solution for Diane (although there are loads for the type Simon wears) and after deliberating Diane decided not to buy a bikini top preferring to trust her current one. We also decided to stock up on US dollars, which is what is used in Ecuador as currency and after one failed attempt at Banco Guayaquil, managed to draw 2 lots of $300 at Banco di Austral. Whilst our boat trip on the Galapagos is "all inclusive" we still need money for airport tax, park fees, extra drinks, wet suits and staff tips, which has to be paid in cash so not expecting to see much change from what we've drawn out. There doesn't seem to be a lot to do or see here so after dismissing the restaurant in our hotel as it was a little stuffy and dead, we walked a couple of blocks for a simple meal. We were shocked it cost us $48 which includes 22% tax as this is way more than we have paid in most places in South America. Let's hope it's a one off as staying in Ecuador could push us over our budget even without allowing for what we've paid for our Galapagos trip. Back at the hotel we caught up on paperwork and admin noting we won't be online for over a week, then crashed as we have the joy of another 0500 start for an early flight; at least we will be then in "one place" for the next week. We are really very excited about our forthcoming Galapagos adventure. All blog updates on hold until we're back on dry land in just over a week!

Malecon 2000, Guayaquil's waterfront promenade