Iguana Love

We woke up this morning with Ellen a bit worse for wear.  She decided to spend the day in bed and try to get this cold behind her.  I took off and visited the city a bit.

I decided to do a few things and inch my way in, rather than take on an ambitious agenda for my first day in Ecuador.  Having always been a fan of iguanas, the Parque de Seminario had to be on the list.  Guayaquil touts itself as the only major city in the world with large land iguanas.  They are different from those on the Galapagos, but are pretty cool.

A taxi took me to the park where I was able to take many more photos of iguanas than is necessary.  (Fortunately for you, I’ve become quite strict at getting rid of redundant and poor quality pictures.)

The park is in the heart of the city, and across the street from the cathedral.  I checked out both, then went in search of lunch.

I found what might be considered and Ecuadorian food court.  There were half a dozen restaurants all sharing the same tables and chairs.  A guy who spoke English took me on, and walked me through the choices.  I ended up with a soup made with what looked like a plantain dumpling, a hunk of beef, and a piece of corn on the cob.  Ceviche, rice, and plantain chips made up the second course.  It wasn’t bad, especially as it cost $2.75.  (Ecuador uses the US Dollar as its currency).

I continued to the Malecon, walking past a big government building.  Everything here is decorated for Christmas, and there was a big fake carriage in front of the building.

I walked the Malecon again, starting further south, ending up at the Museum of Anthropology and Art.  It was well recommended by the guide books.  The only exhibits open were art, and the cultural stuff was all closed.  There was a great photography exhibition.