Ecuador Week 2: Shelters, Spas, and Soccer in Cuenca with a trip to Guayaquil
After classes and cultural activities in Cuenca, Ecuador during the second week of my summer study abroad program, I took advantage of a day trip to Guayaquil to explore the country’s second biggest city! Be sure to read about my first week in Cuenca, Ecuador here!
It rained most of the weekend, so the river near our house was a lot higher and flowing a lot stronger. I walked to class Monday morning along its banks and marveled at the difference from the week before. I was still amazed at how pretty the riverside park was, and the intensity of the Río Yanuncay made it particularly impressive this morning.
La Casa de Acogida María Amor
Our first field trip this week was to visit La Casa de Acogida Maria Amor. This home provides shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence and offers refuge, employment, and security. The shelter clearly had a significant social impact in the community, but we also learned about the group’s environmental efforts and sustainable practices. After a delicious traditional Ecuadorian meal prepared by the members of the shelter, we took a tour of their facilities to discover not just how the home helps families but the planet as well. We toured their gardens and saw the guinea pigs and rabbits they were raising. We were also shown the different areas inside the main home, learning about the remarkable organization.
Piedra de Aguas
Even though we were technically on an official academic study abroad program, our professor still felt like we should get as much cultural immersion as possible. So, a few days later, we found out that a volcanic hot springs spa day apparently qualified. After class in the morning, we took a taxi cab to Piedra de Aguas, a spa resort west of Cuenca.
We enjoyed steam boxes, alternating hot and cold pools, and even two types of mud cleansers. Our scenic spa day wasn’t the most educational thing we did on the program, but it was undoubtedly one of the most relaxing.
Soccer with Locals
That evening I went with Silvia, my host mom for the program, to celebrate her brother’s birthday, and worked on a puzzle with two of her nieces during the festivities. The cake looked delicious, but I didn’t eat any because after the birthday party I went with Pablo and Pedro, two of Silvia’s nephews, to play soccer. We drove to a synthetic pitch to meet up with some of Pedro’s friends for a game. I wasn’t yet as acclimated to the altitude as I would’ve liked, but I still was able to run around the majority of the game. Everyone playing was pretty good, and the game was a ton of fun.
Eating Cuy at Guajibamba
After our last class for the first of our two Ecuadorian courses we had a group lunch at Guajibamba, a restaurant in central Cuenca. Our professor ordered cuy, or guinea pig, for all of us to try in addition to our personal orders. Not everyone tried it, but I gave it a go. It tasted alright, but it ended up being a lot of work for not a lot of meat, so once may end up being enough for me. My churrasco order was delicious, and the restaurant was a great way to wrap up the course.
Riding the Cuenca Tranvia
After we finished lunch we had the rest of the afternoon free so I decided to ride the Cuenca Tranvia for the first time. I walked to the nearest station, Santo Domingo, just a short walk away from Guajibamba. I bought a single-use pass from the kiosk right at the station and headed towards the northernmost end of the line, Parque Industrial. After passing the city’s main bus terminal and the Cuenca Airport, I took the Tranvia back through the center of the city and to the south-west side of the city. Eventually I got off at the Río Yanuncay station and began the scenic walk towards my host family’s home along the river.
After dropping my backpack off at my host family’s home, I walked about another twenty minutes to Millennium Plaza. There I met up with some of my classmates to go to the theater in the plaza to watch the new Thor movie. The movie had English audio and Spanish subtitles, and we had a great time comparing the differences between the dialogue of the two languages. I walked back afterwards in the rain and finished some last minute packing for our trip to the Galapagos Islands that we would begin the next day.
Traveling through Cajas National Park
Before we could fly to the Galapagos Islands however, we had to travel from Cuenca to Guayaquil, and the scenery during the trip was amazing. We followed a raging river that cut through one of the greenest landscapes I’ve ever seen. Looking out either side of the window provided gorgeous views of the looming mountains surrounding us as we drove through the valley in between. There was a light drizzle for part of the drive, and we were so high up that clouds covered some of the mountain peaks around us. The mountainside was covered with trees and jagged cliffs, and I could even spot a few waterfalls cascading their way down to the river as well.
The road weaved through the terrain along the border of the Parque Nacional Cajas. We even drove for a while above the tree line as we crossed over the mountain range with just shrubbery and grass growing around us, reaching a summit right around 13,500 feet of elevation at the highest point of the road, known as el Mirador Tres Cruces. The summit offered one-of-a-kind views of the mountains and valleys around us, and I had my eyes fixed out the window in awe for a long time.
The Trek West
We wrapped around the western edge of the national park and began our descent down the mountains, passing pristine lakes, enormous cliffsides, and even herds of grazing cows until we were low enough for the larger trees to grow again. There was even a section of the road that was unpaved right next to a massive drop-off, which got everyone in the bus peering out the windows. We could see lower than and next to us as we traveled west to Guayaquil, which was incredible. We stopped at the Restaurant Las Penas to use the bathroom and take some pictures as we headed down towards the coast.
Now having crossed the Andes Mountains, the terrain began to feel much more tropical. The weather was warmer, there was more variety in the types of plants covering the landscape, and flowers added dashes of color not seen higher up in the mountains. We drove through an actual cloud, genuinely limiting the visibility around the road and creating what looked like a tunnel as we continued to descend down the Andes.
Entering Guayaquil
Then, all of a sudden, the land flattened out and the clouds hid the mountains behind us, disappearing as if they weren’t even there at all. We passed through the Reserva Ecologica Manglar Churute, and watched as crops of all kinds that could be seen for miles in every direction passed by. Little stores and restaurants popped up along the roadside, and as we passed through the town of Virgen de Fatima I even saw Tuk-Tuks, something I hadn’t seen since I had lived in Guatemala. The countryside eventually gave way to a much more urban area as we got closer to Duran, the city across from Guayaquil on the east side of the Rio Guayas. The traffic increased as well, and local sellers took advantage of the stopped cars to sell cold drinks and snacks in the streets.
Finally, as we crossed the expansive National Unity bridge, Guayaquil came into view. I could see the city center’s skyline along the shoreline to the south, and even the city’s cable car gondola system, the Aerovia, swooping across the river. As we passed to the other side of La Puntilla, the airport’s control tower became visible along with even more of the city. We drove right next to the airport as we headed to our hotel, the Grand Hotel Guayaquil, right in the middle of downtown Guayaquil.
Guayaquil Aerovia
Once I had checked in and dropped my bags off in my room, I headed into the city, determined to make the most of the afternoon to explore the area. I walked past the city’s central market towards the Parque Centenario, a park near the southernmost station for the city’s Aerovia system. When I went to purchase a ticket however, I found out that only small cash was accepted, so I looked for a place to get some change.
Across the street I found the perfect place to try – an ice cream shop named Bogati Helados con Queso. With change and a small mango flavored cone in hand, I walked back to the station to purchase a round-trip ticket along the cable car system. I was surprised how smooth the rides in the gondales were, and they even offered wifi along the journey, so I sat back and watched the city pass underneath me.
As fun as it was, the Aerovia system in Guayaquil only has five stations, and primarily serves to shuttle people back and forth across the river between Guayaquil and Duran. But the city also has an extremely extensive bus rapid transit system with hundreds of stations throughout the area, known as the Metrovia. Every single one of these Metrovia buses looked packed when they drove by, so it was obvious the system was widely used by people in the city.
Crossing between Guayaquil and Duran
After riding over a part of the city in the Aerovia car, we began to cross the bay where the Duale and Babahayo rivers combine. The bay is massive, and the trip across to Duran took longer than all of the sections over the city. There was a small park near the station in Duran, the Malecón Abel Gilbert 3. There was a small fair set up in the park with children’s games and activities, trinkets for sale, and a couple of different food vendors as well. I also learned while I was there that workers who use the Aerovia to commute into Guayaquil get free access to the bus network in Duran, which I think is a brilliant idea.
After exploring Duran for a bit, I hopped back on the Aerovia to cross back over the bay. This time though, I shared the space in the car with some other people as well. Included were four ladies who insisted I looked like some American model they had seen (first and only time that mistake will be made) and made their friend take a picture for them with me. We all had a good laugh, as we traveled across, but once we reached Guayaquil I waved goodbye to my little Ecuadorian paparazzi to continue my adventures.
Malecón 2000
The station provided direct access to the north end of the Malecón 2000, an incredibly popular boardwalk area along the waterfront with museums, shops, restaurants, a small amusement park, and other recreational activities. The boardwalk was pretty busy, with people in line to ride La Perla, the city’s scenic Ferris Wheel, gathered listening to street performing, or walking through parks and past storefronts. There were multiple monuments scattered along the path, replicas of old sailing ships harbored along the edge, and stunning architecture everywhere you looked.
I walked about three miles south towards the Puente Peatonal y Ciclovía Guayaquil, a bridge that gives pedestrian access to the National Recreation Area on Isla Santay. Unfortunately, I was too late, and the island was already closed (a sign mentioned that the bridge is open from 8 to 3). However, it definitely seemed like a place I would want to visit in the future.
Exploring More Areas of Guayaquil
With some extra time now on my hands, I waved down a taxi and rode across the city toward the north side near the airport. I visited the Guayaquil Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and the building was absolutely stunning. I spent some peaceful moments walking around the beautiful grounds, and even saw a few people I had met in Cuenca! As the sun began to set I took a few pictures and then called for a taxi to take me back downtown, grateful for a relaxing refuge after a busy day.
Once my taxi dropped me back off at the Grand Hotel Guayaquil, I realized I hadn’t eaten much at all that day, so I started looking for a place to eat dinner. I walked around the area close to the hotel, and found myself at the Parque Seminario, home to a group of huge iguanas who had made the park their home. Across the street I could hear a wedding taking place in the Catedral Católica Metropolitana de Guayaquil, and the venue looked breathtaking in the moonlight.
Looking for activities and tours in Guayaquil? Check out Viator.com for great options!
Fried Chicken, Inca-Cola, and a Milkshake
Eventually I ended up circling back toward the hotel and just bought a cheap chicken plate from Kikiry Broaster. I drank the locally-popular soda Inca Cola with my meal, which oddly enough tastes like bubblegum. Before heading back to my room, however, I stopped at Galleta Pecosa, a bakery located on the bottom floor of the hotel, and bought a phenomenal milkshake, capping off an exciting day exploring Guayaquil but excited for our flight to the Galapagos Islands the next day.
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