As some of you may know, Guayaquil is one of the two main jumping off points to the Galapagos islands (Quito is the other, I am told). I was tempted to take a side trip there but I estimate it would cost me an extra $300 + to do this. In the grand scheme of things, not horrendous but the post Brexit exchange rate has certainly made everything more expensive than I had anticipated (e.g. in Panama I got charged £16 for a few chicken wings and a bottle of water!). The other thing I have been caught by is the internet booking sites (e.g. Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia etc). The headline price they show often doesn’t include other charges (e.g. tax and service), which is easily missed in the small print. Well, you learn. Anyway, the bottom line is I’m not visiting the Galapagos and, if the truth be known, I probably enjoy human animal watching more than looking at any other kind of wildlife!
Having said that, as the Parque Historico is Trip Advisor’s No 1 on the list of things to do in Guayaquil, I felt I should venture to the outskirts of the city to take a look. I guess you would call it a theme park. It’s set in about 20 acres and built by the government in 1992 to showcase the history and culture of Ecuador. Although I’m not sure this place warrants the No 1 attraction badge, nevertheless it was a pleasant and calming experience to have a wander round
and I was impressed by the numerous explanatory boards dotted around the place both in Spanish and English. For example, I learnt a bit about Drizzle Forests,
the curious mating habits of tortoises
interspersed with the occasional flash of colour.
I just wish, though, that some of the animals had been given a bit more space. The pens were OK but too small.
Another area was given over to the architectural heritage of Ecuador and one or two houses had literally been dismantled brick by brick (or, more accurately, plank by plank!) renovated and relocated here from the original location in downtown Guayaquil.The origins of this bank and private house are early 19th century
and I just loved the high ceilings and airy feel of the inside.
Right next door there is a garden dedicated to growing herbs and plants, much of which is used to feed the animals.
And even an area explaining how cocoa beans are transformed into chocolate
and I thought you just bought it in a shop!
All in all an educational, quiet and reflective place with few visitors. Clearly, education rather than commercial gain is the main driver here. It would be very different if, say, Disney or Universal Studios were involved although it would have been nice to have been able to buy some chocolate!
Feeling a little peckish at the thought, I had to settle for some coconut on my way back to base
whilst at the same time hopefully satisfying the requests of some of my male friends!
Last day here tomorrow.
Phileas
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