Guayaquil..never before and, probably, never again

Here is the link to my photos of Guayaquil, where I spent my last weekend:

Yes, it's been awhile, largely due to my trip to Guayaquil, the most populated city in Ecuador and one of the most important economically. It is a port city on the Pacific coast, and it is truly just a huge sprawl. We were frequently reminded of Chicago during our stay there, even the cities respective flags look strikingly similar. Of course, palm trees and the tropical climate reminded us that we were far from the windy city. However, one must drive at least an hour to reach the first public beach...we spent one day in Salinas, a beach about two hours from Guayaquil but embarrassingly did not even get in the water, as it is apparantly still "winter" there. No sun to speak of, and chilly waters kept us on the sand.

The highlight had to be the wonderful ceviche available to us on the coast. The traditional ceviche of Ecuador is just up my alley-seafood cooked in citrus, then eaten in a broth-like dish that is tangy, spicy (once ahí is added) and full of fresh seafood flavor. For this I was grateful.

More from the front lines later!