16 Hours in Guayaquil

We left Montañita on Thursday afternoon to head back to Guayaquil. We were relieved that our taxi driver drove an SUV – with working air conditioning. Jackpot! Close to three hours later, we arrived at the Courtyard Marriott, where we had stayed overnight just four days prior before driving to the coast.

After checking in to our hotel, I ran across four lanes of traffic – just like the locals – to the grocery store across the street. I loaded up on some snacks for our time in the Galapagos, since we knew that prices in the Galapagos were 2x to 3x more than what they were on the mainland.

Back in our hotel room, the kids begged to go to the gym. Who knew treadmills were so entertaining? We had a quick treadmill sesh and then walked two blocks to dinner. 

The gym at the Guayaquil Courtyard Marriott.

Knowing that parts of Guayaquil just aren’t safe, we made sure to reach our restaurant while it was still light out. The restaurant door was closed, and the chef opened it ever so slightly to douse us with hand sanitizer; then he let us in and closed the door firmly again. 

We were the only patrons in the restaurant the entire time we were there. Tim wasn't sure what he ordered; I ordered what I thought was pork but turned out to be beef; and the kids played it cool with the usual chicken and fries.

Success on the order!

We ate our meal, paid our bill, and the chef escorted us to the front door. Once again, he opened the door just enough for us to slip through. On our way out, he said, "Be careful." 

Our hotel was two blocks away, and we walked in the street -- briskly -- on the way back. 

The next morning, we didn't feel like paying for the Courtyard Marriott breakfast, so we ran across those four lanes of traffic to hit up the nearby gas station convenience shop, which held a Sweet and Coffee, Ecuador's version of a Starbucks. After breakfast, we ran back to our hotel, fired off some homework (albeit with a LOT of complaints), and packed up.

Next stop: Guayaquil Airport --> Galapagos Islands!!