In our quest to view humpback whales off the coast of Ecuador, we changed our flights to alight in Guayaquil. Thence we took to the buses to arrive in Puerto Lopez, further north along the coast. The bus journeys were hair-raising; conducted at breakneck speed, at every stop, vendors leaping on and off to sell their wares - kebabs, patties, juices, water, coconut and, bizarely, live crabs. All but the latter seemed to be doing a roaring trade. Our attention was taken by the prospect of a ginseng-based miracle cure that could prevent cancer, cleanse the liver, purify the blood, support the kidneys and cure that putrefying and evil-smelling urine that apparently is aflicting us all. Oh, and it also prevented those irritating male problems. For a dollar a go, I was almost tempted. Many were.
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