Advertisement
Published: August 17th 2009
Edit Blog Post
JULY 16. LEAVING GUARANDA. 2500M. SEAT 12F. THIS BUS COULDNT BE ANYMORE HOT AND CROWDED. "I've got lots of pictures in my head...you better not turn off the pro-jec-tor" -SNEAKY SOUND SYSTEM It turns out that finding the right bus to your next location is actually quite easy in this country..all you ned to do is stand in the middle of the bus terminal with your backpack on and a confused look on your face, eventually 20 different bus drivers assistants will approach you yelling their destination. After storing my luggage, I board the bus and sit directly above the under-carriage so I can keep an eye on my backpack. You can never be too careful.
Climbing through the mountains outside of Guaranda we hit roadworks...the minutes turn into an hour and in the scorching heat things start to get really uncomfortable. The bus driver becomes increasingly agitated and when finally given the green light to proceed, slams his foot on the gas as if he hopes to make up the lost time in the first 100m. My initial concern for the safety of my luggage is quickly replaced with concern for myself..I now just hope to god
that I get there in one piece.
About and hour and a half after leaving Guranda we started disecting through thicker and thicker jungle, banana trees, grasses and vines...to the point that I thought we must surely be nearing sea level. It came as quite a surprise then, when rounding the next bend the jungle opened up slightly and revealed that were still at least 300 metres...above... the... clouds. Wow, these mountains are huge and looking down upon the fluffy clouds blanketing the rainforest it was as if we were in an airplane flying. I actually would have been more at ease in a plane knowing that the controls where in the hands of a trained pilot. Some of the stunts our driver was pulling were making me close my eyes in fear around every bend..my hands clenched tightly on the seat in front of me.
In my experiences living and travelling through third world countries, the one common element that always grabs my attention is that of contrast. Contrast between beauty and ugly, dirty and clean, rich and poor. As is always the case these contrasts are most pronounced around the wealthier cities and entering Guayaquil was
no different. Open cut mines alongside shanty towns, rice fields, schools and strip malls...modern cinema, KFC an all. A common them is arising on this trip...survival, the stories of poverty and struggle that passed before my eyes were endles, lives lived in a dusty chaotic world. It was with regret that I couldnt delve deeper into what was going on here. Its for this reason that I have always admired photo-journalists...their ability to immerse themselves in a situation and tell the stories that would otherwise go untold.
For the average backpacker travelling in Ecuador, Guayaquil being a big city doesnt offer much in the way of travelling experiences. Its big, its dirty and its chaotic. As always though, knowing the locals makes all the difference. Staying with my friend Scott and his Girlfriend Nicole I got a chance to meet some of their friends and experience the city in a way that most dont get a chance to. The nights usually started off drinking and eating at Scotts and by midnight, after the second bottle of rum and taxi ride through the city, we were in some bar dancing the morning away...only to wake and do it all over
again. Even if you dont know anybody here though is still well worth a stop-over for a day or two. Relaxing for an hour in the afternoon in Parque Bolivar with the iguanas, taking a riverside walk along the Malacon in the evening and ending with drinks on the stairs winding through Las Penas is a great way to pass the day. 3 nights of constant drinking though and I was more than ready to hit the road again...the beach was still calling me and this time I had company for the trip. Scott and I are off to Montanita for the weekend...first stop on the Ruta Del La Sol.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.146s; Tpl: 0.024s; cc: 12; qc: 62; dbt: 0.0644s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
xavier
non-member comment
dude nice pics, where u at right now... cheers bro