Morning one and all I can think is....dang its so hot here!!!!! (The air-conditioning in our room went out over night, so it heated up quickly.) A large breakfast with natural juice is a new thing for me, but I think that I can get used to it, probably more like a nice hotel thing instead of a native thing, but we'll see about that later.
I am very glad that we took the two hour city tour of Guayaquil to help orient ourselves. This was my first opportunity to see the city in the light of day, and also note some places that I would return to on my own time. (Restaurants, stores, etc…) While on the bus ride I noticed the density of the city immediately. To say that the conditions in Guayaquil are cramped, is a vast understatement. It seems that when the architects of the city ran out of room to expand, they simply made the buildings taller in order to stuff more bodies inside. Even in the wealthy districts of town, space is still limited, with every nice house touching the next. I always thought that Jacksonville was crowded, but if find that here in Guayaquil the adjective is stifling.
I always thought the St. Johns River was polluted, but this river is almost frightening. It kind of reminds me of dirty bathwater, that needs to be drained, and I really feel for the people who are stuck living in small lean-tos near the shore. That is enough, however, on the environment of the city.
After the bus ride I met my first local meal. Ray was absolutely right about the food, it was somewhat bland, but it was filling and probably much better than anything I could prepare myself, as long as I survive from meal to meal, I am happy.
The last part of the tour was the wildlife park in Guayaquil. Our guide was a very nice woman who spoke very good English (a big relief to me, I would not get much for a tour in Espanol). The fauna was very green and plush so I found them very captivating. The whole landscape was so dense; it was what I imagined the rainforest to look like. My favorite part of the tour was the peasant house and gardens. I was amazed that a house made entirely of reeds could hold people, especially the ten we had moving through at one time. The peasant actors were very nice and prepared us a sweet coffee and fried plantains (muy bueno!!). We also listened to what I assumed was a folk song with two guitars and much dancing.
I got my next good dose of the local culture when we decided to head out to a section of town called Ordesa and found a nice steak house to have dinner in. The taxi ride over was interesting to say in the least. Apparently at night, all traffic laws (red lights, lanes, speed limits, and speed limits) are all optional in Ecuador. At the steak house, they really rolled out the red carpet for the 13 Americans, once we arrived we were ushered upstairs (to the air-conditioned room) and a Mariachi band came and played for us. They then insisted on a tip, which is not generally done in the states, and then wandered away to the next table. The food was wonderful, the portions generous, and the prices low; the food here might not be so bad after all. I enjoyed my first full day here, but tomorrow the sight seeing stops and the real reason we came here begins when we start work at the children's homes.