Our alarms woke us up earlier than we cared for at 7:00 AM. We dressed and made our way to breakfast. I took the stair with my elevator-phobic roommate. There was nothing to be afraid of at breakfast- fruit, eggs, bacon, toast, and warm milk for coffee. I loved the way they served coffee. They bring you the milk and you stir in the coffee grinds to the degree that you like it. After warm welcomes and long introductions, we were ready for our city tour. The morning rain fogged our windows, so for the first 30 minutes we had a great view of water droplets. The sun didn't take long to come out and we were able to see the best and worst sides of Guayaquil. The best homes were gated and accessorized with some type of German car...Mercedes, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW.... The worst homes were void of running water, electricity, plumbing- nor could you tell where one started and the other began. I couldn't help but think whether or not one the hotel clerks or boys selling candy outside lived in these conditions. Despite the amount of poverty and low living standards, the people are proud of their history, culture, fruits of the land. This was evident at the "Park Historico Guayaquil" were we stopped. There are exotic animal species, historical architecture, and beautiful scenery. The heat got the best of us by the time the tour was over. Getting back to the hotel we relaxed and planned out the rest of our "free day." Walking amongst the people is different than watching them from an air-conditioned bus. I finally felt like I was actually in Ecuador when people started to look at me and call me "Gringa" or "Rubia." For dinner we ended up at a recommended steak restaurant. Needless to say i didn't eat steak but their cheese pizza was quite appetizing. It tasted more like cheezy bread due to the lack of sauce. Unlike American restaurants, they don't take drink orders while you look at the menu. You just have to be ready all at once- I wasn't prepared for that! The wait staff is very friendly and patient when it comes time to order- especial considering none of us speak Spanish. My bill came to $3.89. At first I thought there had to be a mistake but food turns out to be extremely cheap in Ecuador.