| These pictures come from the Pacific Beach town of Salinas and the largest city in Ecuador, Guayaquil. | |
Salinas | |
 |
A shot of the beach in Salinas. |
| Normally on beaches, you can just sit back, soak up the rays, maybe drink a cocktail, go for a swim, or whatever. Just relax and enjoy it. But not here. Oh no. Not here. Here you must deal with all the "entrepreneurs" cruising around--right in your face--to try to sell you junk. Sunglasses, jewelry, woodcraft, hats, ice cream, jet-ski rentals, hair-braiding, umbrellas, Coca-Cola in a cup out of a 1-liter bottle, you name it they sell it. But they don't just sell it. They chase you down when you're walking or come interrupt you if your lazing, and just bug you till you yell at them to get away. I'd say it takes an average of 30 seconds to get rid of each one. They do a fine job of taking away from the leisure of the beach.
This is an example of one of the salespeople, with arms full of hats and bags to sell. She came by three times. |
 |
 |
Another example of the local peddlers, this time with ice cream. Don't be fooled into thinking they are permanently stationed. |
| One of the many seagulls perusing the waters for fish, before diving down to feed. |  |
 |
Two lovely sets of feet. From left to right: Marcela, Brian, Marcela, Brian. |
This little fella was running around looking for stuff to grab out of other people's hands. Cute enough, though. |
 |
 |
Marcela and I, receiving a photo from one of the local peddlers. |
Guayaquil | |
| Now we are in Guayaquil. We only spent an afternoon here, but we got some pics from Malecón, a recently constructed stretch of modernity along the Guayaquil coast. It stretches for about 10 football fields, lined with gardens, playgrounds, ponds, monuments, restaurants, flowers, and an underground shopping mall. This ship, though only temporarily at port, is one example of the many sights to be seen. |  |
 |
At the end of Malecón is a neighborhood on a hill composed of brightly colored buildings, resembling somewhat those of Cinque Terre, Italy. The poor light and distance take away from the photo a bit, but believe me when I say the rainbow-colored buildings are vivid and rich.
The triangular construction to the right is an outdoor ampitheatre, where many popular concerts are held. |
| Marcela and I with the ship. |  |
 |
Marcela at Malecón.
Click on the photo for a larger version where you can actually see her face. |
| Another snap of us at Malecón, in one of the many beautifully manicured gardens. |  |