Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 2, 2018 · Last modified February 25, 2018
By the side of a busy road in Guayaquil, where basically no one pays attention or appreciates them, stand a bunch of very large cacti. I was fortunate enough to see them in full flower. The flowers on these cacti last only 3-4 days. So when I returned the next...
Guayaquil is teeming with lizards. They mostly try very hard to stay away from humans. I have seen lizards of many different sizes. From longer than my leg to shorter than my thumb. This little guy is so tiny he can actually walk around underneath the glass top of this...
Having now traveled extensively through five different South American countries, I’ve started to notice a handful of things that are common in North America but more or less nonexistent in South America. (The reverse is also true but I think most people expect to find exotic foods and such when...
Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published March 1, 2018 · Last modified February 25, 2018
At first glance, Guayaquil didn’t seem all that special to me. It took a while, and a bit of exploring before I started stumbling across some of the more beautiful little places hidden scattered about the city. Here is a random assortment of statuary, architecture, and other beautiful sights of...
Nature / Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 28, 2018 · Last modified February 23, 2018
About two blocks in from Malecon 2000, is a small city park. This park isn’t really advertised and isn’t a tourist destination. It’s only about one block square but is home to perhaps 100 free-roaming iguanas. They are literally everywhere! Check out the photos and video.
Sedate / South America / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 26, 2018 · Last modified February 20, 2018
Guayaquil, Ecuador is not on a sea coast. Yet it has two separate waterfront boardwalks; malecons, in Spanish. That’s because there is both a bay and a navigable river flanking the city from either side. Both provide ocean access for shipping. Both also provide lovely recreation areas for residents and...
History / South America / Strenuous / Tropics
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 24, 2018 · Last modified February 20, 2018
Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 22, 2018 · Last modified February 20, 2018
Me: “Is there a malecon in Trujillo?” Martin (who owns the hostel where I’m staying): “If you want a good malecon, the one in Huanchaco is much better. You should go there.” At least that’s the gist of what he said. Martin speaks very clear Spanish but it’s still sometimes...
Activities / Moderately Active / Off-the-beaten-path / South America / Tropics / Wandering
by Jeffrey Kontur · Published February 20, 2018 · Last modified February 12, 2018
Trujillo, Perú has so many amazing doorways and alleyways, it’s tempting to want to just wander through every one of them. Instead I decided to design my own little walking tour and photograph some. Quite a few doors were closed and alleyways gated. That only added to their mysterious allure....
It rains every day in the tropics. At least it does in Ecuador at this time of year. Usually, the rains come at night or in the early morning hours. And it’s that kind of warm, soft rain that makes you want to sit up in bed and just listen....