Guayaquil (pronounced waakeel)

This morning we walked the whole length of the 2.5km boardwalk along the river to Santa Ana - a hill full of colourful shanty houses.

There are 444 numbered steps to the top and then a small lighthouse to climb. It was much hotter today so we were toasty by the time we reached the top. There were policemen round every corner who would discreetly keep track of all the tourists via walkie talkies to make sure none of us went missing! We were closely monitored and weren't allowed to veer off down any side streets.

On the way back down we were hoping to stop at the pirate ship bar for a cool drink but it was closed :(

We walked back to 9 Octobre street in search of a camera as there are actual proper shops here! There wasn't a great deal of choice and they are all expensive as imported goods are heavily taxed. However, Anna was desperate to have a proper camera for the Galapagos so we got a waterproof fujifilm XP50 ($295) - however I shan't let her touch it as she'll break it.

Having had a not so healthy cheese toasted flat bread and donut for lunch at Dunkin Donuts, I had a strange craving for McDonald's for dinner (I usually avoid fast food like the plague) and had my first cheeseburger in over ten years. It was actually quite good. There are a lot of fast food joints but few actual restaurants and after a day of sweating we appreciated a good dose of unhealthy salt!

To make up for it we picked up an apple and banana each on our way home - my first full banana ever. Anna is making me try new things - a sip of coffee today and swordfish in Mancora! We were both shattered after doing so much walking the last couple of days compared to our lazy existence in Mancora, combined with sleeping poorly the last couple of nights, we just about stumbled back to the hotel.Read more