Guayaquil

Guayaquil is a bit grim, too hot and pretty dodgy, but a necessary stop-off to catch an international bus over the border to Peru. The day we spent there was mostly about planning what to do in Peru, but we managed to get some good ideas together in the end and also decided where to spend New Years Eve. The border crossing was easy but long, as we'd decided to go all the way down to Trujillo, some 18 hours through the night. In the morning we woke up to totally different scenery to what we'd seen before. No hills but flat, scrubby desert with hardly any plants. Some craggy mountains sprung up later but the sand continues. The bus was definitely the best yet. Huge, fully reclining seats, food, drink and films to watch, it's like a business class flight. A good sign because we have plenty more bus hours ahead!Read more