To be honest with you, I had no idea what to expect from the city of Guayaquil. I read the basic information on the internet: the most populous city of Ecuador, Guayaquil is also the nation's main port and most important commercial hub.

It was already noon when we arrived from Quito, the capital of the country which sits on the slopes of the Pichincha volcano, one of the many peaks of the Andes. As you might already guess, the change was drastic! That morning, my best friend Giuseppina and me woke up in our room in Quito with the views of the massive snow-covered volcanoes of the Ecuadorian highlands. A couple of hours later, we started adapting to a completely different landscape and weather: palm trees in every corner, banana plantations and mangroves, and the first views of Guayas river, the most important South American river that does not flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The humidity in the air and the heat were reminders of what is part of our daily routines in Panama City. It was the beginning of the last part of my first South American adventure.

 We first stayed at our good friend Lucho's house in La Puntilla, a very nice neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city. It was also here where we ate our very first traditional Guayaquilean breakfast which basically consisted in a feast of Bolon de verde (fried plantain and cheese mashed and given a rounded shape). Lucho's house has a private access to the Guayas river that we so loved because it gave us an impression of just how large this river is. In my mind I was staring at the ocean every single time I stood in front of its waters.

After a couple of days in La Puntilla, we then switched to a hotel in the very heart of Guayaquil: the Parque Seminario o de las Iguanas (in English, Iguana Park) was just a five minutes walk from the hotel. As the name says, this park is full of iguanas that both locals and tourists love to feed with mangoes sold by street vendors. Some of these animals even reach 5 feet in length! My first walk around Downtown Guayaquil gave me a very nice first impression of the city's colonial past. What's even more eye-catching is the mixture of styles: as you walk past pretty normal apartment houses and decaying structures, you also notice the European influenced architecture that has managed to make it to our days. Let's not forget that Guayaquil, as many other cities in Latinamerica, was founded by Spaniards and attacked by French and English pirates. It was not until 1820 that Guayaquil gained its independence from Spain, a key victory for the Ecuadorian War of Independence.

But if I had to choose one aspect that impressed me the most from this city, it would be the clever plan of the municipality to improve the quality of life of its inhabitants. The current major, Jaime Nebot (of the opposition Social Christian Party) began a campaign of construction projects in the late 90's which included "urban regeneration": a plan for the reconstruction of sidewalks, parks, sewer systems and major infrastructural projects such as the Malecon 2000, the promenade along the Guayas river with IMAX movie theatre, green areas, restaurants and more. As a matter of fact, Guayaquil has always been a stronghold of the opposition, which is why I suppose the city's motto is "For independent Guayaquil". Once a very dangerous port metropolis, Guayaquil is renewing its image thanks to the municipality's goal of converting the city into a place for first-class international tourism.

Not to mention our walks around Las Peñas neighbourhood, the artistic centre of Guayaquil. It was actually in this neighbourhood on the slopes of Cerro Santa Ana (Santa Ana hill) where the city originated from a settlement of natives. Many of the 400-year-old colonial houses of the area have been turned into ateliers and studios by the city's artists.  In Las Peñas you breathe energy with every step you take through its cobblestone streets. No wonder why many Ecuadorian Presidents (such as Eloy Alfaro for example) and writers like Ernest Hemingway lived here! Even Che Guevara stayed in Las Peñas for a while working as a doctor. If you're looking for a cool bar in town, here you'll find a number of incredible options. On one of our night-outs, we found this super cool bar almost on the top of the Cerro with this unforgettable view of the Guayas river and the Malecon. Sitting there with our Pilsner beers (the most traditional Ecuadorian brew) and relaxing with the soft tropical breeze, I remember thinking how beautiful Guayaquil was. It was indeed a phenomenal spot with amazing people.

Guayaquil was such a pleasant surprise to me and it's a city that will be in my heart forever. I have to say that I'm totally amazed by Guayaquil, the Pearl of the Pacific.

Guayaquil traffic.

The beauty of this tropical metropolis resides in the simplicity of everyday life.

Seen on Avenida Chimborazo.

The beautiful European influenced architecture in Downtown Guayaquil.

Fisherman and his daily routine in the Guayas river.

Cathedral of Guayaquil in Neo-Gothic architecture.

With Lucho on our first walk through the Malecon 2000.

Malecon 2000, Guayas ship and Las Peñas in the background.

The city hall of Guayaquil in Neoclassical style,  one of the most important architectural works in the country.

Best friends pose in front of Hemiciclo de la rotonda with the statues of Simon Bolivar and Jose Francisco de San Martin, two major figures in the wars of independence of Latinamerica.

Have I mentioned that I love the contrast between the city and the lush green of trees? I'm obsessed.

Guayaquil, the Pearl of the Pacific on a sunny morning.

Reloj morisco in Moorish-style architecture, part of the Malecon 2000.

The city and its people.

El Telegrafo, the oldest newspaper in the country. The headquarters are in Guayaquil, right in front of the hotel.

Room with a view.

Loved these details.

Old lady in Las Peñas.

I adore this place! Las Peñas.

Guayas river as seen from the top of Cerro Santa Ana.

Giuse, Julio and me in Las Peñas.

Seen at the Historic Park of Guayaquil.

The Historic Park of Guayaquil aims to give the visitors an idea of how the city looked like during the 19th and 20th century.

Entering the world of mangroves in Guayaquil !!!!

During my visit to the largest artisan market of the city I sat down to drink a soda. This was the view. Loved it.

Night-out! But first a photo at Parque de las Iguanas. No iguanas during nighttime!

Giuse and me with the Malecon del Salado in the background, another infrastructural project under the Nebot administration.

Panama Hats and the best views of Guayaquil.