I have been to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Why are you going if you are afraid to go?

I’ll only be there for one night. I’m going to the Galapagos from there. What was it like?

Crowded, busy, Spanish-speaking, exciting, with interesting smokey and fishy smells.

There are some neat parks and historical areas, such as Parque las Iguanas (located at Clemente Ballén entre Chile y Chimborazo, and actually called Parque Seminario, in front of Cathedral) and the Parque Historico.

However, if you are just going to be there one night you might check out the boardwalk. It is a couple of blocks away from the Iguana park in central Guayaquil and runs along the Guayas River. There are stores, restaurants, gardens and museums, and it is patrolled 24 hours, to keep it safe for tourists.

Do I understand correctly, that they use the US Dollar?

Yes, they do. According to the South American Explorer’s Club (a very useful site for anyone going anywhere in South America, but especially off the beaten path):

“The official currency of Ecuador is the US dollar. Dollar bills circulate in denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100. Coins are used alongside the equivalent size and value Ecuadorean coins for $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, and $1. Be sure when you leave Ecuador, you do not have any Ecuadorean coins as they have no value outside the country. Many merchants are reluctant to take bills over $20 because of the potential of counterfeit bills as well as a lack of change.”

They prefer American Express Traveler’s Checks, and most merchants accept Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, and American Express.

I thought it was an armpit of a city, but I was there 20 years ago. I much preferred Quito and Cuenca.

I enjoyed Quito very much but it was quite different from Guayaquil. It seemed more slow-moving and more Native American, while Guayaquil was a busy port and fishing town. However, I also enjoyed Santo Domingo de los Colorados, although I never want to drink Inca Cola ever again.