March 1: Free Day in Guayaquil, Ecuador

We tried to wash a few things in the room last night and this morning they are still very wet. It is so humid here.

A wall of plants!

I made inquiries at the desk about a guest laundry. They said since we only need to dry them, they'll do it for free. I wandered around the hotel while Paul was sleeping. There's a bunch of young children dressed up in graduation outfits. They're very cute. Since breakfast closes at 10:00, I need to wake Paul up so he can get some breakfast, as it is 9am.

The buffet is lovely. Croissants, fresh fruit, and omelettes. We notice outside there is armed security.

We met another couple going on our trip in the lobby. They are Ron and Robyn from Wisconsin. They felt this would just be a rest day. With the recent unrest here they were advised to stay and explore the services the hotel has to offer. We found the gym, the pool, and there is a spa.

I decided not to go sweat at the gym because my clothes won't dry. We met our tour guide, Jorge. We got health forms and an itinerary for tomorrow.

After lunch we went to have a nap, and then a trip to the bakery. Our big excursion for the day was to the coffee shop across the street from the hotel. Dinner! Paul got Tiramisu and I got brownie cheesecake.

Then we sat in the lobby and watched people. We met another 2 couples playing pinochle that are on our ship. They are from Chicago. Apparently there is room for 93 guests on the ship. Hopefully our nap didn't wreck our night's sleep.