Ancient Chimu ruins, the last long bus ride and the beginning of an Ecuadorian adventure

I'm writing this in Guayaquil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guayaquil), Ecuador's second largest city on the eve of flying to the Galapagos. I couldn't be more excited!

It suddenly feels more tropical. As we crossed into Ecuador you can start to feel the humid heat and this coastal part feels a little Caribbean - huge fields of banana trees and dense green undergrowth with little wooden houses on stilts interspersed throughout. Guayaquil on the other hand has not left much of an impression - it's a big city and it's dark, so can't comment much.

We were on the bus for more than sixteen hours (some of that due to the lengthy wait at the immigration stations). The Ecuadorian immigration stamp is the worst I've scene - just some writing printed by a dot matrix printer in your passport! As a matter of sweet consolation it is the last long distance bus we will have to get...we hope!

A lot of the time in Huanchaco had been organising our Galapagos trip. Fortunately, everything has worked out really well. Better than expected. We managed to book the flights, the bus to Guayaquil (where the airport is) and bag us a great last minute deal on a luxury yacht(?!).

Reed boats in Huanchaco

We also found time to eat a fair amount of Ceviche (it really is the best food in South America), drink pisco sours and take in the vast pre-Colombian settlement of Chan Chan, built by the Chimu Empire a thousand years ago.

Guardians of the ancient ruins at Chan Chan

There isn't a huge amount to see. The walls, made from adobe (mud bricks) have been ravaged by El Niño storms and earthquakes over the centuries as well as looted by the Incas and the Spanish. It is, however, still impressive and unlike anything you'd get back home in England - huge yellow / brown walls going off in all directions (some 11 metres high), large ceremonial courtyards and the obligatory small museum packed with tourists. There's also another ancient temple ruin right in the centre of nearby city of Trujillo, surrounded by run-down houses with police manning every corner of the gated complex. There's also an abundance of hairless dogs / hell hounds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peruvian_Hairless_Dog). They're horrible, but Gemma has still managed to make friends with some of them.

Menu for the best Ceviche restaurant ever (£2 for a two course meal with a coke!)