10/7: Guayaquil, Ecuador: Parrots & Period Homes in Parque Historico

We got a drive over to Parque Historico Guayaquil located about four miles north of the city center across the river from Fabrizio, our guesthouse owner’s son. He had tried to convince us that our best option was to have him meet us at a set time when we thought we were done visiting the park because we wouldn’t be able to get either a bus or taxi back to the city. But I persuaded Steven that we should take our chances rather than having to abide by a certain schedule. I also wanted to have the option open of our going on a boat trip after the park to one of the nearby islands.

It was so funny that as soon as Fabrizio drove across the headland to the neighboring city of Samborondón, there were actually traffic lanes on the streets as there were none in Guayaquil. Fabrizio joked that drivers from Guayaquil wouldn’t know what to do with traffic lanes as drivers, including himself, dart in and out between cars all the time. Samborondón, however, was far more affluent and was home to all the American fast food and other restaurant chains and big box stores.

The park, again free like the museums, was divided into three sections: a wildlife zone, traditions zone and urban architecture zone. We entered the wildlife zone first which had great walkways through mangroves and a variety of ecosystems. 

In the Wildlife Zone, we read we would see a recreated Drizzle Forest (a new term for us), and three other preserved forest types, all of which were the natural heritage of the area.

It had been a long time since we'd seen Braille.

Since these plants growing on the tree were epiphyte plants, they didn't obtain their nutrients from the plants they lived on but rather from the environment, air, water and dust.

Coming across these parrots was neat. Little did we know they would be the first of many we'd see in a little bit!

A bronze-winged parrot:

The feathers on the top and back of a red-lored parrot's head have lilac-blue tips. They like to rest in treetops.

Mealy Amazon parrots are the largest Ecuadorian type. They're entirely green with a bluish tone on the backs of their necks. The feathers on their backs have a whitish tinge, as if they had been sprinkled with 'meal,' hence their name.

They were so accommodating as they didn't move one iota so I was able to take all the time I needed to make sure I had the best shot.

Doesn't this look like an idyllic way to spend time in a new city?!  We sure loved it. 

A little further on, we caught sight of flamingos. I had always thought they were much darker. I'm writing this from Puno in southern Peru on the border with Bolivia and I saw more, very pale flamingos just this afternoon. Goodness only knows when I'll get around to writing that post, huh!

The horned screamer inhabits the wetlands, including the lowlands of the Amazon, in Ecuador and got its name from its unmistakable loud honking and the quill projecting forward from the end of its crown. It feeds on grasses and lives in groups.

I didn't know until coming to Parque Historico that flamingos have to 'run' considerable distances before taking flight. They filter food while wading in the water by sifting through mud with their bills and feeding on aquatic invertebrates.

I can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed just standing watching the flamingos as they so gingerly and daintily walked about in their enclosure with the screacher.

I wish you could have heard the ruckus when the screacher bird and iguanas fought over the food bowl. The iguanas were so heavy, of course, they caused the bowl to topple over.

Remember, you can always just click on any photo to enlarge it if you wish.

All of a sudden we could hear the branches of a tree rustling and a huge iguana plopped on the ground!

Looked like they were playing who's the king of the castle!

A little boy seeing the deer, cried out in Spanish Bambi! It was so adorable knowing that children even in Ecuador knew of the Disney character.

Two turtles lazing on a log:

A sechuran fox was a new breed to me. I learned that its coat is gray except for its yellowish belly and legs. It has long ears and a short snout, a very well developed sense of hearing and smell and excellent night vision.

The mangrove forests were all enveloping as you can see.

I found the jungle-like vines and branches almost as fascinating as the flamingos because they were so different from what we're used to back home.

Collared pecaries were also new to us, not surprisingly, since they're native to the rain forests and dry forests of Ecuador. They are similar in appearance to pigs, have musk glands on their backs that are rubbed to maintain fraternal bonds between group members. Nope, I didn't make that up!

When we came across all these macaws just a few inches or feet away from us, I almost drooled. I was so glad we'd decided to come to the park on our last day in Guayaquil. 

These are really just called blue and yellow macaws!

Necking macaws!

As the sign said, the macaws' brilliant-colored plumage makes them authentic works of natural-world art. Their opposing toes - tho facing forward and two facing backward - allow them to scale trees using their beaks for effective support.

Macaws are a kind of parrot, and are actually more closely related to the much smaller parakeets than to other kinds of parrots in case you were wondering about the difference between the two birds.

You could hear everyone sighing when these two finally turned around so we could admire them from the front.

A chestnut-fronted macaw:

I knew we should be seeing many more in the Amazon at the end of the month but this first glimpse of them with their stunning plumage was out of this world! Spoiler alert: We did indeed see hundreds of macaws at a 'clay lick' in the Amazon just several days ago and that has been one of the highlights of our trip.

The habitats looked very natural. Although the animals were in captivity, they had more space than a typical zoo, and the fences were built to look like mangrove roots, so blended into the environment. 

The spectacled caiman's name is derived from the bony ridge between its eyes that look like a pair of, you guessed it, spectacles! They usually inhabit lakes, ponds and slow-moving river streams. They feed on birds, amphibians, small mammals, fish and reptiles.

A tapir, also common in the Amazon:

An ocelot hiding among the branches: 

Drizzle forests are normally located at over 300 meters above sea level with the presence of a constant drizzle - duh! These ecosystems function as sponges, trapping airborne water. A great variety of plants and animals, especially birds, inhabit the forests

Monkeys are lively, curious and mischievous animals and have long arms and a prehensile tail. They live in groups of up to 25 and communicate constantly by distinctive howls or cries. 

I had a devil of a time taking photos of these brown capuchin and black spider monkeys because they would not just sit still!

I hadn't realized that the mangrove forest is one of the world's most important and productive ecosystems. Their roots can adapt to muddy soil by growing long or by growing above ground level. Many aquatic and land animals live and feed in the mangroves.

Crab-eating raccoons are very intelligent, gregarious, nocturnal and have excellent vision. They prey mostly on crabs but also eat crustaceans, insects, nuts, fish and small turtles.

For some reason, right here we could smell chocolate nearby. It was the strangest thing.

The park had great signage with information in Spanish, Quechua – an Inca language - and English. Quechua, the language written below, is spoken in Ecuador and Peru, I know. Since we'll be in Bolivia in a few days, I'll find out then if it's also spoken there.

Such weird looking trees with so many branches growing so close to the ground:

From the first-rate wildlife zone, we entered the Urban Architecture Zone where selected 19th century Guayaquil homes had been painstakingly taken down piece by piece and rebuilt here in the park. 

Casa Julian was the first home. It was constructed in 1901 and belonged to a doctor. The home was selected because of its interiors, extended balconies and balustrades.

Unfortunately, the interior rooms didn’t match up to the magnificent exterior. They were all very grimy and in sore need of some TLC.

After seeing little sunlight for more than an hour, it was refreshing being near the water again.

The next building was the Hotel del Parque. I think it contained park offices as it was closed to visitors.

The Corazon de Jesus or the Heart of Jesus was constructed as a hospice for elderly and disabled people in 1892. It was built on a street popularly known as the Street of Tears because of the many institutions built nearby, including the jail, a hospital and cemetery. The original hospice and chapel functioned until 1982 when the Junta decided to demolish it and build a new concrete structure in its place. When the Banco Central del Ecuador oversaw the building's salvage and reclamation, one of the most important religious and institutional architectural styles of the period was preserved. It was interesting to read that the hospice will be given a new lease on life as it will be converted into a boutique hotel with 42 rooms, 2 suites, a lobby, food and beverage area, etc. 

The Chapel in the hospice was preserved as a place of worship after modern safety and electrical systems were incorporated into the reconstruction. The cross on the altar  touched the ceiling, something we didn’t think we’d seen before.

The kiosk sold all sorts of Ecuadorian products, especially cheese and chocolate.

Suellen: You would have loved wandering through the urban farm and ethno-botanical garden.

Pretty pineapple plants:

That led us to the children’s area with goats, rabbits, turtles, etc.

The Traditions Zone represented coastal culture with a traditional farmstead and a reconstructed cacao plantation hacienda. The San Juan Hacienda House was built in 1882 on the shores of a river from local lumber and imported pine. Its tile roof had a bronze bell used to call workers in from the fields.

In 1900 cocoa, known as the golden seed, accounted for 50% of Ecuador's exports. The ground floor of the hacienda was devoted to fermenting and drying cocoa beans. 

The beans were spread out in large open areas to dry during the day and were covered at night with plantain leaves. That process enabled the cocoa to sweat and reach the highest possible flavor combination.

Just out back was an Indian Peafowl but it looked all the world like a peacock to us!

These mini bananas were only about two inches long. We had quite a few recently at the two lodges we stayed at in the Amazon Basin and they were strangely pale yellow inside but tasted the same as normal ones.

The traditional home of a peasant around the turn of the 20th century was built with local materials suitable for the climate. They raised poultry and other animals and planted small crops.

After 2.5 hours, we had had our fill of the fascinating Parque Historico but were so glad that we’d decided to tour it. What a relief, too, we hadn’t committed to having Fabrizio pick us up so we could just wander through at our own pace and not have to keep an eye on the clock at all. Despite Fabrizio’s concerns, we had no problems finding a ride back to the Malecon, the boardwalk along the Rio Guayas that we’d enjoyed walking along yesterday afternoon. There was a driver waiting and willing to take us back across the river for just $6.

Next post: Boat ride to the eco-community of Isla Santay. I was too ambitious thinking I'd be able to include it in this post as planned!

Posted on November 6th, 2017, from Puno, Peru, exactly two months after we began this amazing adventure!