El Parque Histórico

The Parque Histórico is one of Guayaquil's main tourist attractions. It's a ways out of the city, actually, and therefore is one of those places most locals know about but have not visited. It's a combination zoo and historic center, with a restored 19th-century estate (main house, workers' house, and grounds) and weekly reenactments of life "back then." Think Colonial Williamsburg. Or my beloved Atlanta History Center, with the Swan House and the Tullie Smith House. Look 'em up.

Today some of the teenagers and I visited the park to celebrate the end of our vacation camp, and also to thank them for their hard work in planning and running the camp with me.

Note: Just because teenagers are responsible with younger children does not mean they will be responsible for themselves. Somehow we spent the first 2 hours of this field trip waiting on various people to get to various places and/or do various things. Finally, right around the time we should have been arriving at the park, we were on our way there. Sigh.

Here's some highlights of the trip...

On the boardwalk through the "forest zone" - the zoo part of the park.

Birds of a feather...

A type of green macaw (subspecies A. a. guayaquilensis) specific to western Ecuador.

A giant neurotic tapir.

Not sure what they were looking at.

In an old-timey cable car.

Seesaw >> subibaja (roughly translated, "rise-and-fall")

Bridge >> puente

Intrepid explorers in a grounded canoe.

Goat.

"Love life"

Lovin' life.