Geeky Chic

I have returned to civilization, Guayaquil, after a week where my watch was the only mechanical device capable of providing me with information.  Coincidentally, my hotel is on a boulevard named 9 de Octobre, and today is Guayaquil Independence Day (185 years ago, Guayaquil civilians arrested the Spanish authorities and declared their independence from Spain).  So the streets are festooned with the Ecuadorian flag, in its primary colors, and blue and white starred ribbons/flags (the Independence Day flag).  So, I’m off to the obligatory parade before my sojourn home.

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Edit (This silly keyboard will not let me type colons or dashes, so imagine a colon here) Back at the hotel to rest before an early flight, but two more observations.  Because of the festivities, there are quite a few beauty queens running around the hotel in full regalia (Miss Guayaquil is quite pretty).  Also, on our way out to the parade, a police escort outside of the hotel helped some sort of Latin American rapper board his tinted van without being assaulted by his groupies.  My companions wanted to rubberneck, but I did not, for countries where police officers casually carry M16s make me nervous.