Hey there my Steemit friends! I recently went for a nice long walk here in Guayaquil Ecuador. From my hotel I walked north along the Rio Guayas towards the Historic Art District of Las Penas. This neighborhood is on a hill looking out on the river and was the the very first neighborhood in Guayaquil. All other parts of the city of over two million residents have been built expanding outward around it. This part of the city dates back 400 years to when the colonies of the Spanish inquisition established it.
Over the years several fires swept through Guayaquil destroying much of the city including this neighborhood. In 1982 Las Penas was declared a cultural heritage of Ecuador and from 2002 to 2008 money was poured into this district to restore it to it's original architecture and bright colorful design.
When I walked through this area it was very quiet. There were a few art shops, but nobody was in them. There were a few restaurants facing the river, but nobody was in them either. There was an empty lot, and various for sale signs on buildings. The park like area next to the river needed repair and was closed off with yellow police tape.
It looks like a lot of tax dollars went into this neighborhood hoping to make it a tourist destination; but by the looks of things it seems nobody cares. There were a few art museums and again nobody inside. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the market areas of the city, Las Penas was a real ghost town. It was actually quite sad to see it this way.
The beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets, and view of the river made for a nice environment to visit and like always I thoroughly enjoyed myself walking around here. In fact I could imagine this being a very peaceful place to live right in the heart of the city. Now come along let's have a look as the Historic Art District of Las Penas in Guayaquil Ecuador!
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