Ecuador
Area: 275,830 km2 (2.76% the size of Canada, 77.26% the size of Germany, 106x Luxembourg)
Population: 15,007,343 (43.26% of Canada, 18.35% Germany, 29x Luxembourg)
Capital: Quito
Currency: US dollar (USD)
Time traveled: 20 days
Distance travelled: 1,552 km (overland by bus)
Highlights in chronological order:
- Nice and colourful colonial architecture in Quito
- Mitad del Mundo – Middle of the Earth
- Beautiful Churches in Quito
- Tour in the Museum of Saint Francis of Assisi
- Otavalo Market (especially the animal market)
- Hanging out with fun people in Banos
- Seeing the long coast of Ecuador with its fisher villages
- Eating roasted guinea pig (“cuy”) and other food in Cuenca
- Ingapirca archeological site near Cuenca
- The great guided tours everywhere
Ecuador was our first country in South America, so it took some adjustments after having travelled 9 months in Asia. After 5 weeks in Europe with friends and family, we also had to get back into “travelling mode”, but that didn’t take too long. Overall we enjoyed our trip in Ecuador, but we would have needed more time.
Culture: Ecuador is pretty rich in culture. It has lots of history, especially since the Spanish came. Many cities have beautiful colonial architecture, so it’s nice to wonder around and look at the various buildings. About 95% of the population is Roman Catholic, but in rural areas people generally practice a mix of Catholicism and indigenous beliefs. Family is very important and many families have 2 to 4 children.
People: The people are very different in each zone (highlands, coast, Amazon forest). They are small, friendly and often talked to us on the street. The largest ethnic group is the Mestizos, the descendants of Spanish colonists and indigenous peoples, who constitute 72% of the population. Aboriginals and Afro-Ecuadorians account for another 15%. In Guayaquil there are many descendents of Europeans, so people look a lot more European there compared to the highlands.
Food: The food is good, but not very varied,. Every meal has rice, fried meat and plantains or beans, but for $2 per meal, you can’t really complain. The fresh juices at the market were always very yummy and the old ladies were happy that we were trying their creations. Roasted guinea pig (“cuy”) is a local specialty and it was fun to try, although once is enough. Overall, we had the best food in Cuenca and still at reasonable prices.
Landscape & Climate: The climate, just like the people, changes a lot depending on where you are. On the coast it’s hot and humid, but in the mountains it’s relatively chilly. For example in Quito, it’s nice and hot when the sun shines, but as soon as it disappears in the clouds, it gets cold because of the altitude. The landscape obviously changes with the climate (or vice versa). In the mountains it’s mainly grasslands, but there are also many beautiful snow-capped volcanoes. As you approach the coast, it gets increasingly agricultural with lush green vegetation. We haven’t been to the the Amazon forest or the Galapagos Islands, which are both supposed to be a world apart.
Economy: The economy is very resource-based, relying heavily on the export of oil (accounting for about 50% of exports). Because of the crash of oil prices in 1997-1998, Ecuador was steeped in instability and an inflation of over 50% per year resulted. Following this, the president decided to drop the “Sucre” and adopt the US dollar as the national currency since 2000. This has been very beneficial, as the economy is more stable now. Ecuador also export lots of shrimps, roses, bananas, coffee, cacao and timber. Except in Guayaquil, life is cheap in Ecuador.
Transportation: The country is pretty small and therefore it’s easy to get around. Local buses go everywhere and usually the next town is only a few hours away. Prices are low, so you can calculate with $1 per one hour bus ride. Roads are very good and all seem to have been repaved in the last 5 years. Because you are in the mountains, most roads are winding, but we were happy not to get car sick. Most roads only have one lane each way, except closer to Guayaquil, where some highways exist. There is also a railway, but at the moment only certain sections are open. These have been restored for tourists, but hopefully in the future the entire network will be revived.
