This past weekend I met up briefly with some visitors from my hometown, and they asked, like so many other North Americans (and Ecuadorians) if I like Ecuador and why. In my quick response that ensued, I explained a couple of the attractive things about the country, but that response did not come near doing justice to this wonderful country. So here is a long overdue explanation of the things that make this country unique and a defense of why everyone should come visit Ecuador at some point in life (hint, hint :P ). Oh, and the list is in no particular order...
Mountains and Volcanoes: Located in the Andes mountain range, Ecuador is home to over 25 volcanoes, of which some are both active and snow-covered. The slope of Volcano Cayambe is the only place on earth where snow remains on the equator all year long.
Highest point on Earth: Everyone knows that Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level, but not many people know that the Chimborazo Volcano (in Ecuador, of course) is the point farthest from the center of planet Earth. So, if you really want to do some amazing mountain climbing, come to Ecuador, get a guide, and climb an Ecuadorian mountain called Chimborazo.
Indigenous culture: In the midst of the hustle and bustle of any major city, there are women selling crafts, snacks, and fruit in the same clothing that their ancestors have worn for hundreds of years. The indigenous culture is not only apparent in the colorful woven clothes and crafts sold around town, but it has also crept into the everyday vocabulary of the average Ecuadorian. Words from Kichwa, like guagua (baby), aychichi (it’s cold), and ñaño (brother) have replaced their Spanish counterparts as the most common in everyday usage. While it was confusing at first to hear words that do not exist in the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, I love that Ecuador has its own language interwoven with the official Spanish that is taught in the schools. And there still are many indigenous communities in which Kichwa is more common than Spanish.
3 seasons per day: I’m not sure this is something I love about Ecuador, but it definitely makes the city where I live unique. In Quito (and not in the jungle or coast), it’s not uncommon to have cool fall temperatures in the morning, a blazing sun at midday, a hard spring rain in the afternoon, and fog at nightfall. It makes planning clothing for the day a bit difficult when one must plan for all the extremes at once, but it has taught me to carry an umbrella and sunglasses at all times, whether the sky is completely overcast or there isn’t a cloud visible on the horizon. Basically, the only thing predictable about the weather is its unpredictableness. Oh, and this is true all year long—there are only slight variations between “winter” and “summer” in Quito.
Cevichochos, popcorn for lunch, and biscochos: Each country has its own unique culinary contributions to world cusine, and three of my favorites from Ecuador are listed above. I already mentioned cevichochos in a previous post, and I continue to enjoy that delicious snack any chance I get. Popcorn and corn in general, are quite common in the local diet. In fact, there are over a dozen types of corn used in Ecuador. Since I have always enjoyed popcorn as a snack, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it’s not just a snack for the movie theatre here. It’s commonly used as part of a normal lunch or dinner. Biscochos are light, crisp, rectangular biscuits that famously come from the city of Cayambe. Although they are not so easy to find in Quito, a biscocho is the perfect accompaniment to a cup of Joe.
The Galapagos: Need I say more? Although I have yet to visit the islands, they have some of the most unique flora and fauna on earth, and are perhaps the most famous part of the country.
So there’s a short list for this week, and you can be sure that it will continue (with the addition of pictures) in the weeks and months to come.
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