An Introduction to Ecuador
By Mike Yaeger and Matt Lepkowski
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Descending into the Quito airport, one sees a sprawling city sitting in a deep valley surrounded by white stucco houses cascading down the mountainsides. The stench of scorched land fills the air, mingling with the smell of exhaust from the many diesel-burning buses that flood the streets of the Capitol City. Quito is a city that blends the rich traditions of it's European and Indian architecture, culture and relaxed way of life, with a constant striving to break into the modern age of business and commerce. It is a city characterized by old churches next to glass office towers, modern banks with crumbling sidewalks, and rich mixture of people living by the old traditions and others firmly entrenched in the new world. Quito represents a country in the midst of change, attempting to preserve the old, yet take advantage of the new.
Geography of Ecuador
Ecuador is a tiny country on the northwestern coast of South America that most people don't think of when they go on vacation. It is a relatively peaceful country in contrast to Columbia on it's Northern border and Peru on it's Southern border. The heart of the country lies high in the Andes Mountains at 9300 feet above sea level, is home to the political powers that be, and is the center of Ecuador's struggles to become a stronger economic power. The Southern and Eastern part of the country consists of tropical rainforest and jungle, where many parts are inaccessible to anyone but the Indians who have lived there for centuries. The Western part of the country is Pacific Ocean coastline offering many vacation spots for the citizens of Ecuador, and the fabulous and endangered Galapagos Islands. Although tourists can still visit the Galapagos Islands, where Darwin came upon his theories of evolution, it is extremely expensive and rumor has is that soon no tourists will be allowed on the islands at all.
These diverse habitats create a country that offers much to the visiting tourist. There are very high active volcanoes to climb, such as Mount Cotopaxi, sitting at almost 20,000 feet. There are lush tropical rainforests, some virgin and some not, providing adventures into a vanishing lifestyle and ecosphere. There is a long coastline providing small fishing villages, ecoresorts, untouched beaches, and the Galapagos Islands.
The People of Ecuador
The people of Ecuador are descendants of the Inca Empire and later Spanish conquests, but the two distinct cultures have not really meshed together. The Indian descendants, known as Quechua, still maintain their own language, and are attempting to hold onto their way of life, which is essentially agricultural based. Those who inhabit the highlands in Central Ecuador and the jungles of Eastern and Southern Ecuador are predominantly Quechua. The European descendants populate most of the larger cities in the North, and although a minority percentage of the population, they control virtually all areas of the government. The structure also creates a very large lower class and a very elite upper class. There is a growing middle class of lawyers, bankers, teachers, etc. but it is still in it's infancy.
Climate of Ecuador
Ecuador has several different kinds of terrain, and therefore, climates. Most of the interior and north of the country is high and mountainous, with moderate, dry temperatures in the Summer, but cooler during the rest of the year. The eastern and southern parts of the country are mostly rainforest, and are generally humid and wet most of the year. The driest, warmest months in the rainforest are December, January and February. The western part of Ecuador is coastline, and is much dryer and warmer than the interior. During July, when we visited, the temperatures were very pleasant, but quite wet in the rainforest.
Money in Ecuador
Ecuador has opted to use the US Dollar as the official currency. The old Sucre is no longer used. Banks keep very strict hours, and are normally open from 9-4 Monday through Friday, as well as 9-12 on Saturday morning. The banks are never open on Sunday. Exchanging a traveler's check at banks is often a big production and involves waiting for long periods in several different lines. Places that take credit cards are few and far between, and are essentially restricted to hotels and finer restaurants.
Intro
to Ecuador 
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