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Of the 3 countries we visited during our 5 months in South America, I must say Ecuador was my favorite. Though tiny in size, it more than makes up for that with it's diversified landscapes. We were fortunate enough to experience all three major biomes of the country: the wild and beautiful jungle, the majestic peaks of the Andes and the hot lazy coast. The following are some things I noticed along the way that are truly Ecuadorian:
1. Anytime you go to a bar (especially in the tourist cities) they like to present you with a welcome shot. This is not just any shot but a flaming shot that requires you to suck the alcohol through a straw, all the while hoping that the flame doesn't creep up the straw and burn you in the face.
2. Ecuador is the greenest country we've visited, and no I don't mean the most eco-friendly (though there was noticeably less trash than in Peru). From the second we crossed the border from Peru into Ecuador the landscape changed suddenly from desert to lush green hills packed with vegetation, almost as if the border was drawn according to this natural division that awarded all the trees to Ecuador.
3. There are a lot of salespeople on buses, a lot. We had experienced this before entering Ecuador, but it seemed more frequent in this country. It was common for someone to hop on the bus and start their 10 minute long sales pitch for their product, anything from candy to crappy jewelry to 'health' tonics and powders. They would then walk down the aisles distributing their product, proclaiming all the while that it only cost 'un dolarito' (just a dollar) and to our disbelief lots of people would buy this junk. Sometimes I tried to listen to the sales pitches to see if I could understand, but most of the time I tuned these people out and politely declined their products.
4. As well as the formal salespeople it was very common for vendors to hop on the bus and sell snacks and drinks to try to make a quick buck. Again, we saw this in Peru and Bolivia as well but it seemed more common in Ecuador. For those needing some water or a quick bite to eat it was very convenient.
5. Leggings are a major fashion trend in Ecuador. It doesn't matter if you are a small child, a mother, or the size of a baby hippopotamus, everybody wears leggings. And it's not the leggings under a dress fashion we rock in the states, oh no. People wear these things with crop tops and t-shirts and whatever else will show off their bottom half in all it's glory, even if they are the size of a baby elephant. The best part is that they make them one size fits all, so depending on your body type they are either loose and comfortable looking or stretched so tight it makes you wonder how and why they choose to wear them. Seeing as how we spent 6 weeks in Ecuador, Lauren and I just had to get a pair. Our plan to fit in didn't work though, they still know we're not locals.
6. Even though they still have their fair share of chubsters, people are generally better looking in Ecuador than in Peru and Bolivia. They are a bit taller and just overall more attractive.
7. An avocado is called an aguacate instead of palta like in Peru, even though the 2 countries share a border. Also dinner is marienda instead of cena and strawberry is frutilla instead of fresa.
8. Garbage trucks sound like ice cream trucks and it's disturbing. They drive by playing such merry little tunes that I am taken to a happy place of sunshine and ice cream, only to have my dreams crushed seconds later when I discover it is nothing more than a giant trash receptacle. It's a cruel joke indeed.
9. Ecuador enjoys a lovely sales tax of 12% called an IVA, which is always included on the tab at the end of a meal, usually along with a 10% service fee.
10. As per usual I must mention the bus situation. Yes they have bathrooms on the buses but they are generally locked, so if you want to use it you have to pound on the door up front and ask someone to open it. Generally it's best to just wait until they stop, as I have trouble using the bathroom on a swaying bus rocketing through curvy bumpy roads anyway.
11. Beer in the grocery stores only costs $1 and it's freakin' awesome.
12. They love to dance Salsa in Ecuador. Maybe not as much as in Colombia, but Salsa clubs are still very popular and it's a really fun dance if you can find a local nice enough to be patient.
13. They use the US dollar and have done so for over a decade now after the country collapsed into total financial ruin and their previous currency, the sucre, became useless. They still make their own coins though so it's fun to see coins with Ecuadorian presidents on them. Also actual dollar bills are very difficult to find, they use the golden dollar coins instead.
I hope to get the chance to come back to Ecuador some day, especially because I didn't see the Galapagos! It's really a beautiful little country and is definitely not to be overlooked when traveling the South America circuit.
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