Ecuadobservations

Now that we have left Ecuador, I thought it might be interesting to put together a (potentially exhausting) list of random things we’ve seen.

Dollars

• Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar as its currency.
• This can be a problem when the dollar is strong, as it makes Ecuador expensive for other countries.
• There is a massive use of one dollar coins, I’ve only seen about three or for dollar bills.  I must say, I like using the dollar coin.

Transportation & roads

• The main highways in Ecuador are fantastic!
• The current president increased the road budget 500% in the last five years
• Buses must be subsidized, as it is really cheap to go anywhere, as long as you are not in a hurry.
• Even express buses will occasionally stop and pick someone up who flags them down.
• Taxis are everywhere and inexpensive – very convenient.

Clothes

• Ponchos – make a lot of sense in Ecuador. The climate is very consistent from month to month, and one would rarely need to “bundle up” unless climbing high in a mountain.  Also, they can be folded and worn on the head to protect from the sun.  They can also be used for backpacks or child packs when folded correctly.
• Hats – even though Panama hats come from Ecuador, the baseball hat is probably the most popular form of headwear. The indigenous women, in particular, wear the classic hats, some men, but baseball hats have become ubiquitous.

Food

• We are not overly impressed with Ecuadorian food. It’s not bad, but it’s generally not great either.  It is often either quite bland or quite salty.  Pepper is rarely served as a condiment.  There is much starch, with rice served at nearly every lunch and dinner.
• The main meal tends to be lunch. Often, late afternoon is a time for bocaditos, or small appetizers with coffee (Nescafe).  This way, dinner can be at 9:00 or 10:00, and is usually quite small.
• Some of the best food we’ve had is seafood, either from the ocean, or trout from the Andean streams or small mountain farms.

Economy and Big box stores

• The economy is very entrepreneurial, with almost anyone seemingly able to hang out a shingle and make some money. There are tiendas, or small stores, everywhere, sometimes next to each other.  If one doesn’t have something, the proprietor may just walk next store and get it and then sell it to you.  Some restaurants may have only one or two tables.  Street vendors may sell only one or two things, like strawberries.  I have no idea how much they make, but it seems to be a vibrant style.
• The big box stores, or Ecuadorean varieties, are beginning to appear, especially for items that may be financed, like appliances or motorcycles. There are still smaller vendors selling these same items.
• The middle and upper classes love malls and super markets.
• I fear the small guys will be run out of business. What will happen to all of the stores?

Weather and Climate

• It is interesting living in a place where the weather is pretty much the same every day. To be sure, there are many climates in Ecuador, but they seem to be based primarily on altitude, given that the country is on the equator.
• Global warming is affecting Ecuador. They have been in a drought for the last year.  El Niño has done some damage, but it isn’t as bad as predicted by the news media and governments.

Gringos

• Gringos tend to be defined as anyone with light skin from the northern hemisphere. This can include US, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Sweden, etc.
• As anywhere else, there is a wide variety of gringos – some coming for the beauty, others for the cost, others because they think their home county is going to hell, others for the drugs
• A surprising number come, don’t learn Spanish, don’t learn the culture, hang only with other gringos, and get upset because things in Ecuador don’t work like their home country. They tend to leave within three years.

Ecuador pride

• The people of Ecuador are very proud of Ecuador, particularly its beauty and its people’s friendliness.

Andes

• After a while, even the most amazing view of the Andes fails to make me grab my camera. Perhaps I suffered from Andes fatigue.  I prefer thinking that I want to just take it all in.

Internet and Tech

• Nearly every hostal and many restaurants have wifi access.
• WhatsApp, the app that allows people to talk for free over wifi, has made the world a much smaller place. Get it, and Ellen will probably talk to you.
• Everyone is always taking pictures with their smartphones.  Selfie sticks are sold everywhere, even at traffic stops by street vendors.
• Those with data plans don’t need paper maps and are never lost (unless they lose their signal).  GPS mapping apps show a bright blue dot wherever you are.

Architecture – painting and construction

• We often speculated on why so many buildings and houses here are incomplete. We’ve heard several explanations:
  • People run out of money, but may eventually add more stories, so the roof looks like it is incomplete
  • You don’t have to pay property taxes until the structure is complete, so they never finish them (recent changes in tax laws may correct this)
  • They didn’t use an architect
• More often than not, only the very front of the house or building is stucco and paint, the sides and back (very obvious) are raw bricks and cement.

Cars & trucks

• There are cars and trucks from everywhere. I have seen vehicles from USA, Brazil, Sweden, Germany, France, Italy, Russia, England, Korea, Japan, India, and China

• Vehicles retain high resale value. Most cost about twice what they do in the US when purchase new.  They are kept longer.  One sees and occasional Datsun driving around.
• Warranties are valid only when ALL work is done where the vehicle was purchased.
• Why get a car when there are taxis everywhere?

Alcohol

• Fruit juice is much more common than alcohol with meals.
• Beer is cheap.
• Wine is expensive and not very good in general, although some of the boxed wine is drinkable in a pinch.
• Tequila is the generic term for liquor.
• Chichwa, indigenous local beer, looks and tastes like fruit juice.

Responsible Driving

• They don’t mess around. If speeding is an issue, speed bumps are installed.  The kind that require the driver of car or bus to pretty much stop to go over them.
• On many corners in the big cities, there are heavy pylons to prevent cars from cutting them.
• There is a penalty of prison if you hit someone while driving. Also potentially for speeding.

Hair

• There aren’t many bald Ecuadoreans. I’m told that there are herbal remedies that prevent it, but suspect it has a stronger genetic cause.
• There isn’t much white hair, some but not much.

I’m sure I’ve missed a bunch of observations.  The most important one is that Ecuador is a beautiful and welcoming country.  We strongly recommend visiting to most everyone!