Come See Ecuador

More Interesting Facts About Ecuador

admin — Tue, 03 May 2011 21:41:48 +0000

Here are some interesting facts about Ecuador or the “Republic of Ecuador”. Did you know that the capitol of Ecuador, Quito, is the only major city in the world that the Equator goes through it. Hence the name Ecuador. If you look at a globe or map, you will see that throughout the rest of the world, the equator goes mostly through un-inhabited rainforests, oceans and seas.

The highest point on the Equator is also in Ecuador: Volcán Cayambe‘s southern slope is on the Equator at an elevation of 15,387 feet or 4,690 meters. The volcano at the summit is almost 19,000 feet, and therefore is a small distance above the snow line and is the only place on the Equator that there is snow all year round.

Ecuador’s first permanent “Amusement Park”, Vulcano Park, is located at the base of Pichincha Vulcano, where the Teleferico is located.

Check out the Park here from above as we ascend to the top of the lookout Cruz Loma.

Cuenca

admin — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 03:49:34 +0000

Cuenca, Ecuador has been talked about lately as a retirement hot spot. Cuenca is the main place I stop every time there as my mother in law lives there. You can rent a decent apartment for about $300 a month, and purchase a condo starting at $30,000.

Cuenca: Taken from the Building in the Next Photo

Medical Office Building in Cuenca

Anthony Bourdain Eats Cuy in Ecuador: Review

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:39:02 +0000

Anthony Bourdain of Travel Channel TV’s show, “No Reservations” travels to Ecuador and enjoys cuy, or guinea pigs.

I’ve tasted it myself, and found it closer to rabbit, but I admit, it was probably prepared slightly different then shown here.

Otavalo Saturday Market and A Pedida

admin — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 03:44:59 +0000

I just loved Otavalo, and I highly recommend making sure your trip to Ecuador includes a Saturday stop there. We stayed at the Ali Shungu in town, walking distance from the market.
Here’s a picture taken in the lobby of the Ali Shungu with the front desk help.

The American owners run a fine establishment which includes a vegetarian restaurant.

After the market we went into town and were treated to some great entertainment, a “pedida”.

Basically, the custom goes that the groom requests his bride’s hand from her father and offers gifts to ensure that he’s capable of supporting her. The bridegroom gets his friends together and they basically all parade to her house.

Once there, if the father opens the door, all lights are out, he approves of the nuptials, and the party is on.

And if he doesn’t?

Ecuador Weather: How to Pack for Ecuador Trip

admin — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:31:41 +0000

Ecuador is located in the equator on the left coast of South America. However, just because it lies in the Tropics does NOT mean that’s it’s always warm. Ecuador consists of coastal plain, inter-Andean central highlands, and the eastern jungle. The weather is tropical at the coasts but gets progressively cooler as you travel inland, to higher elevation. During the winter months of January and February Ecuador’s weather is especially HOT and humid along the coast. Rain falls throughout the year, but mainly the rainy season is from December to April. Ecuador receives an average rainfall of about 112 centimeters.

There are many factors that affect Ecuador’s weather, besides the time of year and the section of the country you’re in, the single biggest factor is the altitude. If you’re in Quito on a beautiful winter day, it may be 70 degrees F, but if you take the teleferico (tram) to the summit of Cruz Loma you have just gone from an altitude of 9600 feet up to 13300 feet in a matter of about ten minutes. The degree change when I was there felt like 25′ cooler. Dress accordingly.

The temperature drops down to 8.5 degree Celsius at 3,500 m above sea level. With each increase in altitude by 200 m, the temperature drops by 1 degree Celsius. The coastal region has a tropical climate with temperatures ranging from 23 to 26 degree Celsius. Ecuador�s weather is also characterized by the El Nino effect, which occurs every six years. At that time, the temperature and humidity are higher than usual. These conditions produce heavy showers resulting in flooding.

Wherever you’re traveling while in Ecuador, first make sure you know where you’re going, the altitude and dress accordingly. I made the mistake of visiting Ingapirca in shorts with just a sweater.

Ingapirca is located just 90 minutes outside of Cuenca and is the largest ruins in South America after Machu Picchu in Peru. The photo above shows the heavy, wet fog on the January day we visisted.

Interesting Facts About Ecuador

admin — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:00:04 +0000

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Christina Mar�a Aguilera, who is a famous American singer, has Ecuadorian origin.His father was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador.Only 26 years, she has already made a place for herself in the world of American music. Over the last eight years, Christina Aguilera has produced six albums, including �Christina Aguilera� (1999), �Mi Reflejo� (2000), �My Kind of Christmas� (2000), �Just Be Free� (2001), and �Back to Basics� (2006).

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Ecuador has many famous people:Oswaldo Guayasam�n (painter), Jorge Icaza Coronel (writer), Jefferson Leonardo Perez Quesada ( olympic sportsperson), Betty Pino (journalist), Jos� Ayala Lasso (ambassador), Diego Cordovez (ambassador), and Galo Plaza Lasso (former secretary of the Organization of American States (O.A.S.).

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Surprisingly,the small country of Ecuador has produced two of the best tennis players in the past century.Pancho Segura was one of the best tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s.Francisco Olegario Segura, best known as �Pancho Sgura�, was born on June 20, 1921, in Guayaquil, Ecuador.Like Guillermo Vilas or Jos� Luis Clerc (Argentina), Ra�l Ram�rez (Mexico) and Alejandro Olmedo (Peru),Andr�s G�mez was also one of the best tennis players in Latin America. Losing only set in four rounds of play, Andr�s G�mez eased into the 1990 French Open final against Andre Agassi (United States).He was one of the Third World�s most famous athletes in the 1980s and early 1990s.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Different from Cuba (communist dictatorship) and Venezuela (military dictatorship), Ecuador is a democratic state based on a representative government and the three branches of national power�

DID YOU KNOW THAT�In 1972, Jorge Delgado Panchana, who was born in Guayaquil (Ecuador), became the first Ecuadorian to classify in the finals at the Olympic Games, where he ended fourth in the world in the 200-meter butterfly style competition in Munich, West Germany (currently Germany). Jorge Delgado was one of the best athletes of Latin America in the 20th century.At the 1975 Pan American Games in Mexico City, Mexico, he won the gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle swimming competition. In the 1970s, Jorge Delgado Panchana was coached by Jack Nelson, who was born in the United States.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�The South American country is a popular travel destination.It possesses an exceptionally rich and diverse plant life�Ecuador lends itself to mysticism.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Ecuador has had many famous sportsmen and women in the 20th century: Andres G�mez (tennis), Francisco Segura (tennis), Rolando Vera (track and field), Jorge Delgado Panchana (swimming), Jos� Cede�o (taekwondo), Duvan Langa (taekwondo), Jacinta Sandinford (track and field),Nancy Vallecilla (track and field), Nicolas Lapentti G�mez(tennis), Boris Burov (weightlifting),Galo Legarda (billiards), Mariuxi Febres (swimming) and Alberto Spencer Herrera (soccer).

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Like Volcans National Park (Rwanda), Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra (Indonesia), Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)and Iguazu Waterfalls (Argentina and Brazil), Galapagos National Park is one of the nature wonders of the world.It is the most important natural monument of Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Ecuador is famous in Latin America as the birthplace of Oswaldo Guayasam�n, one of the best painters in the 20th century.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�The biodiversity of Ecuador is one of its greatest riches.Bird life is prolific� Ecuador ranks fifth in the world for the number of species it hosts.In Ecuador we can find more than 1.445 species of birds (compared to only 600 in the United States).

DID YOU KNOW THAT�The 5th Taekwondo World Championship was held in Guayaquil, Ecuador,in February 1982.National teams from 36 countries came to Guayaquil for the competition.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Ecuador was a founding member of the United Nations in 1945�

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Ecuador is rich in resources such as shrimps, bananas, flowers,coffee and petroleum.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Rosal�a Arteaga Serrano de Fern�ndez de Cordova was elected president of Ecuador for 3 days (February 9,1997-February 11, 1997).She was Ecuador�s first female president.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Without a doubt, the most famous sportsperson in Ecuadorian history is Jefferson Leonardo P�rez Quesada.Surprisingly, he won the gold medal in 20-kilometer walk at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�With a total area of nearly 109,500 sq.km, Ecuador is bigger than the United Kingdom, Israel, Luxembourg, Singapur, Bahrein and Hong Kong combined.More than 13 million people live there.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�American first lady Eleanor Rosalynn Smith Carter visited Ecuador in 1978.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Jorge Icaza (1906-1978) is Ecuador�s most famous contemporary writer.He wrote the widely acclaimed �Huasipungo� (1934).

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Ecuador is one of the oldest republics in the Third World.Ecuador became independent country in 1822,

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Betty Pino, a distinguished journalist, was born in Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Ecuadorian culture reflects an admixture of Spanish, African and native Indian influences, similar in many respects to the traditions of Peru and Colombia.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�At least thirty percent of the country�s natural land resources were dedicated to conservation with laws prohibiting hunting,exploitation and trapping in park areas.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Mar�a Soledad Diab Aguilar is one of the most beautiful Ecuadorian woman of all time.She was named Miss Ecuador-Universe in 1992. Miss Ecuador won Miss Photogenic during the Miss Universe 1992 Beauty Pageant held in Bangkok, Thailand.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Between July 13 and July 29,2007,Ecuadorian delegation participated in the Pan American Games held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, winning 5 gold, 4 silver, and 10 bronze medals. Overall the Ecuadorian team ranked eleventh�

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Frederick Ashton, a world-famous dancer and choreographer, was born on September 17, 1904, in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Galapagos tortoise is a national symbol of Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�2004 was the second time the Miss Universe pageant was held in South America. The site was mystical Quito, the capital city of Ecuador.For the second time, Australia (Jennifer Hawkins) won the universal crown.There were a number of big favorites among Ecuadorian journalists, including Miss Ukraine (Okelsandra Nikolayenko), Miss USA (Shandi Ren Finnessey) and Miss Venezuela (Ana Karina A�ez Delgado)….Maria Susana Rivadeniera Simball became the second Ecuadorian woman to reach the semi-finals in Miss Universe. Miss Ecuador 2004 impressed judges with her personality, beauty and intelligence. One of the judges was Jefferson P�rez (gold olympic medalist).

DID YOU KNOW THAT�In 1996 Quito, the capital of Ecuador, had a population of only 1,487,523.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�The national sport in Ecuador is soccer, called �f�tbol��Ecuador qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup�Edson Arantes do Nascimento,best known as �Pele�, once said, �They play the most modern and surprising soccer in all Latin America�.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Pope John Paul II visited Ecuador in 1985.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Mike Judge, who is a famous American animator and producer, was born in Guayaquil,Ecuador.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�Naturalist Charles Darwin visited Ecuador (1835) and was delighted by the botanical and entomological diversity, collecting plants and animals from the Galapagos islands�

DID YOU KNOW THAT�The first largest city in Ecuador is Guayaquil.This city hosted the 4th Swimming World Championship in August 1982.

DID YOU KNOW THAT�first lady Martha Bucaram de Rold�s (1979-1981) led the Ecuadorian delegation to the United Nations Denmark Conference on Women in 1980.She was a woman that always worked with love for Ecuador.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer.Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry.He�ve studied political science and journalism.He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called “The Dictator and Alicia Alonso”.He is an expert on foreign affairs. Futhermore, Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latina America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). His favorite film is “Gorillas in the Mist”.Some of his favorite books are �The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in Trinidad� (by V.S.Naipaul), “Las Mujeres de los Dictadores” (by Juan Gasparini) and �Murder of a Gentle Land� (by John Barron and Anthony Paul).His personal motto is “The future is for those people who believe in the beauty of their dreams” by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alejandro_Guevara_Onofre

Check Out These Otavalo Picutures

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:32:52 +0000

Here are some photos of Otavalo I came across on Picaso.

[rsslist:http://picasaweb.google.com/data/feed/base/user/ergreen37/albumid/5231549744890232305?kind=photo&alt=rss&hl=en_US]

Ecuador Postcards

admin — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:01:32 +0000

Some of you may want to check out some postcards from Ecuador.

Here are some currently on Ebay.

1905 MONUMENT PEDRO CARBO POSTCARD Guayaquil Pioneer Card Antique Ecuador Photo
US $3.50 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Sunday May-20-2012 23:56:36 PDT
| Watch this Item

Vtg Advertsing Postcard for Singer Sewing Machines No. 127-3 Ecuador Picture
US $5.00 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Monday May-21-2012 6:36:15 PDT
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Paseo de las Colonias Guayaquil Ecuador postcard!
US $7.99
Auction Ends: Monday May-21-2012 18:15:56 PDT
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Plaza de Independence Quito Ecuador postcard!
US $7.99
Auction Ends: Monday May-21-2012 18:16:19 PDT
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Guayaquil Ecuador Calle 10 Agosoto photo postcard!
US $11.20
Auction Ends: Monday May-21-2012 18:24:20 PDT
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Guayaquil Ecuador Parque vintage photo postcard!
US $7.99
Auction Ends: Monday May-21-2012 18:24:24 PDT
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ECUADOR-GUAYAQUIL-OLD POST CARD-MALECÓN SIMON BOLIVAR-"" BEAUTIFUL ""
US $9.99
Auction Ends: Tuesday May-22-2012 13:41:57 PDT
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ECUADOR-GUAYAQUIL-OLD POST CARD-PASEO DE LAS COLONIAS-"" BEAUTIFUL ""
US $9.99
Auction Ends: Tuesday May-22-2012 13:41:57 PDT
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Ecuador Photo Postcard to Switzerland 1931 Drying Cocao
US $9.95 (0 Bid)
Auction Ends: Tuesday May-22-2012 18:43:42 PDT
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ECUADOR 1968 Family w Terrier Type Dogs Old Real Photo Postcard
US $6.89
Auction Ends: Tuesday May-22-2012 20:14:24 PDT
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Quito, Ecuador’s Teleferico

admin — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:08:31 +0000

One of the most exciting things to do in Ecuador is visitinng the tramway. But Be forewarned, expect at least a 20 degree difference in temperature and� get ready to work at “breathing”. The views are incredible though, Quito to oneside the clouds to the other. You are actually above the clouds at a height of 13,650 feet or so. Here are some pictures.

Please email me any pictures you have of the tramway or Ecuador to jbhdez(REMOVE)-at-gmail.com and I’ll include them here.

Teleferico de Quito

admin — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:05:53 +0000

One of the most exciting things to do in Ecuador is visitinng the tramway. But Be forewarned, expect at least a 2o degree difference in temperature and� get ready to work at “breathing”. The views are incredible though, Quito to oneside the clouds to the other. You are actually above the clouds at a height of 13,650 feet or so. Here are some pictures.

Please email me any pictures you have of the tramway or Ecuador to jbhdez(REMOVE)-at-gmail.com and I’ll include them here.