Ecuador's natural beauty is astounding. Because of the extreme changes in elevation over a small area, the biodiversity -- plant and animal life -- here is truly mind-boggling. It's the only place in the world with snow-capped mountains at the equator. There are active volcanoes, hot springs galore, the jungle, the Galápagos, the Andes. Ecuador should be a top destination for anyone who loves the outdoors.
The people of Ecuador are wonderful. Almost without exception, we met kind and friendly people here who were willing to help or spend some time with us. Indigenous cultures continue to exist, even thrive, and remain a source of pride throughout the country. Traveling around Ecuador, we didn't see abject poverty anywhere. Successive bouts of land reform and an administration with a socialist bent have made a tangible difference. We did see traditional ways of life in small villages and towns all over the country. It's hard to know how and whether they will survive over time.
Ecuador is a country dominated by construction. Both the countryside and cities are just filled with half-built concrete buildings. Growth feels somewhat improvised. Quito's brand new international airport lies only 23 km as the crow flies from the city, but the drive through glaciated valleys on single or double lane roads can take two hours. Why is there no infrastructure to support this world class airport? With no airport hotel, and a couple of early morning flights, we have stayed twice at small hotels (essentially houses divided into hotel rooms) located in tiny hamlets near the airport. It's a distinct experience to lie in bed next to a farm in a single road village, listening to roosters crow and the sound of jet engines taking off.
Unlike 20 years ago, Ecuador now has first world roads. But they're still filled with third world traffic -- buses loaded with people that stop for anyone, trucks filled with livestock, and camionetas of campesinos and city-dwellers alike. With car ownership growing exponentially, and current gas subsidies continuing, Ecuador might simply become one huge traffic jam.
Ecuador feels like a country in transition. It's hard to tell whether all the construction will be completed soon, or never. Everyone talks about President Correa's obessessive road building. Much of Ecuador's future depends on how the government deals with corruption, oil production, and development in general.
On a more visceral level, here are my 5 sense impressions of Ecuador.
Smell: wood smoke, roast meat, wet wool, car exhaust, and sewage.
Taste: fresh juice (naranjilla and tomate de arbol!!), potatoes, stringy meat, delectable soups, ceviche.
Sound: car engines, barking dogs and crowing roosters, Latin American music and Andean Muzak (imagine Hotel California and Titanic on Andean flutes).
Feel: hard beds, heavy wood furniture, tile floors, hand-made textiles, and thirst (between equatorial sun and high elevation, we were always fighting dehydration).
Sight: snow-capped volcanoes, the páramo, the extraordinary light on soft green hills (words simply can't capture it), school kids in track suits everywhere at all hours of the day, traffic.
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