Planning to go to Ecuador...what to expect?

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bootsy922

although its very different from the US there are a lot of similarities as well. first and foremost is they use the US dollar, but also the large cities, Quito and Guayaquil, are a lot like major cities in the US too. another big difference is the people, they are so much more open and friendly than most people living in the US. the food there is also very amazing. be sure to try ceviche, humita, patacones, seco de chivo, cuy, and the bread in the mountains is the best ever. be sure to try to travel to a city called banos. its in the mountains and known for adventure sports so to speak. there you can jump off bridges (puenting) repel down waterfalls and go white water rafting. its a great place. hope you have a great time in Ecuador!!!

note to andison 23: not all working conditions are poor. banana farms only exist near the coast and mainly near machala. child labor isnt that prevelant but there are a lot of kids selling candies and washing windshields in the street. and finally not everyone there is dying to go to a better place in fact i know many people that never want to live any where other than Guayaquil and yes theyve been to the US and other countries many times. i lived there for 5 months on a exchange program and i lived with a family there and i found that 5 months was way too short and i would give anything to go back there for even a few hours. its seriously probably my favorite place in the world and it mostly has to do with the people i met there and the country is absolutely beautiful.

also check to see which vaccines you will need depending on where you are all planning on going. dont expect to get malaria, i didnt get the vaccine for it or take any medication for it and i never got it. its not like camping but upgraded, its a very civilized nation in the larger cities but there are still nice hotels and hostels in the smaller ones too. fyi you can get mcdonalds down there and there is a lot of american food (ie kellogs and pop tarts and chips and such) even though its a third world country.

again i hope you have a great time in ecuador and im sure when its time to come home youll be wishing that you had more time to spend there. if you have other questions id be happy to answer them :)

trying2Bhappy

very different but you will enjoy it, is like going camping but upgraded.
feliz viaje.

KNGA

The demographics, though presented to you somewhat accurately, are not exactly correct. Ecuador doesn't consist of solely short Indian men. Like other Andean nations, they're height structure vary on their heritage. For instance there are a lot of black Ecuadorians. Most could play in the NBA. Also there is the European-Spaniard influence. A lot of white Ecuadorians are over there. So I hope you can interact with all those groups over there. Good luck, and viva Ecuadorrrrr!!!!

rich_and_allison

heat AND humidity

blitzcrackunders

How hot and humid it is really depends on the elevation you're at since it's so close, or actually on depending on where you are, to the equator. Places like Quito will be 65 F while places on the coast an hour away can be 100 F.

It is more impoverished then the US or Mexico, and also has a high indigenous population, so be prepared to look foolish every once in a while because of the difference in culture. :) Some people might even be surprised that you don't know any Quechua words (the second language of Ecuador and some other countries around it)

Bring toilet paper with you everywhere! You can easily find it in any convenience store, but most restaurants don't have toilet paper for you to use, unless they are a chain restaurant like McDonalds or Bembos (... I think there are Bembos in Ecuador... maybe just Peru) Also, because they have lower water pressure, you don't flush the toilet paper, you actually throw it away... which is kind of gross in my opinion... but nevertheless I didn't want to break their toilet, lol.

One big difference that I noticed, but I'm not sure if other people quite notice, is the difference in height. I'm 5'5" and I was taller than a significant portion of the guys, which made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Also, being a white female, I drew a lot of unwanted (but mostly harmless) attention. As a guy, I doubt you'll draw that much attention though, lol.

Also, try to bring your toiletries from the US if you can. Things like deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, (condoms), and other stuff can be ridiculously expensive there because of the import taxes. You may or may not find your favorite brand of whatever there, and expect to pay 3 times your normal price.

And just a other couple useful things you should bring/do before you go:
good deet bug spray - might not be able to find it there, or be really expensive

if you're going to the beach, GOOD 40+ spf sun screen and aloe vera. I put on sunscreen several times, but still got burned when I went surfing, and ended up spending $15 for a relatively crappy bottle of aloe that would have cost about $2 in the US (but don't worry, most stuff isn't this ridiculous, they were just exploiting the fact that only foreigners buy aloe and would be willing to pay this money)

Make sure to get your shots for yellow fever and your pills for malaria before you go (you should get a sheet with your yellow fever vaccination for when you go in and out of yellow fever zones so that you'll be allowed back out.) Get the cheaper once a day malaria pills instead of the expensive once a week ones, they work just as well and you can get them for like $4 for a months worth at Walmart.

Pocket/swiss army knife - nice to carry around for peeling vegetables, mangoes, slicing bread, splitting an empanada, whatever.

Power bars or similar high protein energy bars. Sometimes it takes a while for you to get used to the food, or sometimes you just need a snack and can't get to anywhere with decent food. I was backpacking so these came in handy when I took long bus trips and when I initially got there late at night.

flashlight and a head lamp - head lamps are great if you get stuck somewhere where the bathroom doesn't have a light. flashlight is great so you don't look like a dork.

bring a pair of tennis shoes, and a pair of "wet shoes" some kind of walking sandals (aka, not flipflops or crocs) for going to the bathroom at night or if you go rafting or whatever. Believe me, you'll want something besides tennis shoes at some time.

Adrian

ive been to central mexico, (Michuacan) its very cool there!

coolkid23

very different. be sure to get vaccine and medicines for yourself. expect malaria unless you've had a vaccine for that. um....other than that, its a thrid world country. your not gonna get mcdonalds over there. so you gotta open your mind up and eat what you can find.

Andison 23

um fairly poverish, banana farms for sure, poor working conditions, and child labour. it is very different than US or Canada, if ur going there i hope it;s short term, cause people there will die to go to a better place

Andison 23

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