Learn Spanish at the Center of the World

Ecuador at a glance

Name of the state - República del Ecuador
Currency - US-Dollar
Time difference compared to MET - 7 hours. ( summertime ) - 6 hours. ( wintertime )
Climate - Humid and hot tropical climate at the coast and in the Amzon region; in the Andes mild climate with strong temperature changes (05 – 25ºC) during the day.
Location - Northwestcoast of Southamercia, Andean country at the equator line
Surface- 283.600 qkm; the Galápagos Islands form part of Ecuador
Capital - Quito (estimated 1,7 Mio. Inhabitants)
Population - app. 12,4 Mio. inhabitants;
Ethnic groups: - app. 50% Mestizos, app. 35% Indigenas, app. 10% Whites and app 5% Afro-Ecuadorian;
Growth of the population -app. 2,2% annual growth with high emmigration numbers to Spain and the USA
Life expectancy-men: 66 years; women: 71 years
Population density- app. 48 inhabitants/qkm
Languages- Spanish, indigenous dialects - mainly Quechua
Literacy rate - app. 10%
Religion -85 % Catholics, 15% Protestants, Jews and Nature religions
National Independance day - 10th of August 1809 ( though officially independent from Spain since 1822 )
Government type -Presidential Republic with a parliament (congreso nacional)
President - Since 15.01.2007 Rafael Correa from the Alianza Pais Party
Foreign Minister - Maria Fernanda Espinoza
Administrative divisions - 22 Provinces which are divided into more cantons
Gross national product - 3050 US$ per inhabitant
Inflation rate- 9% (estimated 2006)
Raw materials - Oil, natural gas, gold, fish, timber
Import products - Means of transport, machines, chemical products
Biggest Cities - Guayaquil (app. 2,5 million inhabitants), Quito (app. 1,8 million inhabitants), Cuenca (app. 380.000 inhabitants)

How to travel to Ecuador
Journeys to South America are normally by plane to the different Capital Cities like Quito, Caracas, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires, la Paz Rio etc. In Ecuador you will land at the "Mariscal de Sucre" International airport in Quito or Simon Bolivar International airport in Guayaquil. The airline companies who fly to Ecuador are:
• Iberia (Spanish Airline Company)
• KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines)
• Lufthansa (German Airlines)
• British Airways • Continental Airlines (American airlines)
• American Airlines (American airline, partner of Lufthansa)
• Copa • Avianca
• Grupo Taca
• Lan Chile
• Lan Ecuador

Gladly we will organize transfers from the airport to the hotels and back if you would like to book this service.Most visitors from English speaking countries who are travelling to Ecuador do not need a visa as long as they are staying up to three months. The only requirement is that your passport is valid for 6 more months after arrival day. It is important that you always have your passport or a copy and entry permit with you during your trip in Ecuador. If you have further questions, do not hesitate to contact us.

Equipment Ckecking List:

IN GENERAL:
backpack/suitcase/day backpack
rain/wind clothes
long pants, shorts
warm clothes (warm sweatshirt, fleecejacket for the Highlands trekking and mountain climbing are necessary)
T-shirts, shirts
underwear, socks
comfortable trekkingboots, rubberboots (Surtrek provides til Nr. 44 ), good socks for the trekkings, tennisshoes.
sunglasses, sunscreen (protectionsfactor 30 or more), hat to protect from the sun
personal medicine
Swimsuit/
passport
mosquito repellent
film and foto equipment (Highland 200 ASA, Jungle 400 ASA, Galapagos 100 ASA)
binoculars
a good head lamp or torch, knife
enough plastic bags where you should pack all your clothes to protect them from the humidity and rain in the Jungle and during the Trekking Tour. We recommend waterproof bags.

JUNGLE:
Shirts and T-Shirts (cotton preferible)
Shorts and Long Pants (No Jeans!!!)
Plastic Bags
Rubberboots (Surtrek provide til Nr. 44 )
Rain Poncho
Mosquito repellent
Flashlight/Headlamp
Binoculars
Foto Gear, Films (400 ASA)
Swimsuit/
Bottle for water
Personal first aid kit

GALAPAGOS:
Comfortable, casual clothing is recommended aboard the Ship.
T-Shirts or Shirts, Blouse
Shorts and long pants
Tennis shoes / Sandals
Windbreaker type jacket or light sweater (nights could be coulder)
We recommend to bring your own snorkel equipment
Swimmsuit, hat, sun cream, sun glasses
Camera and plenty of film
Personal first aid kit

Travel Luggage: For the Galapagos Islands and the Jungle is one piece of luggage not exceeding 20 kg per person (extra is your hand luggage) allowed. Your extra luggage you can leave in Quito at your Hotel.

TREK/EXPEDITION:
Comfortable Day Rucksack, Big Rucksack/Bag for your completly equipment wich will be carried by Horses.
Sleepingbag,
Isomattress/ f.E. Therm-a-rest
Bottle of Water
Head Lamp/torch.
Trekking Shoes
Rain clothes- Goretex jacket and pants.
Warm clothes

FOR MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
Climbing boots*
Grampons*
Gaiters
Wind/Rain Clothes
Warm/Thermal clothes
Harness, Carabiners*
Head Lamp/Bateries
Ice axe*
Rope*
2 Pair of gloves
Glacier glases
Suncream, sunglasses
Sleepingbag
Rucksack
Thermo
Helmet, Cap (not necesary for Cotopaxi)
* These items we can provide

HEALTH/VACCINATIONS:
Malaria:
There is Malariarisk in the coastal and jungle parts of Ecuador all year round, but not in Galapagos and in the Andean Highlands.

We recommend the following vaccines (as appropriate for age): See your doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to allow time for immunizations to take effect.
· Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG).
· Hepatitis B, if you might be exposed to blood (for example, health-care workers), have sexual contact with the local population, stay 6 months in the region, or be exposed through medical treatment.
· Rabies, if you might be exposed to wild or domestic animals through your work or recreation. · Typhoid, particularly if you are visiting developing countries in this region.
· Yellow fever vaccination, if you will be traveling outside urban areas.
· As needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria and measles. Hepatitis B vaccine is now recommended for all infants and for children ages 11-12 years who did not complete the series as infants.

To Stay Healthy, Do: ·
· Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
· Drink only bottled or boiled water, or carbonated (bubbly) drinks in cans or bottles. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes. If this is not possible, make water safer by BOTH filtering through an "absolute 1-micron or less" filter AND adding iodine tablets to the filtered water. "Absolute 1-micron filters" are found in camping/outdoor supply stores.
· Eat only thoroughly cooked food or fruits and vegetables you have peeled yourself. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
· If you will be visiting an area where there is risk for malaria, take your malaria prevention medication before, during, and after travel, as directed. (See your doctor for a prescription.)
· Protect yourself from insects by remaining in well-screened areas, using repellents (applied sparingly at 4-hour intervals) and permethrin-impregnated mosquito nets, and wearing long-sleeved shirts and long pants from dusk through dawn.
· To prevent fungal and parasitic infections, keep feet clean and dry, and do not go barefoot.
· Always use condoms to reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. To

Avoid Getting Sick:
· Don't eat food purchased from street vendors.
· Don't drink beverages with ice.
· Don't eat dairy products unless you know they have been pasteurized.
· Don't share needles with anyone.
· Don't handle animals (especially monkeys, dogs, and cats), to avoid bites and serious diseases (including rabies and plague).

What You Need To Bring with You:
· Long-sleeved shirt and long pants to wear while outside whenever possible, to prevent illnesses carried by insects (e.g., malaria, dengue, filariasis, leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis).
· Insect repellent containing DEET (diethylmethyltoluamide), in 30percent-35percent strength for adults and 6percent-10percent for children, as well as a bed net impregnated with the insecticide permethrin. (Bed nets can be purchased in camping or military supply stores.) Bed nets may also protect against insect bites that transmit Chagas disease.
· Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicine to take if you have diarrhea.
· Iodine tablets and water filters to purify water if bottled water is not available. See Do's above for more detailed information about water filters.
· Sunblock, sunglasses, hat.
· Prescription medications: make sure you have enough to last during your trip, as well as a copy of the prescription(s).

After You Return Home:
If you have visited an area where there is risk for malaria, continue taking your malaria medication weekly for 4 weeks after you leave the area. If you become ill with a fever--even as long as a year after your trip--tell your doctor that you traveled to a malaria-infected area.

F. A. Q.s

Currency and customs
There are no restrictions of the import and export of the country’s currency and other currencies. Pre-Columbian objects are not allowed to be taken out of the country.

Public Holidays

01 January: New Year
12. February: day of discovery of the Amazon Rainforest (Día del Oriente)
01 May: day of work (Día del trabajo)
24. May: battle of Pichincha (Batalla de Pichincha)
24. July: Simón Bólivar’s day of birth (Nacimiento de Bolívar)
10. August: Independence Day of Quito (Primer grito de Independencia/in Quito)
9. October: Independence Day of Guayaquil (Independencia de Guayaquil/in Guayaquil)
12. October: discovery of America (Día de la Raza)
01 November: All Soul’s Day (Día de los difuntos)
03 November: Cuenca – Independence Day (Independencia de Cuenca/in Cuenca)
06. December: foundation of Quito (Fundación de Quito/only in Quito)
25. December: Christmas (Navidad)

Festivals

01. January: New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo) American music and dances
06. January: nationwide celebration of the tree Magi with traditional folkloric dances
February: carnival in Ecuador (varies)
24. June: Otavalo and Guamote – St. Johan’s day with dances and other performances
3.-5. August: Esmeraldas – Independence Day with Marimbas and afro-American folklore
2.-5. September Otavalo: Yamorfestival with many attractions and traditional music dances
8.-9. September Sangolqui: dances and bullfights
3. November: Cuenca – Independence Day with music and dances
1.-6. December: Quito - celebrations in Quito with many attractions, bullfights and many other attractions
28. December: National processions of the Fools Day
31. December: New Year’s - dances and burning of politician-dolls on a nationallevel

Photography
we recommend normal films (200 ASA) for the highlands, the coast and the Galapagos Islands. For photography in the jungle we recommend films with about 400 ASA. It is also recommended to use a UV-filter. It is not allowed to take pictures of military objects and police stations. Please be sensitive when taking pictures of people. Please ask them kindly and explain why and for what reason you would like to take a picture.

Conservation
the beauty and the variety of the Galapagos Islands can only be protected if tourists follow the rules given by the National Park. These rules are the following:
- Do not touch the animals, as they will smell differently and therefore be left by their parents
- Do not give food to the animals, as this has a negative impact on the animal’s behaviour
- Do not chase animals and especially not those that are in their nesting place
- Do not remove animals or plants from the island
- Do not buy souvenirs that have been made out of animal or plant parts
- Do not bring plants or animals from the mainland to the islands, or from one Island to the other, as each island has its unique eco-system
- Do not throw garbage away
- Do not leave your name or initials on trunks or rocks
- The visitor points and marked ways may not be left
- Please inform careless visitors about the park rules

Money and money exchange
It is recommended to exchange money in Ecuador, as the exchange rate is much better here than in Europe. You should take USD in cash with you or traveller cheques.

The most common credit cards to pay with or to draw cash are American Express (Banco de Guayaquil), Euro/MasterCard (MasterCard Bank) and Visa (Banco de Guayaquil). In the cities you will be able to use your credit card in many places but when paying cash you can save up to 10%.

Medical issues

Unless you enter Ecuador from a country where yellow fever is a risk, vaccinations are not mandatory when entering Ecuador. However, we advice you to get the following vaccinations:
- Tetanus and Polio
- Yellow Fever and Typhoid (if you stay for longer periods in the jungle)
- Hepatitis A+B
- Malaria prophylaxis (if you stay in the coast areas and Amazon Basin
- Cholera

Please contact your doctor or visit the nearest tropical diseases Institute to make all the necessary arrangements before coming to Ecuador.

Indian Markets

In the highlands are almost markets on a daily basis. Otavalo has the largest variety, but the others are definitely worth going to as well.

Monday: Animal market in Ambato (the biggest in Ecuador)

Tuesday: Latacunga

Wednesday: Pujili (goods and food)

Thursday: Saquisili (food, goods, art)

Saturday: Otavalo (art, food, goods, animals), Riobamba (goods, art), Latacunga(Goods and bags made of Agave fabric)

Sunday: Pujili, Machachi, Gualaceo (food and goods), Sangolqui (art), Cotocachi (leather works), Salasaca (textiles and jeans)

Internet

There are many Internet Cafes in Quito and in the other big cities in Ecuador. They charge you about 0.60 Dollar per hour. You can also use the Internet to make cheap phone calls to Europe or other parts of the world. Most of these Internet Cafes can be found in la Mariscal. In this area are also many bars.

Literature

South-American-Handbook (annually new edition)
Ecuador and the Galapagos-Islands (Lonely-Planet)
Ecuador& Galapagos-Handbook (Footprint)
Climbing and Hiking in Ecuador (Bradt Publications)
Background information
Birds of Ecuador, Crespo Greenfield & Matheus, Ecuador 1990

Nightlife

As in any other city, the major cities of Ecuador offer a lot of nightlife with restaurants, bars and nightclubs to suit all tastes.
Most of all you should you should get into the nightlife of Quito, which enchants its visitors with its special flair. Highly recommended are the following places in Quito:
Café Sutra (cosy Café also to eat or enjoy a cocktail, Juan Leon Mera y Calama.), Zocalo (trendy bar, Juan Leon Mera y Calama)Encuentro (bar with nice atmosphere).No Bar (popular Nightclub with national and international music, good Caipirinha, Juan Leon Mera y Calama), Seseribó (Salsa-Night Club, Veintimilla y 12 de Octubre), Pobre Diablo (cosy bar, Isabel La catolica), La Bunga (night club, alternative, salsa and international music), Beerhouse (international music).

Travel season and clothing to take

The climate is suitable for travelling all year round. At the coast, the Oriente and the Galapagos Islands light and breathable clothing are recommended. When travelling to the highlands you should think about taking warmer clothes. A raincoat is always suitable. Those planning to do mountain-climbing need the special equipment which can also be hired in Quito.

Safety

Ecuador is a quite safe country to travel. Nevertheless you should not leave you valuables unguarded. Thefts are quite common, especially in places, which are frequently visited by tourists, such as the historic centre of Quito. It’s best to carry your valuables in money-belts, which can be worn underneath your clothes. It is also recommended to join a group of other people when travelling alone.

Language

The language spoken in Ecuador is Spanish. Many indios of the highland are bilingual. They speak Spanish as well as Quechua. Indigenous people living in the rainforest speak their own languages and dialects.

Beggars

In front of the churches and sights you occasionally find old and disabled people, who get alms by the locals. In the major cities a lot of children are walking through the streets begging for money, children working as shoeshine-boys at the age of four or five are a common sight. In the end it is up to you if you give them money and how much. To give these kids an opportunity to earn money you can let them clean your shoes without needing to have a guilty conscience.

Transport

City buses and taxis in Quito are not expensive. In the front windows of the buses it is indicated where they go to. They stop when you wave your hand on almost all roads. It is possible to get off the bus at every time. A single ticket costs about 25 cent, no matter how far you want to go, as long as it is within the city centre. There are also a lot of taxis available. Taxis will stop on hand signal. During the day the price is based on taximeter, in the evening the price should be negotiated beforehand.

Time difference

The time difference compared to middle Europe is 6 hours in winter (Galápagos minus 7 hours) and 7 hours in summer (Galápagos minus 8 hours).

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