My Travel Diaries of
Ecuador
Currency: US Dollar
Capital: Quito
Drink like a local: Club (Pilsener)
Special facts:
- Toilets across the country are impossibly clean
- The mechanics are the worst crooks on the continent
- You actually pay with US dollars, so the country is relatively expensive
- The country was named after the equator that runs right through Ecuador
- Surprisingly, there are hardly any Inca sites
- The Galapagos Islands can only be reached from Quito and Guayaquil
- The country has the most volcanoes per capita, most of them very active
- Refueling is super cheap in Ecuador (0.48 cents/liter diesel, as of Nov. 2022)
Language
Without Spanish you are in a fix in the country. Only in Quito you might find people who speak English. The most important vocabulary:
- Good afternoon – Buenas dias
- Hello – Hola
- Guinea pig – Cuy
- Why did you guys just cut my control arms like that??! – ¿Por qué acaban de cortar mis brazos de control así??!
- Rain – Lluvia
- Cold – frio
Currency
To everyone’s surprise, the US dollar is the official currency in Ecuador. This allows you to use your cash reserves directly without having to exchange them. However, then all things cost a few dollars and not just a few cents.
My lesson
NEVER LET A MECHANIC HANDLE YOUR CAR IN ECUADOR
Travel Diaries
The first impression of Ecuador is that it is very different from Peru. Not only that, apart from a few exceptions, it is very green. People are relaxed, nobody honks their horns or acts suicidal on the street.
It’s very hot and we’re sweating. Away from the cold Pacific, we realize we are in the tropics. Unfortunately, mosquitoes and other small stingers also return.
Toilets are generally not only clean, but there is even toilet paper. In Peru you had to be happy about a toilet seat, a sink or running water. Even in the smallest huts in the jungle or in the Andes.
