ECUADOR PRACTICALITIES

Facts and figures

Area: 272,045 sq km

Population: 12,920,092 (2000 estimate)

Capital: Quito

Passport/Visa requirements

Passport valid for six months beyond intended stay. No visa required for British citizens, a 90-day tourist card is issued free on arrival.  All other nationalities should contact the relevant Embassy or Consulate for information.

Geography

Mainland Ecuador is divided roughly into three parts: to the east is the Amazon jungle, down the middle run the Andes and the Valley of the Volcanoes, and to the west there is an area of tropical lowland before the land meets the sea. This lowland area accounts for most of Ecuador’s agricultural production, as conditions are very good, it is hot and humid with plenty of rain. The fourth area of Ecuadorian land lies some 1000km of the coast in the Pacific Ocean, The Galápagos Islands. These are volcanic islands where several unique species of birds and sea mammals have developed due to centuries of isolation. 

Climate

The three most visited regions of Ecuador have different climates mainly due to the difference in altitude.

Mainland Ecuador: The temperature varies very little throughout the year. In the mountains it tends to be colder in the morning and warm up in the afternoons, ranging between 6 and 26 degrees. There are two rainy seasons, from February to May and October to November. During these seasons it tends to cloud over in the afternoon and there are quite often rain showers in the evening. The Amazon area is hot and humid the whole year round. During the heaviest rainy season, from March to June, it will rain most days and the humidity rises even further. The driest months are August through to January.

The lowland coastal areas have a warmer climate than the sierra and generally have much less rain. The northern area has a rainy season from December to June and the southern area from January to April. There is also a coastal mist which Ecuador shares with Peru called ‘garúa’ that leads to overcast cooler days.

Galápagos Islands: - These are located in the Pacific Ocean and have a subtropical climate, the Humbolt and El Niño currents dominate the weather patterns. The land temperature between December and May ranges from 24 – 32 degrees and the water is nice and warm (20 – 26 degrees). There is some chance of rain in the afternoons, so a light raincoat is useful. Some walking is also done so it would be sensible to take some appropriate footwear.  During the colder months ,July – October, the water can get quite cold, a wetsuit makes it easier to take the plunge! A warm jumper is also recommended for the evenings.

Language

The official language is Spanish but the indigenous language, Quichua, is widely spoken in the highlands.

Money

The new currency of Ecuador is the US Dollar.  US$ dollars cash should be in new notes or ones in very good condition as they are often not accepted if they are torn or marked. $100 notes are not accepted so please take small denominations.  Travellers cheques (AMEX are the best) can be changed

at most banks and Casas de Cambio. Visa credit cards are the most widely accepted and you can get cash from Banco del Pacifico, Banco Guayaquil, Lloyds Bank and Filanbanco both at the counter and from the cash machines. You can change money in most banks between 0900 - 13:30 & 14:30 -1600.

Religion

95% are Roman Catholic

Time

Mainland Ecuador is 5 hrs behind GMT, Galápagos Islands are 6 hrs behind GMT but there is no summer day light saving time change.

Electricity

110/120 volts AC, 60Hz

Brief History

There is little documented about the history of Ecuador before the Incas arrived in the 15th Century. The country was roughly ruled by two main tribes, around the 11th century when it joined forces with the Puruhá of the south.  However, it continued to dominate, in the north especially, for the next 150 years. century, the Caras lived in the coastal area and the Quitus in the highlands. Soon the Caras led by Shyri incorporated the Quitus land into their territory, whuch appears to have been achieved fairly peacefully. The Shyri ruled the majority of Ecuador, then known as the Shyri Nation, till the 14th century when it joined forces with the Puruhá of the south.  However, it continued to dominate, in the north especially, for the next 150 years.

At the time of the Inca invasion both the Cañari people of southern Ecuador and the Puruhá/Shyri of the north fought hard to retain their independence. It took the Incas, led by Tupac Yupanqui, several years to conquer the area that is now known as Ecuador. They managed to secure the land by the middle of the 15th Century and built a road from Cusco (in Peru) to Quito. Huayna Capac, who grew up mainly in Ecuador, succeeded his father to become the ruler of the Inca Empire. Things went well until his death in 1526, which was the same year as the first Spaniards landed in northern Ecuador. Huayna Capac left the empire to his two sons Huáscar and Atahualpa, who ruled from Cusco and Quito respectively. The sons were soon involved in a civil war and it was after several years of fighting that Atahualpa defeated Huáscar near Ambato. So when Pizarro landed in 1532, the Inca Empire was both divided and weak.  Another major factor in the fall of the Inca empire was their mythology.  They believed their creator god, Viracocha, to be light-haired, light-skinned and bearded and assumed the Spaniards to be his descendants.  They consequently welcomed the Spaniards wholeheartedly which facilitated their own conquest.  After the initial capture of Atahualpa, whom they later put to death having collected vast amounts of gold as a rasom, the Spaniards progress throughout the empire was rapid.

So started the colonial period of Ecuador’s history. Pizarro named his brother Gonzalo as Governor of Quito but the main seat of political power was in Lima Peru, and remained there for the first few centuries of Spanish rule. The tyranny of Spanish rule took a similar pattern to that of other South American countries. The indigenous populations were used in the Mita system (forced labour), which was effectively slavery under the guise of educating and converting the local people to Catholicism. A great deal of the native population perished under this system mainly due to the European diseases that the Spaniards brought over with them. Due to their harsh treatment there were several native uprisings during the 18th century but it was not until 1809 that any serious attempt occurred and Quito was taken for a total of 24 days. It was the famous Venezuelan liberator Simon Bolivar who eventually led Ecuador to Independence in 1820. It was not until General Field Marshal Sucre won the decisive Battle of Pichincha in 1822 that they were finally rid of the Spaniards. For eight years after this Ecuador was part of Gran Colombia, a union of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. However in 1830 Ecuador declared complete independence and its boundaries were drawn. 

Since this time it has had a series of civilian and military governments. In most recent decades however there has been democratic elections and civilian governments. There was one major incident in 1942 between Ecuador and Peru when after a territorial war between the two countries a treaty was drawn up in Rio de Janeiro in which Ecuador lost a substantial tract of land. The Ecuadorians have never accepted this and their maps still show the original boundaries. There were periodic boarder incidents until the setting up of a demilitarized ecological protection zone in the disputed area in October 1998.           

Natural History

Ecuador has an enormous variety of landscapes from sierra to rainforest, lowlands to volcanic islands and hence the wildlife that inhabit these different regions is very varied. Ecuador has 16 main national parks and reserves that are very well protected, as well as national monuments and a number of UNESCO sites. Large tracts of the jungle are given over to reserves inhabited by indigenous tribes and the Galápagos Islands are very restricted. Ecuador has one of the highest biodiversities in the world, its rainforest is mostly virgin and is home to a great many species of bird including scarlet and blue macaws and a variety of hummingbirds, as well as some of the rarer types of heron such as the zigzag heron. Condors can also be seen in the Andes as can the distinctive caracara bird, especially around the Cotopaxi National Park. Mammals such as monkeys, tapir, sloths and the giant river otter can be seen in the jungle and llamas and alpacas are abundant in the sierra. The Galápagos Islands, where Charles Darin worked on his theory of survival of the fittest, are a completely unique wildlife reserve. Owing to their remote location the species that live there have developed separately from their mainland ancestors. Due to the fact they had not until recently come into contact with humans and since then they have been protected, they have no fear of us, which makes viewing the wildlife easier and more pleasurable. There are large number of seabirds including the blue footed boobie, giant tortoises, seals and sharks!! Diving and snorkeling is wonderful as the seals and turtles are as curious as we are and come up and play. 

Special Events

Fiesta del Yamor

First 2 weeks September in Otavalo-   Music, processions, dancing, fire  works and cockfights.

Day of the Dead  is celebrated in most places in South America, 1-3 November, with offerings and shines in burial sites, markets.

Founding of Quito    6 December - the streets are filled   with dancing, bullfights and parades.

Coincides with Independence Day in Cuenca, Ecuador, and its markets, music, dancing, parades and drinking.

Banos  16 December and proceeding days, processions, music, street dancing and lots of drinking. Great fun.

Christmas   A holiday all over South America.

New Year    Mostly a family occasion.

Music

When it comes to traditional music Ecuador is best known for the Andean sound of the panpipes. The panpipes, quena and charango are the main components of a typical Andean band along with the bombo drum and goats hooves that are used for percussion. A lot of restaurants in the more touristy areas will be visited by busking bands during the evening, some will have their own shows that include typical music and dances. This type of music is best heard at special bars that cater for live music, known as Peñas.

Getting Around

Ecuador is not a big country compared to its vast neighbours such as Peru and this can make it easier to travel round. The Panamerican Highway runs north - south down the Avenue of the Volcanos, however the condition of the road varies quite a bit!

Air: TAME is the main internal airline; they run daily flights to most major destinations within the country. Seats are not allocated on flights within mainland Ecuador so if you want a window seat you better get to the plane first! Both Aerogal and Austro Aereo also operate internal flights.

Taxi: Taxis in the cities and towns will not normally have meters and the price should always be agreed before you get in the car. If you are not sure how much a journey should be ask at the hotel and they will give you a rough idea. Larger hotels will call taxis for you but they can normally be stopped on the streets. For longer journeys, if there are a few people travelling and you are not travelling too far, taxis can be a viable alternative to buses.

Driving: Driving yourself around in a hire car in Ecuador has been described as ‘interesting’ partly because of the large holes you often come across in the road and partly because locals have a tendency to drive in the middle of the road – maybe there are fewer potholes! A very good alternative and one that is not all that expensive is to hire a jeep/van and driver/guide. This gives you the freedom and flexibility of a car while giving you security of being accompanied by an English-speaking guide who knows the country very well.

Shopping

Ecuador is a shopper’s dream, it caters for all markets, and you can get anything from inexpensive clothing to valuable weavings. Throughout Ecuadorian history weaving has been very important and it has developed a unique style and texture. Llama and alpaca wool items are widely available and you can get some very good value jumpers, scarves and shawls. All vendors will tell you everything is baby alpaca, the softest wool, but as they brush the outside it is hard to tell. The trick is to check the softness of the inside of the item.

Tipping

Tipping is up to the individual but in restaurants a tip of 10-15% is customary if service charge has not been added to the bill, give the tip directly to the person who served you, do not leave it on the table. For guides it is usually said that for a half-day tour you should tip the price of a beer ($2) per person and for a full day’s tour the price of a cheap meal ($5) per person. Taxi drivers are not normally tipped but porters or bellboys would normally receive 50¢ to $1 per bag.  Please note that on Galapagos boats it is customary to tip approximately $12  per  day for the crew and $8 a day for the guide.  This can add up to $140 or more for the week, but this has become expected, due to large numbers of American tourists to the Galapagos. 

Laundry

Laundry facilities are widely available in the main tourist areas. Most hotels will offer a laundry service but check the prices first, as some places can be extortionate. However with hotels you have the advantage of being able to put your clothes in to wash and being able to collect them a few days later, if you are going away for a few days and returning to the hotel. There are also a large number of local launderettes, most will only offer service washes so any delicate clothing is best done by hand. Clothes are very hard to dry in the jungle due to the humidity so take plenty of light clothing that dries easily. In more remote places it is harder to find laundry services so go prepared. 

British Embassy

Edificio City Plaza, Avenida Naciones Unidas y Republica de El Salvador. Tel: (02) 970800 Fax: (02) 970809. Hours: 09:30-12:30 & 14:30 –16:00.

Airport Departure

Return international flights must be reconfirmed 72 hours before departure. All the main offices are in Quito (02), ring: TAME on 909900, Aerogal on 257202, Austro Aero on 445238, Avianca on 262736, Continental Airlines on 557170, Iberia on 560546, Air France on 524201 or KLM on 986828. Departure tax is US$31.60(payable in $ cash on departure) but does not apply to transit passengers. You must check in at least 2 hrs before an international flight, especially during peak seasons.

Health

Medical Emergencies: Visitors to Ecuador have to pay for any medical attention they receive this can be anything up to $50 for a consultation, not including medication. There are some good hospitals and clinics in the main towns but out in the countryside even finding a doctor, let alone one that can speak English is a challenge. All large clinics in major towns have a 24hr emergency service and most have English speaking doctors. The Hospital Andres Voz, on Villalengua 267 (tel: 241540) has been recommended and is staffed by US, British and Ecuadorian doctors and nurses. Also Metropolitano on Av Mariana de Jesus y Av Occidental, Tel:431520 is also good with English speaking doctors.

Stomach upsets: An upset stomach is the most common medical complaint when travelling abroad, there can be any number of reasons for it, including change of climate, new diet, change in altitude and local water. There are certain steps you can take that will reduce your risks of spending your whole holiday looking for the nearest toilet! Top of the list is DO NOT drink the local tap water in any country in South America. Also avoid ice (unless it has been bought from a manufacturer in which case the water will have been purified, the risk is up to you) and keep your mouth shut while swimming or showering. Always buy bottled water and check that the seal on the lid has not been broken, alternatively take water treatment tablets or drops (iodine based ones are the best).

Food is a tricky one as there are no concrete rules and you have to eat! General rules are that you should avoid salads, locally made ice cream (imported icecreams are fine) and juices from fruit that can not be peeled. Avoid eating from local food stalls unless the food is very well cooked. 

Altitude sickness: A lot of the main attractions in Ecuador are over 2500m in altitude, this means the air is thin and people often experience difficulty breathing freely. There is no particular group of people that are worst affected by altitude but most people will feel short of air and you should always take precautions when you first reach a high area. The first thing is to slow down, do not rush around, if you start getting a head ache lie down and take some aspirin. Always make sure you keep drinking lots of (bottled) water and avoid alcohol (or at least excessive consumption of it). Drinking the local coca tea with sugar also helps relieve the symptoms. If symptoms persist contact a doctor, in worst case scenarios you may need to move to a lower altitude. 

How to avoid being bitten: Staying at altitude is one way, as there are not nearly as many biting insects that can survive, certainly not malarial mosquitoes! Staying on the Galápagos is another option. However more sensible and practical ways if you are going to the Amazon are to wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts even though you may still find you get bitten through your clothes in areas where the mosquitoes are particularly ferocious. Apply a DEET-based repellent with as high a content as possible, Jungle Formula or even 50%  DEET are advised. You should cover all exposed areas of skin, avoiding your mouth and eyes, and for extra protection you can apply it under your clothes as well. Environmentally friendly products like those based on citronella are ok but not as effective as DEET products. Sleep under a good mosquito net, most of the hotels used by Trips will provide them free and automatically in affected areas. If you prefer to take your own then they can be bought in most camping and outdoor shops. Its always helpfulto take some sellotape to stick over any holes there might be in the net. You should also spray the mosquito net with repellent for further protection.  Mosquito coils are OK in small rooms but no use in large ones or outside. They also have a tendency of burning out half way through the night leaving you at the mercy of the mosquitoes! Electrical appliances are no good, as most lodges will not have plugs or even electricity.

(Strong concentrations of DEET can be fairly corrosive and damage leather and some plastic goods, keep it in a non-glass container and wrap it in thick plastic bags.)

Communications

Post: Post in Ecuador is not the most efficient and can take between 1 to 3 weeks to reach its destination. The new main post office (Correo Central) is in Quito’s new town at Eloy Alfaro 354 y 9 de Octubre. The old one not surprisingly is in the old part of the city and is still used for Poste Restante and will automatically be sent there unless you address in Correo Central – even then check both as mix-ups can occur! Most smaller post offices are open for stamps between 0730 and 1900.

Telephone: Andinatel the Ecuadorian Telephone Company has offices in most large and medium size towns, the larger offices will have fax and even email facilities. You can make international calls from the offices or from the larger hotels, however the latter will cost quite a bit more. One of the main offices is in the new part of Quito, Av 10 de Agosto y Colón. These are open 08:00 – 19:00.

Useful numbers: From Ecuador to the UK: 00 + 44 + area code minus the 0 + number. To Ecuador from abroad: 00 + 593

Media: There are a number of local and national papers produced in Ecuador, the main daily newspapers are El Comercio, Hoy, Tiempo and Ultimas Noticias. El Universo produced in Quito has good international news section. There is also a free weekly tourist information magazine called City and a similar one called The Explorer.

Food and Drink

A lot of tourist restaurants serve international food which often means large amounts of chicken,pasta and pizza but Ecuador has some interesting dishes for the more adventurous eater. In the highlands Locro de papas, a type of potato and cheese soup and roast guinea pig (cuy) are specialties and ceviche, raw fish, shrimps, clams or king prawns marinated in lime juice, is typical of the coast. Empanadas, which are corn flour shells filled with meat, chicken or shrimp are a popular snack everywhere. There is often a side bowl of chili sauce to spice up any dish but be careful as they vary in strength from place to place. Fruit is another abundant foodstuff, especially bananas, which are a big export. Both fruit and fruit juices are readily available on local stalls, in markets and in cafes. Beer is the popular alcoholic drink and the local highland brew is called Chicha.

Warnings

Ecuador is a poor country and has some dangerous areas, these are mainly in the shanty towns on the outskirts of the cities but care should also be taken in city centres. The old part of Quito has a bad reputation so you should take care and be aware of your surroundings and leave any valuables in the hotel, preferably in the safe.  Most crime in Ecuador, and there is not much, is opportunist theft so can be avoided by not leaving your luggage unattended and being vigilant when in crowded areas such as bus and train stations and markets. There are a few tricks to be aware of as the thieves often work in twos or threes to distract your attention. Spilling paint, ketchup or putting chewing gum on you and then pretending to help get it off to distract you while they lift your wallet is quite a common ploy. Hopefully this will not scare you but just make you more vigilant.