Places To Visit in Ecuador

Ecuador owns colourful history that is adorned with the charms of ancient Inca sites and colonial cities. The story begins with arrival of the Incas conquering the various tribes in the mid-15th century. However, the advanced cities such as Ingapirca could not stand the attack by the Spanish in the 1530s, the ruins of which still stand today. The Spanish state, Gran Colombia ruled the territory that incorporated Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Brazil and Guyana. With several rises and falls of power, a peace treaty was signed, and boundaries of Ecuador were permanently established in 1831 with the fall of Gran Colombia. However, relations between Ecuador and Peru have been stressed ever since. After economic glory with the discovery of oil and many years of military rule, the country got its first presidential elections in 1979. With power straddling between left and right for over two decades and deteriorating economic situation of Ecuador, USD was adopted as the official currency dropping its own currency Sucre.

The culture of Ecuador is a blend of traditions that arose from the Ecuadorean Amazon, the Andes and the coast. Arrival of Spanish in the region brings about yet another flavour to the culture of the country. There is a trend of nuclear family in Ecuador with great importance given to onesneighbours. Art and music also forms an integral part of the culture. Christianity is the main religion of the country with 95% followers being Roman Catholic. Spanish is the official language of Ecuador with Quechua (the language of Inca) and Shuar being the two main indigenous languages. Besides that, there are ten native languages spoken in the country. English is the most spoken foreign language, especially in the tourist-affected areas. Please: Por favour (Pohrfah-Vor) Hello: Hola (Oh-la) Yes: Si (See)No: No Goodbye: Adios (Ah-dee-Ohs)Thank you: Gracias (Gra-See-ahs) I'm sorry: Lo Siento (Low see-Ehn-to)Excuse me: Con permisoÊ(Kohn pehr-Mee-soh)or Perdoname (or Pehr-Doh-nah-meh)

Ecuador is divided by equator into two halves thus giving rise to three distinct regions of the country namely Costa, Sierra and Oriente. Costa or the coast comprise of sandy beaches, undulating waves, hot and dry weather and charming and energetic vibe of Afro-Ecuadorian towns. Sierra is the mountainous centre of the country where one can cherish the beauty of snow-capped Andean peaks, the charm of colonial towns and the buzzing local markets. Lastly is the Oriente, the tropical lowland, which serves as inhabitation of rich wildlife and indigenous species and the great Amazon. Also forms the part of Ecuador is the Galapagos Islands, an archipelago nestled in the Pacific Ocean with diverse wildlife where Charles Darwin built up the theory of evolution.