Country of Ecuador | Knowing Him Ministries | International Missionaries |

In comparing Ecuador to a US state, about which state is it closest to in land area?

Colorado. It is slightly bigger than Nevada, but not including the islands Ecuador is closest to the size of Colorado.

What is the capital of Ecuador

Quito. Quito is a large and boisterous city in the Andes, located at over 9,000 feet above sea level. Quito is a beautiful and interesting place to visit.

What is the biggest city in Ecuador from a population standpoint?

Guayaquil. Guayaquil is an industrial city on the coast. Quito is considered more upscale, Guayaquil is the ‘city of the proletariat’.

What language do most people speak in Ecuador?

Spanish. Quechua and other Amerindian languages are also spoken.

The GDP of Ecuador in 2000 was $37.2 billion US. What does GDP stand for?

Gross domestic product. The GDP (purchasing power parity) was estimated to be $41.7 billion 2002. The GDP (per capita purchasing power parity) was estimated to be $3,100 in 2002.

Ecuador’s chief exports are: oil, bananas, and shrimp.

What mountain range runs north to south through central Ecuador?

Andes. The Andes bisect the country. To the west is the coast plain and to the east are lowlands which are part of the Amazon basin.

What do Ecuadorian people do as a tradition at the end of the year? (January 1st, 12:00am)

Burn the “año viejo” represented by a puppet that people make.. People burn the “año viejo” (“old year” in English), because it is as if they are throwing away all the bad things of the past year that they don’t want to repeat in the new year.

Transportation

Stop = yield. This is no joke. A friendly tap on the horn as you approach an intersection is about all the warning you’ll get from an approaching car. And following behind the car in front of you? That’s for suckers. Ecuadorians continually tailgate and pass the cars in front of them. We’ve even seen buses pass each other at night on 2-lane curvy mountain roads. No one wants to wait once they get in the car (before they get in the car, that’s another story!).

The “Ecuadorian Nanosecond” is the flash of time between the light turning green and the person behind you honking the horn.

Buses will stop for anyone on the side of the road that flags them down. In fact, the bus driver is joined by a guy who’s job is to stand at the door calling out the bus destination and looking for new riders.

The country uses the metric system, but gasoline is sold by the gallon.

Trash trucks play music just like ice cream trucks in the US. I told our cab driver that children run after that music in the US, and he thought that was funny.

In Baños you can pay the priest $30 to bless your car. We’ve come to realize that everyone in Ecuador must make the trek to Baños for this blessing so they can drive the way they do without fear.

Food

Ecuadorians love fresh-squeezed juice, and you will find it at every meal. This is the most delicious juice you’ll ever taste and from some fruits and vegetables you’ve never heard of (tree tomatoes?).

Street vendors sell roasted maize kernels with onions and salt as a snack, and it is really tasty. I tried making this once and had kernels flying all over the kitchen as they heated up, so it is better to have someone else make it. (I later learned that you hold the lid just over the pan as you roast to deflect the flying kernels.)

Have you ever eaten a guinea pig? Guinea pig (cuy) is a delicacy here, and you can find it in many restaurants or buy a live one yourself at the animal market. We saw them plucked and roasted over a grill – teeth and tail included!

Ecuadorians LOVE ice cream. You can buy it in just about every store, from carts on the street, and even from vendors who get on the buses to sell between stops. You can buy it first thing in the morning or last thing at night. The funny thing is that you can’t find medication for lactose intolerance in the pharmacy. I am jealous of the gift evolution has given them to be able to eat ice cream all the time without getting sick.

Our favorite food discovery is ají. This is a delicious salsa on the table in almost every restaurant, and people eat it on everything from fish to meat to soups. We came to love this spicy sauce – and learned that a little goes a long way.

Typical Dish

Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche with Tomato Sauce and Choclo – Ceviche de Langostinos

Ingredients

2-3 cups small to medium shrimp
1/2 red onion
Juice of 1 regular lime (or 4 small key limes)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup choclo, or other fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves

Directions

Cut the onion into the thinnest possible slices, slicing it with the cut side facing down so that the pieces are semicircular in shape. ?
Place the onion slices in a bowl of cold salted water, and let soak for 20 minutes. ?
Cook the corn kernels in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. ?
If the shrimp is not cooked, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and add the juice of one lime to the pot. Boil the shrimp for one to two minutes, until just cooked. Drain shrimp and rinse with cold water. ?
De-vein the shrimp and trim off the tails, and place in a bowl. ?
Drain onions and rinse with cold water. Add onions and corn to bowl with the shrimp. ?
Whisk together lime juice, orange juice, ketchup, sugar, and vinegar. Toss with shrimp, corn, and onions. Taste and season with salt and pepper.?
Chill shrimp until ready to serve. Toss shrimp with cilantro before serving, and drizzle decoratively with ketchup if desired. Serves 4 as a appetizer or light lunch.