Ecuador

Host families

Your host family will be your first and most important connection to the Ecuadorian culture, and also your main support during your exchange year. In Ecuador, and in general in Latin America, the relationship between family members is stronger than in many other countries. To become a real part of that family, you have to accept their rules and join in their activities. Try to win the confidence of your host family from the beginning by showing interest on learning more about the Ecuadorian culture. 

Keep in mind that some host families can be very religious and quite conservative. As everything is going to be new for you, always ask your host family if you want to understand things better. Most families like to share meals together. Table manners are very important in Ecuadorian culture, so if you’re not sure about something (such as using hands to pick up chicken), make sure you ask.

school

The Ecuadorian school system has 13 years of study, the first 10 years of basic education and 3 more years to obtain the bachelor degree. Students do not choose their own courses, but rather follow the regular courses according to the grade they will be assigned. All schools use uniforms; classes usually begin at 7:30 am and finish at 1:30 pm (this also depends on each school). The regular school calendar is from September to July. For students going to the coastal region (Portoviejo, Santo Domingo, Manta and Machala) classes are from April to February. 

During one month of the school year, students placed in the highlands have the option of participating in some type of volunteer work in various foundations of Ecuador. This will be announced at the arrival orientations and students will be able to choose the type of volunteer service they prefer. This takes place during the month of June. Students placed in the coastal region will do the volunteer work for one month, during the holiday break (this is not optional).

Free time

As elsewhere in Latin America, soccer is a national pastime. Ecuadorians are also fond of various types of volleyball. An interesting type is Ecuavolley, which of three players on each team, instead of 6, and has some slight variations in the rules of the game. Other popular sports played include paddleball and racquetball. 

The principal form of entertainment in the Andes is the regular festivals or fiestas that exist to mark the agricultural or religious calendar. These fiestas often last for day, involving music, dancing, and the consumption of alcoholic beverages such as chicha, brewed from corn. In urban areas, many Ecuadorians go to penas on weekends for a special night out. Penas are clubs that feature traditional music and folklore shows. These are often family outings, even though the shows frequently last until early morning. Teenagers or young adults are more likely to go to a club or disco that plays American rock and dance music. However, these clubs only exist in the major urban areas.

crafts and hobbies

Did you know that Panama hats originally come from Ecuador? These woven straw hats were first made in a small city of the coast called Monte Cristi. They were produced for export to California gold-rushers and were also sold in large quantities to workers building the Panama Canal, thus giving rise to the name. Panama hats became a huge export item for Ecuador in the early to mid-1900s.  

Ecuadorians produce a wide variety of handcrafted goods, including woven textiles, woodcarvings, and ceramic goods. The market at Otavalo is sometimes claimed to be the most extensive and varied market in all of South America. It was established in pre-Inca times as a major market where goods from the mountains could be exchanged for goods from the lowland jungle areas.

spices

Many different spices are used to prepare the delicious Ecuadorian food. The special ají sauces spices up everything from main savory courses to sweet dishes like deserts and ice creams. Practically every town in the country has developed their own ají recipes and secrets to create the sauce.

fruits

Ecuador has a wonderful variety of fruit from the warm tropical and subtropical lowlands and even the cooler sierra region produces several different fruits from the fertile volcanic soil. Pineapples, mangoes, papayas, star fruits, passion fruits and of course bananas are familiar tropical treats.  Granadillas and naranjillas may be less familiar but are no less delicious.  In the highlands, tree tomatoes and taxos may be new to you, but you will soon be offered tree tomato juice or taxo icecream.  Apples and peaches also grow in the mountains, in a rather stunted fashion, while Avocados grow in both the costa and the sierra.

history

Ecuador is traditionally a farming country. The highland region of Ecuador consists of the Cordillera Central Range and the Cordillera Occidental Range. These ranges are the cause of many basins and a deep valley alongside, which farmers allow their herds to graze. Agricultural areas are also found next to the rivers and at the foot of the Andes. After the 1960s, Ecuador's economy was transformed by the growth of industry and the discovery of oil. There was rapid growth and progress in health, education and housing, but unfortunately not all Ecuadorians have benefited equally.

former inca empire

From 1438 to 1533, the Incas used a variety of methods, from conquest to peaceful assimilation, to incorporate a large portion of western Latin America. This area was centered on the Andean mountain ranges, including Peru, western and south central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, north and central Chile, a small part of southern Colombia and large parts of Ecuador.  

In Ecuador’s capital, Quito, which was once a part of the Inca Empire, you’re able to see some of the best-preserved early colonial architecture on the Latin American continent. But Ecuador also has wonderful new architecture to offer, so the city is an interesting mixture of ancient and new that’s worth exploring while on exchange!