Ecuador - A Summary

Ecuador feels like a small country to me. By this I mean I feel comfortable here- nothing is too big or too scary. Perhaps this is because I have been sheltered from underlying issues and therefore I am unaware of many of the pressures Ecuadorian people are under. Or perhaps it is because I have developed an intense appreciation of the landscapes of this country and the undulating mountains and valleys remind me of home and evoke in me great feelings of awe.
The Andes stretch the length of Ecuador and define it’s rhythm of life. Indigenous farmers use the rich, volcanic soil on the mountains’ slopes growing everything from corn to bananas and yucca and the energy produced from fast flowing mountain rivers provides valuable hydro electric power, not to mention the mystical benefits of living surrounded by the protection of giant hills. This reminds me also of the power of the rainforest, it’s lushness and life-giving qualities. Jungle dwellers use the rainforest as their home, provider of sustenance and medicine cabinet. Many hold great respect for the natural habitat that surrounds them, however, it has been brought to my attention that this is not the case for a great many Ecuadorians, including the government, who opted for a controversial oil pipeline to be routed through endangered forest, even though another, less destructive route had been suggested.
Corruption exists throughout the police force in Ecuador. It is possible to pay off any crime and a scary fact we encountered was that it is possible to have someone ‘taken care of’ for a few hundred dollars. This fact, along with some others picked up along the way, including the general suppression of indigenous people’s right to earn decent wages, have contributed to my impression of Ecuador as a relatively fragile country, living on the cusp of democracy and long term servitude to the leaders.
I leave with an admiration for the pride indigenous people still take in their appearance and continuation of their traditional way of life and a great fondness for the humanitarian nature which is demonstrated by the vast majority of Ecuadorians.