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Geography |
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Ecuador
as the name suggests is situated around the equator in
Western South America. To the west its limits are with the Pacific
ocean and to the east with the Amazon. The northern neighbor is Colombia
as to the south it borders Peru. Right through the center of the country
running north to south is the Andean mountain range with the
country's highest peak Chimborazo reaching 6310m. The capital is
Quito located at 2800m in the Andes and the largest city is
Guayaquil near the Pacific with 2.5 million inhabitants. |
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Languages |
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There are
two official languages spoken
in Ecuador. The most common one is
Spanish introduced by the
Spanish invaders some 480 years ago.
The other one, Quechua was
also a foreign tongue brought by the
earlier invaders, the Incas. Quechua
is mostly spoken by rural indigenous
people in remote regions of the
Andes and Amazon. There are also
several other languages spoken by
various Amazon tribes. |
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Visa |
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There is no visa requirement for most
tourists entering Ecuador. There
are exceptions for a few foreign
nations but citizens of Western
countries do not require special
visas. Passing immigration you get a stamp in your passport stating
the days you may stay in the country. 90 days is the maximum
period allowed. So if you intend to stay that long, make sure
that is what you get. |
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Vaccinations |
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There are no vaccinations requirements
for Ecuador but if you plan to visit
the tropical coast or Amazon you
might get some protection. Check
with your local health center for
recommendations. In the Andes be
aware of altitude concerns
...for
more info.... |
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Electricity, Weights & Measures |
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Ecuador has the
same electrical system as used in
North America
120
Volts. Most electrical outlets
are two flat prongs, newer
ones are also two flat prongs with a
round ground one. So if you have
electrical equipment to charge with
the ground bring an adaptor.
Europeans and the rest of the world
who uses 240 Volt have to find
adaptors to charge their equipment.
Ecuador uses the metric system
but with some exceptions. Gas
stations sell gas and diesel in
US gallons (1 gallon = 3.9
liters). In 2010 a gallon of gas
costs from 1.60 to 2.10 depending on
quality. Diesel cost around $1.- per
gallon. |
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Time Zones |
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Mainland
Ecuador's time zone is GMT -
05.00. This corresponds to
Eastern Standard Time. Galapagos
being located 1000km west of the
mainland is GMT - 06.00 which
corresponds to Central Standard
Time. Being located right on the
equator no daylight saving time
(summer time) is used in both
locations. Sunrise and Sundown
hardly change through the year with
the first light coming up at between
5.30am and 6am. It starts to get
dark between 6.15pm and 5.45pm. |
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Communications |
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Long distance phone calls can be made from the many
phone centers found throughout the country. Some
cellular phones work in the country, others not. Ask
your home provider if service is available in Ecuador. There
are many internet connections available. One hour of
surfing the world wide web costs
less than $1. Mailing postcard to
USA cost $0.95 and to Europe $1.05
...for
more info... |
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Cash or Credit Cards |
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Take
enough cash with you and do
not count on credit
cards as that payment method is not
as common as in Western nations. You will have problems in paying your entire visit just with
them. By the way the official
currency of Ecuador is the US
Dollar. How can that be?
...for
more info... |
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Inland Travels |
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There are long distance busses
taking you to all major towns of Ecuador. From the larger centers
you find then smaller busses getting you to the remoter
areas of the country. Cost is around $1.- for one hour ride.
All larger cities have a central bus station called
Terminal Terrestre. Air services are available to
most major cities and tourist places
...for more info... |
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Personal Safety |
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Crimes against tourists
increased in the last few years. So be always alert,
especially in tourist locations and while using public
transport. Pickpockets roam the streets. Keep always an eye on your
things and use common sense. Avoid some
regions at all
...for more info.... |
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