ECUADOR

ECUADOR IS KNOWN HEAVILY FOR ITS TOURISTIC, ONE OF A KIND SPOTS. ONE OF THESE SPOTS IS THE QUILOTOA VOLCANO CRATER LAKE. THE WATER IS CRYSTAL BLUE AND THE EXPRIENCE IS UNBELIEVEABLE. LIKE THE GALAPAGOS, THE TURQOUISE OF THE WATER REPRESENTS THE CONNECTION OF NATURE AND SIGNIFIES THAT THE AREA IS UNTOUCHED BY HUMANS AND PRESERVED FOR ITS NATURAL BEAUTY.

THE TRADITIONAL OUTFITS IN ECUADOR MAY VARY DEPENDING ON THE DIFFERENT REGIONS. NONETHELESS, ECUADOR’S TRADITIONAL OUTFITS USUALLY INCLUDE BULKY GOLD NECKLACES AND AND BRIGHT COLORED TEXTILES ALONG WITH LOTS OF EMBROIDERY. WHITE IS THE COMMON COLOR, REPRESENTING PURITY AND PEACE.

ALTHOUGH ECUADOR IS KNOWN FOR SO MANY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, THIS IS A PLACE THAT IS KNOWN WORLD WIDE AS AN ICON OF WORLD HISTORY. THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS EXPECT TO SEE MILLIONS OF TOURISTS EVERY YEAR. THE WATERS ARE RICH TURQOUISE AND SIGNIFY THE PURITY OF THIS PROTECTED LANDMARK. THE BROWNS REPRESENT THE UNTOUCHED LAND THAT IS PRESERVED FOR HISTORY.

“EL DIABLO HUMA” IS ONE OF ECUADOR’S SYMBOLS THAT TRACE BACK TO OUR ROOTS. IT IS PART OF AN INDIGENOUS FOLKLORE THAT REJECTS CATHOLICISM. TODAY, THESE MASKS ARE WORN DURING HOLIDAYS FOR TRADITIONAL DANCES ESPECIALLY IN THE HISTORIC CENTER OF THE CAPITAL, QUITO. THE VARIETY OF COLORS REPRESNTS THE MULTITUDE OF BELIEFS AND THE DEPTH OF THEIR CULTURE.

OTAVALO IS A TOWN IN ECUADOR WHERE TRADITION IS NOT YET TAKEN BY MODERNISM. HERE, THE CIVILIANS STILL DRESS IN TRADITIONAL OUTFITS AND SPEAK THE LANGUAGE “QUECHUA.” THERE IS A LARGE POPULATION OF INDIGENOUS CURRENTLY LIVING HERE AND THEY ARE BEST KNOWN FOR MAKING HANDCRAFTED QUILTS. THESE QUILTS CONTAIN VARIOUS COLORS BUT ARE PROMINENT IN GOLD TO SIGNIFY STATUS AND ELEGANCE.

ECUADOR IS A MOUNTANEOUS REGION WHERE THE POPULATION IS GROWING TO THE POINT WHERE THEY MUST BUILD WHEREVER POSSIBLE, HOUSES OF ALL COLORS AND ARCHITECTURAL STYLES LAY ON MOUNTAINS. THE COLORS OF HOUSES ARE NOT REGULATED AND PEOPLE CHOOSE TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES BY PAINTING THEIR HOUSE OF ALL DIFFERENT COLORS.