We wander why Magazine - ECUADOR

NO.2

WE WANDER WHY

ECUADOR

MEET THE PEOPLE

EXPLORE THE COUNTRY

COOK TRADITIONAL ECUADORIAN FOOD

Leaving everything behind and heading off on a rather spontaneous note | p. 7

The diversity in a place comparably small is overwhelming | p. 13

It´s time for some heartwarming food and drinks | p. 17

WELCOME TO WE WANDER WHY A travel magazine that allows you to easily transport yourself to the countries of South and Central America. Simply. From your sofa.

I READ, I TRAVEL, I BECOME.

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EDITOR´S NOTE Sitting on an airplane and applying hand balm is seldomly a good idea. With the pressure getting higher the further you move away from the ground, your cream could flow straight towards you without you having to squeeze the tube in the slightest.

In other words: Welcome to the Andes. Where the air gets thinner, pressure gets lower and a magical landscape is unfolding. We must have lost a good third of our lip balm and toothpaste up here as we constantly forgot what air pressure is doing to toiletry in tubes.

As Ecuador is a rather small country in Latin America terms we managed to see quite some parts of it in the four weeks we spend here. Small in size, but so diverse in landscape forms that we have left in awe of this place.

Dive into the beauty of the mountains in the Andes, the warm and turquoise water of the Galapagos, the historical colonial outline in cities as Quito and Cuenca and the lush green of the cloud forrest.

Bienvenidos a Ecuador!

Shaleen & Phil

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PHILIP SCHIELE

SHALEEN HEINZL Editor & Writer Most likely due to a strong "Gilmore Girls" influence when I was younger, I wanted to become a journalist for a long time. In the end, I never did and therefore decided to fulfill myself this dream now with creating a magazine series that accompanies our South and Central America trip.

With all the interviews, stories and recipes you can find in the magazine, I aim to capture the essence of each country we visit.

Happy reading!

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Photo & Podcast Mastermind Due to my parents prioritizing that we are doing one great trip each year as a family, I became quite curious about the world around us and addicted to traveling. I always take the camera that I got on my 18th birthday and try to capture the atmosphere of the places I visit.

New addition to my luggage is a microphone for recording podcasts about cultural curiosities we come across on our travels.

Hope it takes your ears on the trip with us!

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Table of contents 07

THE TRAVELERS Meet someone who left his old life behind and started completely fresh and someone who went on a very personal journey

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THE COUNTRY Discover the diversity and marketing power of this rather small Latin American country

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THE FOOD Winter is coming! And so are warm dishes and drinks that warm you from the inside.

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THE PEOPLE Learn about a small yet highly relevant community: The Afro-Ecuadorians

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THE PROJECT Supporting mainly women in the AfroEcuadorian community project Guasá y Bombo makes a real difference in people´s lives.

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THE COLUMN

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When you want to play it safe and everything turns out as a mess

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THE PODCAST This time we look into clothing and money. Both reveal a lot about the countrie´s culture.

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THE TRAVELERS WE MET INCREDIBLE PEOPLE WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH ECUADOR WHO SHARED THEIR STORY WITH US

Alessandro Piccuci

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Kevin Blom

THE JOURNEY OF A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS WITH A SINGLE STEP

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Alessandro Piccuci from Italy on the road since mid-January 2023 Travel Budget: 30€ / day (tough to stick to!)

Instagram: @picus_ What brought you on this trip?

My "excuse" to start the trip was to visits family in Argentina. But the flight tickets were so expensive that I chose to fly to Columbia instead and work my way down. I worked as a flight attendant for Air China before and when COVID started I was off for an unlimited time and started doing smaller trips in Europe. I always knew that at one point the airline will call and tell me I have to go back to work. That happened in January this year where they told me to come back by end of March. But by this time I had already booked my flight to Colombia. So what should I do? I really wanted to go back to the job. But I also urgently wanted to leave Italy. After a lot of back and forth thinking I decided on the day of the flight to board it. A couple of weeks into the trip, I wrote into my journal „When china calls, you say no“. And until now they didn’t call, so I decided to continue traveling.

And well, Ecuador. Actually, I wanted to skip it initially, it wasn´t too convincing for me.

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But while I was in Colombia I took San Pedro and - as strange as this might sound - it told me to take my travel to Argentina slow and to take my time and go to Ecuador instead of skipping it

Did you ever regret to come here?

No, but it’s different, so different from Columbia so it felt more difficult for me. In Columbia I made so many life changing decisions, like not going back to my job for example, and here I „just“ travel. And also the magic of the beginnings is gone a bit.

What is for you the essence of Ecuador?

It’s a good country. Of course due to the dollar it’s not as cheap as I expected it to be haha. What I saw a lot is that the indigenous culture is still very present and anchored. The dressing, how they eat, how they life, you really feel it. Also the Spanish history is so clearly felt and makes Quito one of the most beautiful historical

Centers maybe even in the world.

Naturally speaking it’s just breathtaking.

So many volcanos. And they all stand on their own which really is distinct to the landscape.

What is the main thing you learned while traveling?

Journaling helps. You have so many things in your head and your mind is running.

Especially as a solo traveller, at the end of the day you’re alone. So putting down feeling, thoughts, things you want to remember is important. It was July 2nd of 2023, as in today as we speak (laughing).

During lunch a friend started reading the horoscope for everyone. And Capricorn was crazy! And I’ve never been into horoscopes really! Ecuador was kind of like the path where patience was relevant.

Like take the hikes, it’s like a 1000m up but something is waiting up there. And I feel now something great is coming.

changed, unfortunately. I guess, because I wasn´t there and it was hard for him to understand and accept that.

And you can easily loose contact because you live totally different lives. Additionally, my favorite places are very remote and it’s really difficult for my parents to not hear from me for three days. So I think its super important to keep in touch, but its not always possible.

How do you keep contact to home and do you think it’s relevant?

Well, I´m an Italian only child. The bond between me and my family is really thick and important. On Christmas for example we always spend 5 days together in our home. While traveling, I missed the 60th birthday of my uncle who is such a lighthouse and important person for me.

And since his birthday our relationship

"I've always wanted to make the world a more colorful place"

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Kevin Blom from the Netherlands on the road since May Travel Budget: not a daily one Instagram: @kevin88

What brought you to Ecuador?

I didn’t really know what to expect of the country and I was so surprised about how friendly and open the people are, for example with sharing their culture. The people are very hospitable, in my experience more than in Panama, where I was before. I really love Quito where doing the city walking and food tours helped a lot. I feel Ecuador is very cultural, a lot of outings on the streets, parades, events.

During the weekend everybody is really busy. I also love to see many people wearing the traditional clothes in the mountain areas and the diversity in the landscapesmakes the county just stunning.

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Ecuador is not the first country you visit on this trip. How did it all start?

Right. I had a ‘normal’ life before (laughing). I had a fixed job, I worked for over 12 years at a good company, I owned a house, so you would think, sorted!

However, last year my wish to do a worldtrip got kind of reignited. I actually wanted to do it since after finishing school, but it never really was the right situation/moment. Last year I dated a girl and she talked about doing a worldtrip, which got me thinking about it again. So ultimately I also felt now is the right time for me and in January I decided: I will do it now, and then I set everything in motion, so all got rolling, selling my house and so on.

How did it feel to sell the house?

It felt weird of course, I lived there for three years. During that time the value increased and it was a good time to sell now. I didn’t want to have a commitment during traveling. Also I sold my car and most of my physical stuff like furniture. My whole life is now basically in 12 movingboxes. People would expect that that ́s hard and you’ll miss your stuff. But actually, I don’t. I realized that I don’t need that much to live on.

Do you have any tips for solo and first time South America travelers?

Go to the dorms and social hostels and be open to everybody. I never stayed in a hostel before in my life. But the first hostel I went to there were two girls I right away asked for tips and it felt quite natural. And when it comes to Latin America, I think it would benefit you to have some travel experience beforehand, maybe start in Europe or Asia, where it’s a bit safer (even though this is relatively speaking). Also, you really need to like planning trips yourself to travel here, to have the best experience. In my experience that's pretty easy to do here.

What is your favourite Ecuador moment so far?

I always wanted to go to the Galapagos, I watched a lot of documentaries about it and really looked forward to it. When I was there I actually swam with sea lions. They come so close, it's just unreal. They just swim and dance around you all the time. I feel that’s a very special experience for me!

So how long are you planning to travel?

Well, I don’t have an end date nor do I have a pre-set itinerary. I really like to go with the flow. I thought I would stay 2-3 weeks in Costa Rica only and then decided to extend to 4 weeks and go to Panama which I initially didn’t plan to. And I think in case I run out of money I’ll just work somewhere. This truly free experience is key for me, I know people go on sabbaticals, but I feel then you will always have an end date you have to be aware of and can’t travel truly free.

In total I think I will travel for 1 to 2 years.

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The Country

Ecuador BETWEEN THE INKAS AND THE SPANISH Initially inhabited by indigenous tribes, Ecuador was discovered by the Inkas in the 15th century when they wanted to expand their empire from Peru. However, the presence of the Inkas was a rather short endeavor as the Spanish invaded Ecuador as early as the 16th century, in 1534 to be precise. It was a violent takeover.

Almost 300 years later, Ecuador succeeded in winning its independence under the leadership of Simon Bolivar, but still remained part of Greater Colombia until 1830.

Today, most indigenous people still live in the high

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Andes and the biggest population group, the misticious, is formed by a mix between indigenous and Spanish.

OLD AND NEW TRADITIONS Today, as one wanders the streets of Ecuador's villages and towns, the country's culture still visibly speaks different languages. Thus, it is primarily the seemingly never-ending number of churches and churchgoers that clearly points to the long presence of the Spanish.

However, if one turns to the clothing of the people, one is quickly reminded of the strong and still alive indigenous influences of the country: women in

traditional, colorful skirts and noble lace blouses. Over them a stole and crowned with the famous Panama hat.

That superstition and Catholicism go hand in hand here becomes clear during a visit to the market, where one encounters the stalls of bushy piled local medicinal plants. The plants serve as an alternative to conventional medicine and can cure virtually any illness. For little money it is also possible to have an aura cleansing performed or, alternatively, one can buy herbal perfumes that provide relief for really every situation in life: To find the right life partner or to write a good grade in the next math exam, you name it. We have not tried it,

so you will have to convince yourself of its effectiveness.

However, what we are convinced about is that this existing duality is proof of a culture so deeply rooted in nature and spirituality that you cannot consider Ecuador to be fully catholic at heart.

RETICENT AND HUMBLE The traditional clothing also reveals other traits of the Ecuadorians: conservatism and modesty. The perfect example for the latter one are the so-called Panama hats. Designed, created and exported solely from Ecuador, the hat got its name from the place it was mainly sold in: Panama. A country highly popular as a travel stop from the east to the west coast of the United States in times of the Gold Rush. Ecuador was aware of Panama's unique position and in order to raise sales of their unique and handmade hats they went there to sell them off. Without a “Made in” tag in the hat, people simply

started calling them Panama hats as this is where they bought them. People's reticence is also evident in the interactions. For contact often does not go beyond the market barkers. Tourists and locals live next to each other rather than with each other.

MERCHANTS THROUGH AND THROUGH But there is one particular space where people mostly come together, locals as well as tourists: the market.

Represented through the multiple street food stands and small shops that are catching your eye when driving through Ecuador, these spaces are a great reminder that trade can fundamentally shape a society and within it the interaction between people.

But sales don't just happen on the street here. The numerous buses that connect all the towns in the country are another great addition to the classic market

places. You will always be accompanied by a food reseller, someone who’s urging you to buy “Tamarind, tamarind, mint. Es muy rico.

Un dollar, un dollar, un dollar”.

Ecuador has proven itself as a very important export player on the world market, mainly after they discovered oil in the Amazon in the 1960s which led to an oil boom in the 70s. Other export products are Cacao in 1910 Ecuador was the biggest producer of the bean worldwide -, bananas, shrimps, tuna fish and roses.

Coffee and blueberries complete the colorful bouquet. But in 1990, things changed. Due to one of the strongest El Niño phenomenons in a very long time the country's harvest was affected drastically. The phenomenon led to a big drop in oil and cacao exports and left the Ecuadorians in the biggest financial crisis the country has ever seen. As printing more money had

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proved to be a good solution for Ecuador during the global financial crisis in the 80s, the government decided to follow this approach again.

But this time the tide was not to turn for the better. What followed was hyper inflation.

The solution? Introducing a second currency, besides the local Sucre: The US Dollar.

For a long time these currencies existed side by side. Once the export business had recovered and tourism gained importance Ecuador was able to eventually switch to the US dollar completely. Today, this makes Ecuador one of the most attractive holiday destinations for US Americans in Latin America.

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SMALL YET EXTREMELY DIVERSE Flying into Quito opens up a landscape that a European eye might have never seen before: civilization perfectly embedded in the rough landscape of the various Plateaus the Andes mountains are offering.

Simultaneously, clouds are crawling over the lush green, sharp mountains.

Once you made your way through these clouds to the ground, being closer to the actual flora and fauna, you’d find the endless green Andes bushes - looking so soft one would like to just jump in as in a well made bed. But be aware, the softness appears only to the eyes. When hiking in altitudes, for example around the beautiful crater lake of Quilotoa, your eye will encounter a species all too familiar to the European eye: the pampas grass. A boho touch to the landscape that came as an unexpected yet very pleasant surprise.

It’s safe to say that one of the most fascinating things about the small country of Ecuador is the variety of landscape this place has to offer.

Driving through the high altitudes of the Andes, only a couple hours later a new surrounding and climate knocks at your door. You reached a place where your lungs will appreciate the increased amount of oxygen flowing in. One where humidity makes your hair dance and mosquito spray is required again. You are in the cloud forest of Mindo.

Where hummingbirds fly next to your head and you know not because you see them, but because you hear them. The flapping of their wings generated such a loud sound that one could even think to stand next to a herd of purring cats.

“When you see a black duck in the water, it's a Penguin''.

Are we still in Ecuador? Yes, we are, and this sentence is one that can only be heard in the remote island estate called the “Galapagos”. It's one of the country's four main regions besides the Andes, the coast and the Amazon. It’s the place where you open a drinks fridge to grab a bottle of water and within seconds outside the fridge the water condenses into a million small drops.

But it’s also a place of breathtaking beauty where human and animal life do closely side by side. You might stumble over a sleeping sea lion when walking the pier of Puerto Ayora , on the main Island of Santa Cruz. The artist that shaped the beautiful

les tuneles rock formation of the Island Isabella is the volcano sierra negra. It makes the islands one of the most beautiful snorkeling and diving spots in the whole world. A giant water turtle, riff sharks and rays are never far away. Back on land, you will certainly encounter the giant Galápagos turtle strolling through the grass whilst you’re cycling towards a beautiful sunset.

But diversity is visible even within the cities: Driving by the new town of Ecuador compared to its historical center, lined with colonial buildings and churches (Cuenca - a smaller town down south has 53 churches in its center!), does in fact make you believe you are somewhere else. Angular, sleek, modern houses line the streets in stark contrast to the colonial-style buildings in the old town. An expansion needed to keep up with the growing demand

of the population that is migrating from the coast to the city of Quito.

BUILD FOR TOURISTS Although many people skip Ecuador, a country only slightly bigger than the UK, on their route through South America the infrastructure for international tourists is excellent. The distances are relatively short and the bus network very good.

Typically, however, it takes either a natural phenomenon, like beautiful landscapes, cultural sights or natural resources that end up being products that can be sold to develop tourism in a county. And if there is a natural resource you can sell but it only grows and flourishes in an area considered to be dangerous for tourists?

Well, then just move it to another area where you are certain tourists gather due to beautiful landscapes.

That’s what Mindo town did with chocolate, originally native to Ecuadors coastal region. They sell chocolates in its raw form, but add sugar in some of them. „Because Ecuadoreans, like me, like the chocolate because of the sugar“ our guide tells us.

But we also learn that the conditions here are not great to produce chocolate - high humidity that is causing mouldy beans, missing sunlight which makes it tricky to dry them - I asked our guide why this factory even exists. And the answer reveals yet again what smart merchants Ecuadorians are: „It’s because of you. The tourists.“, he says. „Because many people come here it makes sense to sell our signature product.“

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The Food LET´S TALK ABOUT

carbs Latin America is filled with history and therefore has to offer a quite diverse cuisine in almost every country. Ecuador is no exception.

The flavors and techniques are deeply rooted in Indigenous traditions and Spanish colonial influences.

Due to its geographical position, the country is ideal for both agriculture and fishing putting Ceviches as well as Hornados (roasted pork) on the menu.

And any fear of still being hungry after lunch or dinner is automatically taken away by the concept of double sides. Rice will be added together with lentils, beans, fries or the plantana (green cooking banana).

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Almuerzos One of the most traditional and affordable means of eating here is through their Almuerzos. These are lunch deals that offer a starter (mostly soup), main dish (fish or meat accompanies by double carb racion of rice, platanos, beans), juice and dessert (often a small piece of cake with dulce de leche).

Don´t forget to stay hydrated Whilst typical dishes in Ecuador vary depending on where you stay - seafood, chicken and beef in the coastal areas and pork, chicken, beef and guy (guinea pig) in the mountains - the drinks menu stays quite the same throughout the country. We are talking drinks not in the sense of a national cocktail or alcohol but we are talking: Juice! Choose from passion fruit, mora (blackberry), alfaalfa (mountain flower), naranjilla, tree tomato, strawberry or pineapple. Mix with coconut water and a big spoon of sugar and you´ll have a delicious "jugo". You can get these for only 1$ at basically every market you pass by.

Mote If you associate corn with deep yellow, crunchy kernels, you will expand your horizons in Ecuador.

Mote - meaning cooked ripe corn is an eggshell-colored version of corn whose kernels are easily twice the size of traditional corn cobs. To soften the grains you simply soak them in water for hours. After cooking, the grains are shelled and served as a garnish to almost any dish.

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Encebollado

Soup

INGREDIENTS 1 KILOGRAM TUNA

500 GRAMM FRESH OR FROZEN YUKA

1 ONION

2 TOMATOES

5 SPRINGS CILANTRO / CORIANDER

8 CUPS WATER

1 TEASPOON GROUND PAPRIKA

2 TEASPOONS GROUND CUMIN SALT TO TASTE

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Step-by-step 1. Prepare a "refrito" with 2/3 of onion and tomato.

Cut them into small pieces and sauté with cumin, chili pepper and salt in cooking oil over low heat.

2. Add the water and cilantro sprigs.

3. Add the tuna when the water starts to boil, cook until the tuna is done, about 15 minutes.

4. Sift the broth where the water was cooked and save it to cook the yuka.

5. Separate tuna into slices, save to add later.

6. Bring the tuna broth to a boil and add the yucas, cook until soft.

7. Take out the yucas and cut them into small pieces.

8. Put the chopped yucas and the tuna slices back into

Tomato and onion curtido

the broth, adjust the salt and heat until ready to serve. To give it more flavor, you can also prepare an additional portion of refried food and blend it with a little of the broth, and add this mixture to the soup.

9. To serve the fish encebollado, put a good portion of the onion and tomato "curtido" on top of each bowl of soup.

TIP: You can prepare variations of mixed encebollado with shrimp and other shellfish.

A variety of different herbs can be added to make the broth, but coriander is the main one.

SERVING

TIME

6

90 MINS

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THE DRINK

Canelazo and naranjillazo

CANELAZO 6 CUPS WATER

8 CINNAMON STICKS

1 CUP SUGAR OR GRATED PANELA AGUARDIENTE*

NARANJILLAZO 4 CUPS WATER

8 CINNAMON STICKS

2 CUPS NARANJILLA CONCENTRAT

1 1/4 CUPS SUGAR OR GRATED PANELA

*1 oz / glas for light, 1.5 Oz / glas for medium, 2 oz / glas for strong

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AGUARDIENTE*

Step-by-step 1. Combine all the ingredients, except for the aguardiente, in a medium sized pot.

2. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes. To make the fast or cheater

Naranjillas

version you can simply boil it for 10-15 minutes.

3. Mix in the aguardiente.

Serve immediately.

TIP: For a non-alcoholic version, simply omit the aguardiente and drink it as a hot spiced tea.

SERVING

TIME

6

30-40 MINS

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The Locals

AfroEcuadorian culture The countries history that needs to gain more gravity and visibility

STORIES FROM THE PAST From the rooftop of our hostel in Cuenca you oversee one of the cities main market squares. After we arrived, I was chatting there with Tony, the owner of the place about potential projects the magazine could support, when he said „Let's go and have a look at the market square“. I followed him and looked at the marketplace where there was a hustle and bustle. „You see the woman walking over there in the traditional Ecuadorian dress: the hat, the scarf, the skirt?“, he asked. „Due to her traditional clothing you know right away which community she belongs to, what her culture looks like, that she’s working in agriculture and is likely from the mountains“ He paused, looking around, searching for something. When he found what he was looking for he points ECUADOR | 23

South. „See over there, the Afro guy who is selling toilet paper? What do we know about him? His community, story and way of living?“, he asked. „The answer too often sadly is: Mostly nothing“.

"What do we know about the Afro guy over there? His community, story and way of living?"

COLONIAL HISTORY Most People usually don’t connect Ecuador to Afro culture and history, unless you enter the conversation from a football angle. Most of the national players of the country are Afro. „I like to say that we have a factory that is producing Afro football players“, Tony said, half joking, half serious. But there is more to the story.

When the Spanish colonized Ecuador in the 16th century, they enslaved indigenous as well as Afro people in Ecuador. „All of Cuenca´s 52 churches were built by enslaved people“, Tony said. „When slavery was abolished in 1851, 30 years after the countries independence, the indigenous got some of their former land back. They had a place to build new homes and lives for them“, he added. „The problem for the Afro people was that they did not own any land. So they had no place to go“. In a nutshell, Ecuador's Afro community was forced to continue living on the outskirts of society. Today, if you hear people saying don’t go to Guayaquil, or at least don’t cross a specific line in the city, it’s because Afro communities live behind that line. In raw poverty, with little access to a safe and good life.

A CLEAR VISION In order to counteract this often hopeless fate, Tony has clear visions: First, to connect the communities of AfroEcuadorians with the community of AfroAmericans who retire in Ecuador (there are 10,000 American retirees in Cuenca alone, 99% of them are white) and second to increase the visibility of AfroEcuadorians overall. “My goal is to close the gap between Afro- Ecuadoreans and retired Afro-Americans in Ecuador”, he

said. “The retired have a lot of life experience, they lived in the United States.

They have a lot to share with the Ecuadoreans. And so have the Ecuadoreans. They have a lot to share about local life and culture in Ecuador.

About the realities the foreigners just moved to”.

"The problem for the Afro people was that they did not own any land. So they had no place to go."

For the younger people of the Afro Ecuadorian community he wants them to learn English to work in foreigners houses, to get a better income, to see a different world. In a nutshell, to one day get access to more opportunities.

PERSONAL MOTIVATION When I asked Tony, a Afro man himself, about his main driver to be so active in the community, he told me a bit about his own story. Born to a Jamaican mother and English father, he said that his mum got sent to Canada. “She got a chance that others in her / my family didn’t get“, he said. “I realised that I was just super fortunate with where I landed and that others simply weren't. So it's important for me to support in any way I can.”

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The Project

Project: Guasá y Bombo FROM PROTEST TO FULL OWNERSHIP In 1993, Geovana Vallecilla, had a bold plan. Frustrated by the all-too-visible disparity between white and AfroEcuadorians, she started a project aiming to help women better understand and fight for their legal rights. Initially she wanted to organize meetings to explain the rights to Afro women. However, she quickly realized that a bigger problem apart from not knowing what you can and can´t legally do is that the Afro community lived so spread out and often didn´t have any work or income, which is making attending these meetings often unaffordable to many. With that, the goal of the project transformed. “I was wondering how can we create income for these women, how could we help them to start their own businesses, help them get into the workforce”, Geovana was wondering.

The first approach they took was literally going to the street. They started protesting for their education and rights which was only moderately successful. Most of the women simply didn’t fit into the box, because of the missing educational backgrounds. Problems seemed to be piling up.

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In 2008 the project hit a major turning point. When realizing that knocking on other people's doors and asking for help is simply not enough, they decided to take things into their own hands. A radical change to the project's initial approach that shaped it into what it is today.

WHAT THE PROJECT DOES TODAY The linchpin of the project today is to provide education and employment to as many women as possible. The range of classes is wide: There are cooking classes for which participants usually pay 5$ and can afterward sell their final products for about 20$. Classes that provide education on domestic violence to help the women correctly identify abuse and unethical behavior in addition to how they can receive help. On the more job related side you can find jewelry classes, art classes or education for security services, which can then lead to a future employment. For the organisation it is important that people learn a craft that they enjoy and will therefore likely prefer working in. To host the events, they work with sponsors all over the city that offer spaces to host in and experts to teach.

These sponsors are not necessarily from the Afro community. One of the most important lessons, mainly for younger people, is to learn English. Only through the language they can get into uni at one point and start to break the cycle of poverty for them as well as the next generation.

However, the organization sees education not only as a means of seizing new job opportunities, but also as an integral part of getting in touch with one's past. That is the reason they offer culture classes, like for example Afro-Ecuadorian and Colombian music and dance classes.

“Many of the Afro-Ecuadorians don’t know what their cultural story and heritage is”, Tony explained. “Often they are even told a false story. Like all of the Afro population in Ecuador can be traced back to a boat that was shipwrecked off the coast.” In order to truly heal, it is important to understand the roots of your story. And traditional songs and dances are part of the former African culture that still should belong to the Afro-Ecuadorians. Today the organization is administered by 20 women and supports people in two neighborhoods of Cuenca as well as in Esmeralda. The latter one is the place where the highest density of AfroEcuadorians went after slavery ended.

Many still live there today. Geovana herself was born there, but came to Cuenca with her parents when she was 17. Most Afro-Ecuadorians living in Cuenca today came through the same journey, leaving Esmeralda in hope for better chances. “It was not good to live there”, Geovana said. “It still isn´t.”

Although they recently got scholarships for people to study, the woman still have families. So who is taking care of the kids while mom is studying, who’s earning money to feed them? This is where donation supports most. Either to pay other woman to take care of more children. Or to get them food when they just come from work.

WORKING SIDE BY SIDE While the project is mainly focussing on providing workshops and designing and hosting events, Tony - the host of our hostel who introduced me to the project is looking into different ways of linking to Afro-Ecuadorians and the Expat communities. One way to do so is through salsa or food classes where people can come together either through dancing or tasting foreign food (food in my opinion is anyway one of the best means of connection). “I see myself more like the person to link the people”, he said.

“Anywhere I find out that there are more than three people, we have a group”, Tony said. “I contact them and try to connect with them, mostly online of course. Expat groups aim to come together. And they shall continue doing this. I hope that, one day, coming together with AfroEcuadorians is just another way of being social for them.”

One challenge they face in bringing these two groups - Expats and Afro-Ecuadorians - together is language. “Keep in mind that most Americans who retire here do not speak Spanish”, he said.

WOMEN ONLY The main reason why the Project supports mainly women is their belief that this supports the whole family. The (husbands) are often no longer even with the family.

The mother and her income are therefore essential for feeding the entire family.

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“So it’s not easy to connect them. But it’s also the culture that is so different and can be a barrier. Often Expats have difficulties putting themselves into the locals shoes”, he added.

“They´d ask why the Afro-Ecuadorian lady that showed up late for English class didn't just take a taxi to get there on time. And that´s when you need to make them understand that they simply cannot afford to do that.”

A BOLD VISION FOR THE UPCOMING YEARS Whilst the project is already achieving a lot today, there are so many things Geovana wants to achieve. “My dream is to build a real Afro Community Center to host as many people as possible”, she said. “I also aim to bring even more people into the workforce and education”.

Ultimately, in order to keep the project running on a bigger scale they aim to open it to international volunteers and empower younger people to become ambassadors for the organization. This is how you build a true community.

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The Project in a nutshell LOCATION: Center is located in Cuenca, Ecuador. The project does support various communities there, but also in Ecuadors Costal region. Mainly in Esmeralda and Guayaquil.

HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THE PROJECT: At the moment the biggest support you can provide is making a donation.

Once Geovana fulfills her vision of building a real Afro-CommunityCenter there will also be Volunteering opportunities.

Keep an eye on the projects Facebook and Instagram page.

WHAT DIFFERENCE YOUR DONATION MAKES: With your donation you enable woman to go to University and / or work although they have various kids at home. The donation pays for a caretaker while the mother is away. In addition, you help provide food or supplies needed for the jobs they carry out in the end, e.g. buying cleaning equipment or work clothing.

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Column

touring the country Although Instagram might lead you to believe otherwise, there are always fuck-up moments on a long trip. The moments where you pray that you don´t die, when you are in rage against yourself (or your travel partner) or simply ready to cry or laugh out loud.

Read one of these stories every month here.

A great way to meet people on a trip is either by booking a social hostel or through attending an organised tour.

The downside of the latter one, however, is that you have to stick to the schedule the tour dictates. A safe timeline was however exactly what we needed on our last day in Quito. So we decided against public transport and DIY and booked a day tour to Mindo, Ecuadors cloud forrest. A charming mini bus awaited us at 6AM in the morning while most of the city was still asleep. During the first 30 minutes of our three hours drive we quickly learned though that we have signed up for way more than a simple cloud forrest visit with a secure schedule. "So our first stop is the bird house, you can see the humming birds, tucans and other exotic bird there. It´s only 5$ per person".

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Phil and I exchanged glances, A bird house? At an extra cost?

The first scepticism spread.

"Then we continue driving to Mindo where we start off with a chocolate factory tour", the. guide continued. "From there we go waterfall hiking. You pay for the park and the cable cars once we reach the stop.

Afterwards, we will do the zip lines. Thats 15$ per person."

When I asked if we needed to attend all these activities the guide replied "No, no worries, you can also wait in the car if you don´t want to participate".

Latest by that point we started to regret our choice to join a tour - which was priced at 45$ per person in case you were wondering. But all the extra costs would stretch our budget for the day significantly. "Let´s try to make the best of it", I said to Phil, trying to equally convince him and myself that

we will have a great day.

When we finished the waterfall "activity" - a word one can easily develop an allergy to after this day - we checked the time and realised that with three more activities ahead of us, we will never make it back to the city in time. Time, the main reason why we decided to book the tour, was now becoming quite a problem.

So we had to talk options: Paying extra to take the public bus back or staying and risking to miss the last bus to our next destination?

For monetary reasons, we decided to stay. With a bill adding up to 126$ for two people - without the zip lining and butterflies - we boarded the bus to our next destination just 10 minutes prior to departure and still weren´t sure if we should laugh or cry about what happened the last 12 hours.

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The Podcast

EPISODE #1: Why are Panama Hats actually made in Ecuador?

EPISODE #2: Why does Ecuador use US dollars as official currency?

In Ecuador we were amazed by all the traditional outfits locals are proudly wearing.

One thing that particularly sticked out to us was this beautiful white hat.

When walking through Ecuador‘s markets we noticed that all prices here are in US Dollars.

This hat has been made in Ecuador for hundreds of years but weirdly enough it is called Panama Hat.What sounds like a clear mixup has actually a super interesting story that gives a lot of insights about Ecuador.

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This wasn’t always the case though. Only 23 years ago Ecuador had its own currency and the reason for why it changed gives a lot of insights about the history and current situation of the country.

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OH THE PLACES YOU´LL GO

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