Dear Mom and Dad,
I
think Ecuador is a fabulous place to live for a year, and I know you will like
it too! It has a lot of recreation we like to do and, it is a very fun place to
hang out in. Things are a little different, but you get used to it fast. It's
has a great hot climate, the way you like the weather. You will enjoy living
here because it also has a lot of interesting places we could go visit.
In Ecuador there are about 11,000,000 people living in the country, but just to let you know it's not that crowed. There are an equal amount of people in the rural and urban areas. Most of Ecuador's population are Native Americans and Mestizos. The population in urban areas are 56 % and while 44% live in rural areas.
The health care here is good but not the best because they are still trying to fight diseases like polio and yellow fever. You should be concerned about health care in Ecuador, because they are still trying to work out some medical care problems. We might have to go to a private clinic or doctor because I'm not a citizen and because we can afford it. We need to be precocious because it can be dangerous when you get here because there is a disease that is carried by mosquitoes.
The climate here is great just like you like it…HOT! In the Costa, which means land near the sea, it has a heavy wet season from December to April. The Oriente region has tropical weather which includes wet, humid, and cold weather. Sierra is where there are a lot of mountains where, there are chilly nights and frequent rain in the afternoon. The climate is most affected by the elevation, not season. Start thinking of where you would want to live. The Costa, Sierra, or the Oriente? I would want to live in the Costa because I love the beach.
There's a lot of things to do here for entertainment, just like the fun we like to have at home, especially with the sports Dad! In Ecuador soccer is their favorite sport, followed by volleyball and basketball. There is a sport called Ecuavolley that is played with three players on each side which, you might try out when you get here. When people are not playing sports, a lot of people often gather at the clubs to dance some salsa, which we all love to do. I hope you like the recreation here because I love it.
I have a place to visit when you get here, the Galapagos Islands. There are a lot of species in the Galapagos that are not found anywhere else in the world. The Galapagos have a lot of extinct volcanoes. I hope when you get here we can go exploring and explore the islands which I know Luis will love to do.
You won't need to learn the language here if you want to communicate, since Spanish is their official language. The Indian language called Quechua is spoken in the Sierra, among other Indian languages. Quechua is recognized by the constitution as an important part of their culture. Ecuador is a great place for me and you to live for a long time. You will enjoy it here because there's a lot fun entertainment. I love it here and I hope when you get here you will like it too, see yea!
Love,
Debora