5/26/99
Dear Mom and Dad,
How are you? I am fine. I am very glad you sent me here because Ecuador is
beautiful. I have found a great place to live. I recommend Quito because it is Ecuador's
capital and it is a bit like the way we live in New York. There is a KFC, Pizza Hut, and
even a Lloyd's bank. There are also nice hotels, and a great Café Cultura, although the
roads are quite bumpy.
When you come you should bring clothes that are good for hot weather. It is very very hot here, but when El Nino comes you should bring your raincoats. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring one so I got very wet. Luckily, there was a place where I bought one that was very helpful. It is also a great idea to bring your bathing suits because there are many places to go swimming and they play a lot of water sports in Ecuador. In Ecuador there are special places that have a whole bunch of stores that are together. These stores are a little like small malls. In Ecuador there are many things for children to do. I’m sure that when you come we will have lots of fun.
The main language here is Spanish, but others also speak Quecha (Amerindian language). They are also able to understand English but it is not spoken too much. I have noticed that most people here are females. By walking around I have also noticed most people here originated in Ecuador which means they are Ecuadorians. (I have also found out that age 15 and over am able to read). The total of people who can read in Ecuador is a little bit above 90%. The population in Ecuador is about 11,690,535. The life expectancy for males is about 68.8 and for females it is about 72.2 years. This means the life and medical care in Ecuador is ok.
I have also learned that you should use a handshake when meeting someone, and then you should address him or her by Senior, or Senora. Don or Dona, and then followed by the first name is a common greeting. If you yawn in public, whistle or yell a name to get someone's attention, or point with your index finger, you would be considered impolite. When they kiss with greeting they 'kiss the air' and brush checks. When you draw a circle in the air that means 'I'll be back". Also if you put your hand out and twist it, that would mean some sort of sorry. There are many ways to say things by using your hands because most Ecuadorians use their hands as they talk.
I recently celebrated the Independence Day here. It is a little bit like our Independence Day in the United States, though Ecuador celebrates their independence from Spain. It is on the 24th of May. The year Ecuador became independent from Spain was in 1822. They also have big celebrations too. Ecuador's national holiday is another Independence Day. It is the independence of Quito, August 10th. This happened in the year 1809. I am also looking forward to celebrating this holiday too. I also met the chief president of Ecuador who is President Fabran. President Fabran is also a very nice man.
In Ecuador there are many places to see. I recommend Quayaquil, because it is a great city. There is also a large church in San Francisco, Quito and it is a very beautiful church to see. I visited the Andes Mountains that are breathtaking. I'm sure you will enjoy the lovely Galapagos Islands. Here you can go snorkeling and see the beautiful fish and coral. In the Galapagos you can also see the big turtles, (which was one of my favorites). On the airplane I saw Ecuador's Fertile Machachi Valley, a valley below the Andes Mountains. I also saw Cuencha, another city in Mexico that was very interesting. When you come we should visit all these places. I’m sure you will love it here in Ecuador. I hope to see you soon.
Love ya always,
Stephanie