Ecuador – Family trip

Visited: June 2019

Duration of travelling: 8 days

Capital city: Quito

Population: 17.40 million (2019)

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

• Impressive diversity of the landscape from the coast through the Andes to the jungle.
• Quito – from the Inca capital, to UNESCO’s 1^st World Cultural Heritage City and my home for almost four years.
• Sweets feast at Corpus Christi in the beautiful colonial city Cuenca.
• Saraguro – socializing with Inca descendants who successfully resisted the Spanish invasion.

Ecuador has a unique position in my life. I got in touch with Ecuador for the first time in 1997 as a part of my American Big Tour in 1996-97, which started in New York and ended in Buenos Aires 15 months later.

Only 3 years later I received a job offer to run a company in the capital Quito. Over the period of the next three and a half years I visited every corner of the country; for business and pleasure.

In 2019, I visited Ecuador with my Panamanian partner, 2 kids and my mum.

In this article I describe my family trip to Ecuador in 2019: Quito transformation from 2004 to 2019, Corpus Christi in Cuenca, among Inca descendants in Saraguro.

More articles about my Ecuador adventures are available here:

In 2019 I visited Ecuador with my Panamanian partner, 2 kids and my mum. Travelling through a familiar region of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru was an intriguing experience. At that time, we had already lived in Panama for many years, therefore, the Latino atmosphere, language and culture were part of our everyday life.

In June 2019, it was thought-provoking to observe the changes that had taken place in the last fifteen years since I left Ecuador. A lot of new buildings and infrastructure in Quito, a significant increase in the vehicle fleet and some innovations in the tourist offer (cable car up the east side of Pichincha Volcano) were the main changes.

Through conversations with Quiteños and my local friends, I noticed a lot of fear and restlessness because of the current security situation. Some of the most common warning were:

“It’s not safe to walk around at night. Be careful with your phone on the street, as a motorist can drive by and take it from you. Extortion threats in broad daylight are a daily occurrence.“

We settled down in a beautiful apartment next to Parque La Carolina in the financial and business heart of the city. One of the principal recreational areas of the metropolitan area has quickly become the most popular spot for my kids. In the park they could play, run, relax, paddle across the lagoon with a boat, taste local food and watch the crowds of people over the weekend.

Ascending by cable car up to 3,497 meters above sea level to Cruz Loma gave us an opportunity to observe the difference in vegetation due to the height change and enjoy the spectacular view of the capital from bird perspective. Almost flying on a large swing, walking through unspoiled nature at such a height and enjoying the views is spectacular. Finally, we rented horses at a very reasonable price, to ascend even higher under Volcano Pichincha.

From a tourist perspective, the cable car is certainly the city’s biggest acquisition for Quito in recent decades.

“Cuenca is different. Cuencanos are friendly, educated, connected, happy to receive guests. They take time for visitors and honestly express their opinion.” …

… were the word of my working colleagues before my first business visit of this colonial gem that lays sprawled out amidst the Andes mountains that surround the city.

Ecuador’s third-largest city, once inhabited by the Incas, is also called Athens of Ecuador due to its cultural diversity, contribution to Ecuadorian arts, sciences, literature, and for being the birthplace of many illustrious figures of Ecuadorian society. Cuenca is designated as one of only three of Ecuador’s cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

If meeting business partners, negotiating deals or enjoying delicious food was a norm in the past, in 2019 we experienced unfortunate weather conditions that significantly affected our ability to fully enjoy Cuenca. Constant rain had knocked the temperature down not only outside, but also inside our apartment. Without proper heating we were struggling to warm up, using all available blankets.

Cathedral de la Inmaculada is one of the largest churches in South America with gold leaf-covered altar, the local market is fully stocked with fruits and vegetables. A spiritual cleansing process (called limpia) to help rid anything terrible from within that has been passed down through generations, is still popular.

The highlight of our visit in Cuenca was a religious festival called Corpus Christi. During a week every June, the city is adorned with delicious displays of every candy that you can imagine.

We mixed with families, who mingle around the city center, where bakers and pâtissiers cover stalls with colorful sweets.

Buying, savoring sweet treats and celebrating at the same time attracts local crowds as well as people from all around the country. Religious processions, town bands and the explosive fireworks close each day of celebrations during Corpus Christi, but the weather slightly spoiled the joy this time.

The town of Saraguro is situated in the southern Andes range, nestled between the urban areas of Cuenca and Loja. Historically, the Saraguro community, belonging to the Kichwa nation, spoke exclusively Runashimi or Kichwa. These days, they are proficient in speaking Spanish in addition to their native languages. They have managed to keep a significant portion of their territory, traditions, and typical attire, all while honoring their Inca roots.

The Saraguros stand out as the sole indigenous community in the region to have successfully withstood the Spanish invasion.

They have preserved their cultural practices and lifestyle, making them one of the most intact indigenous groups in Ecuador.

Through the central tourist office in Saraguro town, I was directed to one of the homestays, where we spent the next two days, working, eating and exploring the culture with Saraguro family.

The Saraguros are particularly recognized for their unique style of clothing. Men wear ponchos, pants that reach the knees, and wide-brimmed white hats made of sheep’s wool with a spotted pattern. Women wear long black skirts, black wraps, necklaces, bracelets and collars with multi-stranded glass beads, along with black/white hats, which are used almost exclusively for special occasions. Their beautiful black hair grows long and are braided into a single long braid.

Together with the local family, we licked the corn, helped with small tasks in the garden, prepared bread dough, ate dinner and talked about how they can continue to cultivate their traditional culture and resist the pressure of modernity.

The hosts (husband and wife) are also excellent musicians. In a small studio, they played some songs on traditional instruments and sang in the Kichwa language.

This was one of the most unique experiences with indigenes groups in South America, where I was able to appreciate their culture, live and help maintaining it in a very proactive way.