"Ecuador: A Place of Special... " a Ecuador Travel Page by richiecdisc

The phrase good things come in small packages seems to be particularly fitting with regard to Ecuador. The tiny wonder that straddles the equator has not only a great variety of geographical terrains but also a ridiculous amount of biodiversity. And when such things are crammed into this small of a space it makes for a dramatic landscape where tropical rain forest, enormous active volcanoes, and swaying palmed white beaches pass by like images from a bus window. It’s a magical place where you can still find penguins, vicuñas and a frog the size of your fingernail in the wild and not have to visit the local zoo. Squeeze all this natural wonder in between some beautiful World Heritage colonial cities and sprinkle generously with a wonderful open people, a few colorful cultures and a tasty culinary scene and you have the makings of one of South America’s most extraordinary treats. Is it changing? Sure. Political corruption abounds. Exploitation of natural resources continues to take a daily toll. Globalization is our nemesis. But Ecuador is well endowed and though tough choices are on its horizon, let’s hope its decisions allow it to rise above the commonplace. For Ecuador is anything but common and should hold itself to special consideration.