Ecuador’s Magic in the Middle of the World
Shaping Cultural Experiences
Travel has been an integral part of my life since I was a young child. I grew up in a multicultural, bilingual home in the Netherlands with a Polish mother and a Dutch father. My
Update & BBC News Link
A brief update: One interview video will be uploaded tomorrow evening. I believe the BBC News One-Minute World News provides well-balanced reporting of news, hence why I wanted to share it. Top stories on May
From Nigeria to Boston
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VNkCazT_T4&feature=youtu.be
When you first meet Oluwagbeminiyi Osidipe, you encounter a very vibrant, friendly, and unique personality. Oluwagbeminiyi or Niyi – as she shortened her name for simplicity – was named by her mother, who had a “very personal experience” when she had her, Niyi explained. Niyi is a Yoruba Nigerian transplant who arrived in the U.S. in 2006. As one of the most densely populated (West) African countries, Nigeria derives its name from the river that spans its land. To the South, it borders the Gulf of Guinea to the Atlantic Ocean. Originally colonized by the British, Nigeria gained independence in 1960. Its main ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba, who speak English and their own respective languages, while major religions include Islam, Christianity and indigenous beliefs. Niyi shares her story, her views on politics, cultural differences she’s embraced with humor, and what we can learn from each other by expressing curiosity. Her message is simple: travel enriches us through its exposure to new cultures, and enables us to grow.
Mark Twain on Travel
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” (American author Mark Twain, Innocents Abroad).
Have you had the opportunity to travel (extensively, within your country, or even once abroad)? Can you relate to Twain’s sentiments? How does travel enrich us?
Pleasing The Taste Palate
Food has the wonderful quality of uniting us no matter where we are. There is nothing partisan or narrow-minded about food. It simply invites us to indulge, create recipes, and share with others. Two of my favorite Polish dishes (included in collage) are pierogies and barszcz czerwony – a beetroot soup – served on Christmas Eve in Poland. How does food bring us together? What are some of your favorite dishes and why? Can food trigger memories?
Stereotypes: Truth or Fiction?
DEFINING STEREOTYPES: “An idea or statement about all of the members of a group or all the instances of a situation.” (Merriam-Webster). Stereotypes enable bias and preconceived notions to perpetuate, but can also reveal valid
Annual Human Rights Report
“The world changed immeasurably over the course of 2011. Across the Middle East, North Africa, and far beyond, citizens stood up to demand respect for human dignity, more promising economic opportunities, greater political liberties, and
Euro Crisis & Emerging Stereotypes
Brief Crisis Breakdown Since the onset of the global financial crisis, or Great Recession, in 2007, the Eurozone has feared impending growing global debt levels, as well as sovereign debt within European countries themselves. In
Remembering Tiananmen
Today marks the 23rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests in Beijing, China. Inflation, a lack of career prospects, the fall of Eastern European communism, and political corruption, are all said to have fueled anger
Coffee's Uniting Power
A cup of coffee can bridge cultural gaps. At least, that’s what Gizem Salgicil White, founder of Turkayfe.org, believes. Her organization aims to create awareness of Turkish culture, particularly within America. Gizem is a Turkish native,
Today’s guest post is by Sofia from Wanku
Imagine being in a place where you could be in three different ecosystems in less than 24 hours. A place where the climate changes drastically after only a couple hours on the road.
Imagine being in the hot and humid jungle surrounded by monkeys, birds and a variety of insects. After driving for a few hours, picture being at the top of a dormant volcano where you can see snow and feel the chill of the wind brushing up against your cheeks, while you see jumping alpacas passing by. Only hours later, you are in a beautiful beach drinking a delicious coconut juice surrounded by flying seagulls, watching red crabs in the sand, and enjoying the amazing weather.
Seems impossible, right?
As your mind wanders and creates these images, the beautiful possibilities seem endless. But, what if I told you that these seemingly imaginary places are real and they really are only hours away?
Well, they are real and are located in a small but magical place in the middle of the world called Ecuador.
Explore Ecuador’s Magic
Ecuador, the third smallest country in South America; where the Equatorial line divides the globe in two. There, the latitude is zero, the Andes mountain range crosses, and biodiversity is at its finest.
Ecuador, is a country with only 109,483 square miles. For reference, it is smaller than the state of Nevada in the United States. With a population of 15.74 million, it’s less than the population of the state of New York.
Even though it is such a small country, Ecuador is known for its natural and cultural beauty. It is located in an amazing place of the world where you can find four different regions. The coast borders the Pacific Ocean to the West. It borders the Andean region, where the Andean mountains go through; the Amazon, and the Insular Region, commonly known as the Galapagos Islands. Due to the different climates and conditions of these ecosystems, there is great diversity of plants, animals, and insects.
Though it’s little, Ecuador is fierce. It holds an outstanding number of species of flora and fauna, relative to its size. It stands out from the rest of the world.
This small country, according to the Consulate of Ecuador, has 10% of all the planet’s plant species. Approximately 10,000 species are in the Andes Mountains, 8,200 in the Amazon region, and 850 in the Galapagos. Ecuador has more than 2,725 different type of orchids and 25,000 different tree species. Out of the 12 most important bio-diverse areas identified by the naturist Norman Myers, three are located in mainland Ecuador.
Compared to its fauna, Ecuador has 8% of the planet’s animal species, and 18% percent of its bird species in the world. It also has approximately 3,800 species of different vertebrates, around 1,550 of mammals, 350 of reptiles, 375 of amphibians, 800 of freshwater fish, and 450 of saltwater fish.
Ecuador has more than one million of insect species – more than 4,500 butterflies species alone. All these plants, animals, and insects live in different regions in Ecuador, inherently living in different climatic zones. Even though it is a small country, it has 46 ecosystems. There are moorlands, forests, valleys, and the Pacific Ocean. Research suggests that one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Ecuador is in the Amazon region with a large tropical rain forest. It is the home of many different animals, plants, flowers, birds, and insect species.
Expect an unbelievable experience to see the differences between the regions. It is crazy to think that you could be in a different region in less than an hour. Everything is so close that you are able to cross all over the country in car. However, there are specific zones of Ecuador that you are only able to get in by boat or a canoe. I am lucky to say that I was born in one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.
Would you like to come and see it for yourself?
Learn about a traditional infusion from this magical place, made of typical herbs called Wanku. Here’s more about Wanku and learn how soon you’ll be able to enjoy it, too: http://www.livewanku.com/
Hi! I'm the founder of Culture With Travel and #CultureTrav. Please chat with us on social media and contribute in the comments! Follow @Nicolette_O
