About Ecuador – the country is the poorest in South America where the average salary is $90 per month. As with all countries, there are many people well off. It is possible to find a very nice hotel for $10 per night with breakfast or stay for hundreds; the Hilton is there. Climate wise, it has it all and no change of seasons being on the Equator, hence Ecuador. Very warm beaches, cool mountains and jungles. All is available via plane and excellent buses. Read up on the lonely planet and Ecuador.

Quito has the second oldest University in the Americas, Lima Peru being the first. Look up the hostel Maple on the web and stay in this part of Quito. There are many such places for $10 to $15/night. You will meet many fellow backpackers and can hook-up with them if alone. Lots of cafes to use the web and make calls home. If you want to take Spanish lessons you can stay with a family or just get private lessons at the numerous schools for a few dollars per hour. Art is wonderful, so bring back many items. The Inca people make their own paints and paint on leather not canvas. Stop them while having coffee on the street and haggle with them before buying to get to know them a little. They will have their special outfits and hats and usually a man and wife. They have to be the sweetest people on the earth. If you do not wish to return to Quito usually via plane because of time or go on to the Galapagos just keep heading south to Peru.

I was warned about Guayaquil's problems with muggings, plus it is hot and muggy-pon. There are several national parks and will take you to the top of the world with their many volcanoes or to the jungles. The people known for shrinking heads and dangling them from their waists come from these jungles. They are still very primitive but now give tours into their jungles. Roast monkey is still their meal of choice. Quito has many expedition companies to all these places.

Then hop a bus south and visit many of the antique Spanish towns, more state parks and spas. The only fairly good road is the Pan-Am highway. I had an Inca guide with horses and went into the Andes. The trails are so steep that without the horses could not have returned. The other roads along steep mountain gorges are very interesting. For $15 a day you can stay at mineral spring spas near Quenca and purify your body with organic foods, drinks, body washes/oils and massages. But, I go for the history and the Inca people. Go to the Indian markets; they are fascinating.

The Inca's meal of choice is deep fried hamster and hedgehog. Inca people are very shy and non-violent. Their civilization was the largest in the world prior to the industrial revolution. Then came the Spanish with small pox, venereal disease, TB, and slavery.

The biggest problem in the world is safe drinking water. I only drink bottled water. But, in Ecuador the locals water down certain juices, and South American fruits are wonderful. They are supposed to use water that is boiled, but hotels may have new help, thus ones ends up with G.I problems of a major magnitude. Get antibiotic Rx immediately. Medical help was excellent and very reasonable in the major cities such as Quito and Quenca; the doctors came immediately to my hostel and there are pharmacies everywhere. Luckily, I always carry 3 cans of those high calorie vitamin drinks and can be purchased in pharmacies; I prefer chocolate flavour, and these helped me through my toughest period of the illness, when I could barely get out of bed to get something to eat. These nutritional canned drinks were also useful on long bus journeys there, when sanitary food was not available. You also may want to carry a better quality toilet paper; it seems the paper in some countries resembles double 0 sandpaper.