I just spent 6 months in Ecuador October 2007 to April 2008 and found it one of the best places internationally. In fact I am going back for another winter.

Ecuador has Amazon, Andes and Pacific Coast to keep you interested and the Galapagos Islands as well but this place is expensive (tourist tax).

The rest of the country is not, $5 for a hotel room is common. $3 is the cheapest I found, almost on the equator, at Jama by the coast.

Food is commonly $1.50 for a complete lunch and a large beer is $1.

Bus travel is noisy but cheap and efficient.

Banos in the mountains has volcanic hotsprings ($1.60) and one of the best zoo collections I have seen anywhere.

Puyo in the nearby Amazon has a great private botanic park and a free city museum.

Porto Lopez - Selango - Ayampe area have a museum, surfing, tropical forest, Indian villages, whale watching and coatal desert. The spectacular beaches do not warm up until Christmas time because of the cold Humbolt Current.

Playita beach near P. Lopez is a gem.

I have yet to see the area north of Pedernales on the equator.

Otovalo has a Sunday native market, the biggest in the Andes.

San Lorenzo, inland from beautiful Bahia, has a cowboy market on Sundays and a central earthen pyramid maybe 2-3000 BC.

The country abounds in preColumbian artifacts.

Spanish is easy when you know one of the European languages.

Ecuador is an export economy (bananas, oil, coffee, chocolate etc.) so they are quite friendly with foreigners. Be polite, chill, never lose your temper and drink only sterile drinks and ice.

Beware of the many stray dogs, esp. after dusk.

Do not over pay for meals. They are showing you great disrespect. Be careful not to pay tourist price, the attendant is taking advantage of you. So ask others what they are paying.

Don't bring valuables and do wear a money belt.

Villages are family oriented and safe but the big cities have gangs and pickpockets.

Cash machines are not in every town so speak with other travellers and plan your travel around them. I never carry more than $300 on my person.

I am organizing an informal tour.

See pictures on Parts 2, 3 and 4 below.