Seven Tips for Making Friends in Ecuador from Tropic Journeys in Nature

Ecuador’s leading purveyor of people-to-people experiences, Tropic Journeys, is passionate about helping visitors dig below the surface of this country.

Tropic’s founder Jascivan Carvalho explains .”If our visitors follow a few suggestions, friendship quickly becomes a two-way street while staying in an eco-lodge run by indigenous peoples, exploring the Galapagos with a native naturalist guide or touring Quito and sampling the world’s best chocolate.”

Carvalho and his staff encourage total immersion in the local color and culture and have come up with a few tips and advice for anyone visiting Ecuador for the first time. Following is Tropic’s short list for making instant friends with any Ecuadorean:

1. Be sure to wear an Ecuadorian soccer T-shirt or jersey. (Shop online at: http://www.worldsoccershop.com/shop-by-national-team-ecuador-national-soccer-team.html
2. Order ceviche– the best in the world – and top it off with three leches (milks) dessert. Ceviche is perhaps the most famous traditional dish of Ecuador, usually served with popcorn. For recipes visit: http://laylita.com/recipes/ecuadorian-ceviche-recipes/
3. Speak the native tongue when possible and try to mimic the accent here – the purest Spanish in South America. See: http://ezinearticles.com/?Ecuadorian-Spanish—Whats-the-Difference?&id=3108450
4. Whistle or sing the songs of Julio Jaramillo “The Nightingale of America”. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julio_Jaramillo
5. Quickly agree that Ecuador has the best chocolate in the world! See: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-22733002
6. Share and smile over a glass of babaco (papaya & pineapple) juice and chifles (fried plantain chips). For a list of native foods, see: http://www.ecuadortravelsite.org/traditional_dishes_ecuador.html
7. Tropic launched a new program this year called “May We Introduce You” that creates exclusive day trips to workshops and factory showrooms as the centerpieces of tours into the heart and soul of Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as other urban centers.