Hybrid Iguanas South Plazas

South Plazas Island, Galapagos, Ecuador; hybrid of the Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) and the Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) feeding in a Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia Cactaceae), both endemic to the Galapagos Islands, these cross bred hybrids only exist on South Plazas Island and only the hybrids are capable of climbing the cactus, the Galapagos Land Iguana (Conolophus subcristatus) has to wait for fruit to fall from the cactus in order to eat , Copyright © Matthew Meier, matthewmeierphoto.com All Rights Reserved

Ecuador’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Quito, Cuenca, Galapagos Islands and Sangay volcano national parks

For a country that is relatively small, Ecuador has many UNESCO World Heritage sites. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, has recognized the necessity to preserve certain places in Ecuador due to their cultural and natural significances. Once a place has been declared a World Heritage cultural or natural site, it effectively becomes a possession of humanity, rather than belonging to a particular country or cultural group, and it is protected by an international committee.

Quito’s Centro Histórico, or Old Town, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1978, making it the first city declared a World Heritage site. The Old Town of Quito is considered the most well-preserved historical center in all of Latin America. More than 300 blocks of colonial houses, parks, churches, monasteries and heritage buildings are inside the downtown. The UNESCO committee points out that some of the Old Town’s churches, like La Compañia, and the monasteries of San Francisco and Santo Domingo, are standing examples of the ¨Baroque architecture in Quito.¨This baroque architechural style is a blend of Spanish, Italian, Moorish, Flemish and indigenous influences.

Cuenca, Ecuador’s third largest city, has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999. The colonial city has maintained the same rigid urban plan, which was ordered by the Spanish King Charles V, for over 400 years. This unaltered city organization, coupled with its plentiful historical buildings and its importance as an agricultural, economic and administrative center for the region, made it an accepted World Heritage site.

Steeped in incredible biodiversity and astonishing beauty, the Galápagos Islands have been recognized worldwide by researchers, scientists, scuba divers and vacationers. Set about 1000 km off the coast of Ecuador, the 19 volcanic islands are part of both a national park and a biological marine reserve. Beyond containing an impressive array of animal and plant species, the Galápagos islands are also an important representation of the process of evolution. After all, this is the place that inspired Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. The Galápagos Islands have been a World Heritage natural site since 1978 and they were added to the list of World Heritage sites in danger in 2007.

As of 1983, Sangay National Park has been an official UNESCO World Heritage natural site. Sangay National Park is home to many rare Andean species like mountain tapirs, condors, spectacled bears, margays and giant otters, who have been able to survive here due to the park’s isolated location. In addition to being a haven for indigenous plants and animals, Sangay National Park also contains two active volcanoes, Sangay and Tungurahua, and a wide mix of ecosystems, which range from tropical rainforest to glaciers. This makes for exceptional natural beauty and contrast. Although it was considered an endangered site in1992, it was been removed from that status in 2005.

Source: http://www.ecuador.travel

Tangara Lodge

Number of rooms: 14
Tangara Lodge is a first class lodging that offers tours and all included packages for unforgettable vacations. It’s located in San Miguel de Los Bancos, 90 km away from Quito in a privileged zone because of the landscape, the climate, the fauna, the natural enviroment, valleys, rivers and cascades.Tangara Lodge is an exclusive Hotel to have a lifetime experience and a great to enjoy the nature. Visit us!!, Is a pleasure to serve you.

One of the best places to spend Easter in family.

Easter in Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador Easter Week is known as ‘Semana Santa’ and is celebrated with great fervour, with processions through the streets, religious statues carried shoulder high, and thousands of devotees, often carrying great crosses. The processions take place across the country, notably in the town of Banos, south of Quito, but are perhaps most conveniently seen in and around the Spanish Colonial churches and squares of the capital’s historic centre. The events begin on Palm Sunday, when the traditional ‘ramas’ (palm fronds -which Ecuador possesses in abundance) are much in evidence. A delicious traditional stew known as ‘Fanesca’ is typically eaten throughout the Easter week. Church services and masses take place on Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Saturday is a national holiday, leading to the main event on Easter Sunday. Themes: Religion , Culture Hours: All day.
Cost: Free.
Where: Various churches and squares in Quito
Includes Cathedral, San Francisco, La Compania, La Concepcion and others in historic centre
Quito, Ecuador

Source:  www.vivecuador.com

Food: Churrasco

Most people know churrasco as a grilled thick cut of beef, very popular in Brazil, where they have specialty restaurants called churasqueiras, as well as in Argentina and Uruguay where churrascos are part of the popular asados or parrilladas. Ecuadorian churrasco is sort of the poorer cousin of the Brazilian, Argentinean and Uruguayan churrasco, it is made with a thin cut of steak, and it actually refers to an entire plate of food: a grilled or sometimes fried thin steak topped with a crispy fried egg served with rice, French fries, ripe plantains, a small salad, avocado slices and hot sauce.

Most restaurants that serve national food will have a version of churrasco on their menu, it is a pretty big plate of food, which is typical of an Ecuadorian almuerzo or lunch – consisting of a soup as a first course, large plate of rice with meat, small salad, sides like yuca or cassava, potatoes, and plantains as a second course, and a small dessert or fruit as a final course.

Ingredients:

2 lb thin beef steaks, skirt steaks are a good choice

12 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbs ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Mix the crushed garlic, cumin, salt and pepper together to make a marinade for the meat.
2. Rub the garlic cumin marinade on the thin steaks and let marinate for a couple of hours.
3. Grill or fry the steaks over high heat to desired doneness; since they are relatively thin they won’t take too long to cook.
4. Serve the steaks with a crispy fried egg or two on top and accompanied by rice, homemade fries, fried ripe plantains, tomato and onion curtido, lettuce, cucumber slices, avocado slices and aji criollo.

Food: Chugchucara

Latacunga is a small agricultural town of about 50,000 people in the Cotopaxi province of Ecuador with a hopping Saturday market and a heart-stopping local specialty dish called “Chugchucara.”

Chugchucara is served up with piles of fried pork skins, fried plantains, fried potatoes, fried white-corn kernels that are pretty close to popcorn (in Spanish: mote), some fried cheese empanadas. Chugchucara restaurants abound in Latacunga. A massive chugchucara plate should run $3.50 to $5.

If you want to try this local treat head to the area around calles Ordóñez and Quijano, where you’ll find a string of dedicated chugchucara restaurants.

Food: Yuca Bread

Pan de yuca is also known as chipas in Argentina, pan de queso in Colombia, and pao de queijo in Brazil, it is made with yuca flour, cheese, butter and eggs. Yuca bread makes a delicious warm appetizer and the breads can be made in advance and baked minutes before serving. Leftover breads will get hard when they get cold, but can be reheated in the microwave (great for breakfast the day after). The flour is made from yuca root, and is also known as cassava or tapioca starch, the flour can be found in specialty stores. In Ecuador, pan de yuca is usually served with yogurt smoothies and there are several restaurants whose specialty is yuca bread with yogurt.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups yuca flour

4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 stick of butter, room temperature, cut into 8 pieces

2 large eggs

Preparation:

1. Combine the yuca flour, cheese, baking powder and salt in a food processor, blend to mix well.
2. Add the butter and eggs
3. Mix until small dough balls begin to form
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and roll into a ball, you can make the dough ahead and store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 500 F .
6. Make small round shaped breads with the dough and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
7. Bake immediately or store in the fridge until ready to bake.
8. Bake for about 7 minutes and turn on broiler until the breads are golden, about 3-5 minutes.
9. Serve immediately, can be served alone or with tree tomato aji.

Park: La Carolina

Come take a walk around the park La Carolina, and do not forget to visit the botanic garden! This is an excellent place to enjoy the good weather in a small boat in the centre of the city, but it feels like you are miles out of the city!

Food: Fritada

When you are in Ecuador do not forget to taste the ‘fritada’, a typical Ecuadorian dish! Fritada favorite dish of people in the highlands and can be combined with mote, cooked potatoes, avocado and aji.

Market: La Mariscal

Cuando vengan a Quito, no olviden comprar algo de artesanía, ropa típica y pañuelos en el mercado artesanal ‘La Mariscal’ in Quito!

When you visit Quito, do not forget to buy handmade souvenirs, typical clothing and scarfs in the ‘La Mariscal’ market!