Ecuador Living:
A Day in My Life

Experience a day of Ecuador living. This is my experience of a typical day in Ecuador. So this isn't necessarily the day of an Ecuadorian family, but of foreigners. Some of the activities would be similar though.

Waking with the Sun

Ever heard that cocks crow at sunrise? Not in Ecuador. The norm here is usually 2 or 3 a.m. So don't let the roosters be your alarm clock. I actually never hear them anymore. Just used to it, I guess.

Ecuador living does start early. You have to take advantage of the daylight. Because of being on the equator we don't have the extremes in daylight hours. Sunrise between 6 and 7 a.m. and sunset by 6 or 7 p.m. year-round means only 12 hours of sun to squeeze everything in.

I like to start with getting clothes, washed the night before, out on the line. It will probably rain later so the earlier the better. Next breakfast of fresh fruit with yogurt and some raw oatmeal on top. Yum!

Downtown

Now it's time to go to town. Most businesses are up and going by 8 a.m. Kids start school by 7:30 a.m. So town is alive and busy.

Certain everyday things take extra time in Ecuador. One thing is all utilities are paid in person at each utility office. No mailing your bills in. So this can take some time.

Today it's the water bill. Going to the municipal office to pay....$5.00? Wow it's hardly worth the walk across town. I'm definitely not missing the gym; I'm getting my exercise just doing my everyday stuff.

As I make my way back home I pick up different ingredients for lunch. An avocado here. Three tomatoes there. And some fish over here. After a while you start to know where to get the best deals. Plus certain special items may only be carried in one or two stores in town. A stop at the open air market finishes off my shopping list.

Back Home

Time to start work on lunch. Lunch is the big meal of the day in Ecuador. And even though it's been a hard adjustment, I try to get my cooking done at noon instead of in the evening. Some days things just get pushed back and we have to have a light lunch and big dinner. But getting it done early is nice. Then we usually have leftovers for dinner. But cooking in itself is not as simple as I'm used to back home.

I need to make everything from scratch; one of the more challenging parts of Ecuador living. Thank goodness for the Internet. Such a lifesaver. I've learned so much from recipes on the Internet. You really can find any recipe you'll ever need, plus easy substitutes for things I just can't find here.

It takes a little longer, but I really can feel good about the meal I put before my family. Since most of the ingredients are fresh and hardly anything comes canned, food just seems healthier.

Rest in the Afternoon

After lunch is put away and cleaned up, it's time to unwind. It may be starting to cloud up by now so I should go get those clothes in; they're dry anyway. Then it's time to relax; curl up with a good book and listen to the rain on the tin roof.

Or...

If it's sunny I'll take my book and my son to the pool. Enjoy the sunshine and cool down.

Or...

Maybe I didn't get as much done as I hoped to, this morning. So it's back to town to finish the errands. Can't lay low everyday.

End of a Big Day

Life in Ecuador can be very relaxing, but by the end of a long day it can also be exhausting. So the evening usually calls for a shower and time with friends or family. Sometimes we walk to town for an ice cream cone to top off the day. No need to count the calories...we'll work it off on the slow walk home.

Somewhere in each of these days I also squeeze in homeschooling my kid and my volunteer work, which just adds to the satisfaction of the day.

Stress free and physically active makes for a great night's sleep! Tomorrow's another day of Ecuador living.

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