Visit Ecuador to Help Quake Victims

One way to help victims of the recent large earthquake on the coast of Ecuador is to visit the rest of the country, according to Quito mayor Mauricio Rodas. Quito suffered only minor damage, and most other parts of the country are unaffected, says an article in http://www.breakingtravelnews.com.

Quito is Ecuador's almost two mile high capital, and the entry point for most visitors. It is also an appealing city with plenty of colonial buildings, a pleasant climate and welcoming people. I visited Ecuador too long ago to have any accurate information on prices, but I suspect they are generally a lot lower than in North America or Western Europe.

The main attractions of Ecuador are the Galapagos Islands, worth the expense and hassle of getting there. These islands, whose non-human inhabitants were the inspiration for Charles Darwin's famous book "On the Origin of Species," are one of the natural wonders of the world. The reptiles, birds and marine mammals who live there display little or no fear of humans, because they have lived mostly unmolested for centuries.

The Amazon and interior colonial cities such as Cuenca, where my friend Paul Glassman recently spent some time, are other important attractions. Tourism is one of the country's main industries, so if you have any interest in visiting Ecuador this would be a good time to do so to help make up for people who will probably cancel their trips.