By Juan Francisco Carrasco In collaboration with Hi Expat magazine, I have been working on a complete guide of Ecuador for expats looking to live in this wonderful country. The idea to make this guide was born a couple of months ago when I was asked to work on a personal project for school. As part of the Hi Expat team, I decided to create an informative document to attract more expats to the country. For this reason, I created a survey to learn more about the thoughts and fe

By Juan Francisco Carrasco This year Ecuador will celebrate the 213th anniversary of the “First Cry for Independence,” which took place on August 10th, 1809, in the city of Quito.This was the first of many revolutionary events that allowed for the liberation of Ecuador from the Kingdom of Spain. This historical event made Ecuador the first independent country in South America and inspired many other countries such as Chile, Colombia, and Peru to do the same. In general, hist

By Juan Francisco Carrasco Quito is one of the most visited cities in Ecuador and not only for foreigners but also for people from other cities in Ecuador. Quito is full of cultural, historical, and touristic places such as museums, parks, and churches that not only adults enjoy, but kids too. In this article I will tell you how friendly, charming and fascinating this city can be for kids. If you think there aren't any museums in Quito for kids, you are wrong! There are many

By Juan Francisco Carrasco Do you know where my adventurous spirit and my desire to know Ecuador come from? Well, those things come from my mom. Ever since I can remember, my mom has taken me all over Ecuador and if it wasn't for her I wouldn’t know the millions of wonderful places around this beautiful country. Her adventurous spirit has allowed my family to have unforgettable moments and adventures. Thanks to her, my brother climbed his first mountain when he was only a mon

By Juan Francisco Carrasco Today we have the honor of interviewing María Elena Machuca, Minister of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador. María Elena is an artist and holds a degree in Human Relations. She was previously Director of the Itchimbía Cultural Center, Director of the Metropolitan Cultural Center, and Executive Director of the City Museums Foundation. María Elena brings years of experience in the arts and if anybody knows about the traditions, art, and culture of Quito,

By Juan Francisco Carrasco Perhaps it is unknown that Ecuador has a surfing route. In this article I will mention where to find the best waves. It took us a long time to discover the best places to surf in Ecuador but after traveling the Ruta del Spondylus many times we finally found them. A dream that I always shared with my dad was to learn how to surf, a dream that we accomplished together a few years ago. My dad and I have been surfing together for almost six years now an

I am Juan Francisco Carrasco, I am 14 years old and live in Quito, Ecuador. I live with my parents and my little brother, Tomas. I study at the American School of Quito and I like it a lot. Here I will share my experiences of traveling around Ecuador with my family. I have discovered lots of different places and visited all the regions of Ecuador with them. In my family, every weekend, holiday, or summer vacation is an opportunity to discover new places, like a river, mountai