most people in equador are very poor, because the country's economy seems to be an endless chain of disasters … i saw a lot of friendly smiles, but many faces rather show a kind of 'earnestness' … two lovely young girls i met at alausi's train station seem to look almost melancholic … on quito's main street a shy lady showed me arty kitsch paintings, hoping that i'd buy such a ridiculous piece - at a price even more ridiculous, so low it was ... as the future looks dim, equadorians are all the more proud of their heroes from the past!
