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TOQUILLA STRAW HATS
The hats, the country under good shadow
Toquilla straw hats, unfairly called Panama hats of
felt, wide or short brimmed, wool. People in Ecuador
love to wear hats. Two of the ecuadorian cities pro-
duce these beautiful hats: Montechristi (in Manabi
province) and Cuenca. An esthetic object, as well as
for protection, the hat remains for some communities
as a key element of their identity. There would not be
salasaca without their white felt hat. Neither sarasu-
gos, without its hat done with abatanada wool. The
chola cuencana and montubios would look incom-
plete and would not be what they are without their
toquilla straw hats. The hat has become an essential
element of touch and distinction in all social classes.
The hat today is part of the fetishes.
Example of toquilla straw hats
What is best than riding a horse in the mountains
GUAYABERA
The Guayabera, an elegant garment from the
coast.
Guayabera is a symbol of the Ecuadorian Coast,
which crosses both the field and the big cities.
A versatile and elegant garment that came from
Cuba, and started to become popular, especially
in Guayaquil, in the days of the Great Colombia.
They come in short or long sleeve, white, cream
and light blue with four pockets and vertical tucks
as decoration. The most solemn are made of linen
and pearl buttons. The most commonly used are
cotton. The garment has become a citizen uniform
to work in government departments or family par-
ties.
MOUNTAINS
The mountains. A patchwork quilt
Its silhouette is not lost in any region and its color
range goes from the yellow mustard to greens almost
black, no matter what time of year, like a patchwork
quilt. This mountainous landscape has simplicity in
its shapes and elevations ranging from mountains
of 1000 meters to 6310 meters above the sea level.
The mountains in Ecuador have been chosen as one
of the main global destinations for sports, tourism
and wildlife watching. Mountaineering, hiking, trek-
king and climbing combined with mega-diversity of
insects and birds. No wonder: in Ecuador there are
over 1600 species of insects, among which 4500 are
nocturnal.
FLOWERS
Flowers, the myriad of wild and cultivated gardens
According to Ecuador Trade Information Office, 90%
of the national flower production is exported. The
star national product is over 60 types of roses. But
the advantage of living in a producing country is the
possibility of finding a packet of 25 fresh roses for
a dollar in the road. The country has, said by the
book Biota Maxim, 60% of South American orchids.
Furthermore, in Ecuadorian land 25000 species of
plants grow, of which 5000 are useful, this means
they have medicinal or nutritional value.