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Where the Dollar Still Gets You Somewhere

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June 20th 2008
Although I had read about this in advance, somehow the use of the US dollar as the currency in Ecuador has been vaguely disconcerting. Have I truly left the US? Am I in some strange transition zone between the north and south? Not really here nor there? Thus begins my South American journey. I arrived in Quito late at night on Wednesday, amidst a crush of international flights that disgorged a ... read more

South America » Ecuador » North » Quito

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The "Republic of the Equator" was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Colombia and Venezuela). Between 1904 and 1942, Ecuador lost territories in a series of conflicts with its neighbors. A b... ... read more