South America on a Budget
We break down our trip through South America – the costs, how we saved money, what we liked, loved, and hated.
All over Central and South America you’ll find empanadas -- a stuffed starch filled with various ingredients that makes a great snack or meal. The name comes from the Spanish word ’empanar’, which means “enbreaded”. They were brought to the Americas by the Spanish, but each country has their own take on them.
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The sauce of choice in Ecuador is aji sauce. It’s a chili pepper sauce, but it’s not always spicy. Every restaurant makes the sauce themselves, so it changes depending on what they’re serving, where in Ecuador they are, and even what’s in season.
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Bananas are one of the most important crops in Ecuador. Some might say they are THE most important crop. They’re the second biggest export item the country has (the first is oil), and they’re also an incredible ingredient in Ecuadorian cuisine.
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Ecuadorian food showcases the country’s varied environment, but it has also been influenced over the years by the variety of cultures that now make up the citizens of Ecuador. The cuisine has come a long way since the early days when the original Indigienous people discovered potatoes, corn, cassava, and other crops that have made their impact on the entire world.
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Quito’s Mercado Central, or Central Market, is a must-stop when visiting the Ecuadorian capital. It’s a great place to observe the culture, but more than that, it’s a great place to get a delicious meal.
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If I need to grab a quick lunch in Ecuador, I know I can head to a local restaurant and get a hot, filling, and incredibly tasty bowl of encebollado.
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“Ah, these Latin Americans get fired up so easily” I thought to myself. I figured it would blow over in a couple days, but from that point on things only got hotter.
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Potatoes in Ecuador is a big topic. It’s said that the Andes mountains are home to over 4000 types of potatoes. They were first grown in Peru, just north of Lake Titicaca, 8000 years ago.
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Ecuadorian markets are filled with all sorts of ingredients for cooking -- stacks of vegetables, fruits, meat, and even even pantry items. In the video, we’ll have a quick look at the variety of fruits and vegetables, and then it’s time to grab a plate of my favorite dish in Ecuador (so far) hornado.
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In an effort to make this blog useful, what follows is a spending summary to give fellow travelers an idea of how much it cost us to travel through Peru, Chile, and Argentina. We are frugal travelers which means we don’t spend a lot of money on things like souvenirs, fancy meals, fabulous hotels, or first-class tickets. We do, however, like to maximize the bang for our buck; this requires planning and research on our part. We are a couple, and this gives us an advantage when traveling as we can split everything 50/50. In fact, a shared double room often tends to work out cheaper than the cost of a dorm bed.
“Day Trips” includes admission fees, taxis, public transit fares, etc.
“Transport” is the cost of transportation between cities: buses, trains, boats, etc.
“Spending money” includes things like beer money, gifts, laundry, and sundries.
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