Once known as la Gran Colombia, the modern day countries of Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela were once one, singular nation. Given the historical context of the three nations, they have come to be know as ‘países hermanos,’ sharing between the three of them many cultural and linguistic similarities. I, personally, have only had the pleasure of coming to know two out of three of these countries; Ecuador and Colombia. For the last three years I have spent around half of the year living in Ecuador along the Pacific coast, during the time when I spent one academic year studying abroad in Colombia. I would like to discuss of few of the similarities and differences between the two countries, and hopefully provide some clarity for anyone who is considering studying abroad in South America.

When considering where to study abroad there are a lot of different factors to consider, some of them being – safety, living conditions, education system, climate, social life, food, etc. Although both Ecuador and Colombia share an extensive historical background, they naturally have their differences within all of these various categories. To begin I would like to touch on safety. In my personal experience, I find both countries to be perfectly safe, assuming that you are vigilant and attentive, or as you would say in both Ecuador and Colombia, “que estas pilas.” In both countries, you should be aware of your surroundings. That is to say, that considering where you are, avoid flashy jewelry, walking around with your phone in your hand, taking cash out alone at night, etc. These, however, are precautions that could be applied anywhere. In Colombia, there are certain risks particular to the country itself that one has to take into account, considering their sociopolitical history. However, it is not a reason to be turned away from visiting. In Colombia, you must be careful about traveling by car or bus throughout certain interior sections of the country, due to militant control. Because of this, many abroad organizations will require that you travel to certain locations by plane only, whereas in Ecuador you can travel throughout the entire country comfortably in tour busses.

With respect to living conditions and education, these are two categories that are directly linked to the economic statuses of both countries. Despite the fact that both are considered third world countries, I would have to disagree based on my experience. I have seen both poverty and wealth in both countries and considering what I have seen, I would go as far as to say that Colombia is a second world country. Per capita, living conditions and education will probably be of higher quality in Colombia than in Ecuador. Whereas many exchange programs to Ecuador opt for one out of all of the universities, there are multiple universities in Colombia that are considered comparable to universities to those in the United States. If you are interested in studying in Ecuador, you will probably be forced to attend la Universidad de San Francisco, located in the capital city of Quito. In Colombia you will more than likely find certain luxuries that you wouldn’t necessarily find in Ecuador, such as imports from the first world, postage system, being able to flush toilet paper, etc. However, Ecuador has a never ending list of charming qualities that are worth the sacrifice of first world luxuries.

In both Ecuador and Colombia, I found that both the climate and cuisine were extremely similar depending on your location within the countries. In the interior regions of the countries, you will find never ending mountains. Cities like Quito and Bogota are known for their cooler climates, whereas cities like Barranquilla, Cali, or Guayaquil are known for being extremely hot and humid. Within the Sierras (or the mountainous regions) you will find mostly barbecue style food; lots of meet and potatoes. One interesting delicacy of the people of the Sierra in Quito is “cuy,” or guinea pig. I, myself, have never tried it. On the coasts you will find lots of seafood, except for Barranquilla – due to the fact that it is a port city and fish have all but left the surrounding waters until Cartegena. If you find yourself in Ecuador, the best seafood you will find is in Manabi, where I happen to live.

At the end of it all, both Ecuador and Colombia are wonderful countries well worth visiting. Luckily they are so close to one another that if you chose either one of these countries, you can easily have the pleasure of experiencing the other.