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. Continue reading →