Folks embarking on a National Geographic Lindblad Expedition cruise of the Galapagos archipelago use these cities as stepping off places for cruises of this fascinating,biodiverse natural wonder. Spend a few days pre- or post-cruise to get to know the friendly Ecuadorian people and their history. There are three distinct regions in the country – the coastal region with lovely beaches and mangrove forests, teeming with wildlife. The Andes Highlands are home to Cotopaxi Mountain, one of the world’s largest active volcanoes and a popular destination for hikers. The Amazon region is also popular with hikers and eco-tourists due to the amazing diversity of native plants and animals.
Signature Drink – Canelazo (spiced hot drink)
Ingredients:
- 2 oz aguardiente – a clear spirit distilled from fermented sugarcane
- 1 cup agua de canela – water boiled with cinnamon sticks
- ¼ cup orange juice (other versions are grapefruit, pineapple or mango)
- Sugar to taste
Preparation: Bring the agua de canela to a boil, add the aguardiente, fruit juice and sugar and garnish with an orange slice or cinnamon stick.
Signature Dish – Encebollado (Popular Sunday morning dish, considered a foolproof cure for a hangover!)
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs fresh tuna albacore or similar
- 1 lb yuca or cassava fresh or frozen
- 2 tbs sunflower oil
- 2 tomatoes diced
- ½ red onion diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 8 cups of water
- 5 cilantro sprigs
- Salt to taste
Preparation:
- Heat the oil on medium heat and add diced onion, tomato, cumin, chili powder and salt.
- Add the water and cilantro springs, bring to a boil.
- Add the tuna and cook until the tuna is fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Drain and keep broth to cook the yuca.
- Separate or break the tuna into small to medium size pieces.
- Bring the tuna broth to a boil and add the yucas, cook until tender but firm, about 30-40 minutes for the frozen yuca.
- Take the yuca from the broth, remove the strings and cut into bite size chunks.Add with tuna pieces to the broth, taste and salt to taste.
Re-warm the soup if necessary and serve topped with pickled onion and tomato salsa, if desired. Can also be served with plantain chips, tostado corn nuts, avocado slices and extra lime slices.
