I am less than 48 hours away from moving to Ecuador for a few months. 

In the scale of things, it is a small country but has a long history and some very special particularities.

Just to name two, the capital city Quito is the highest in the world at 2.800 meters. It is also the only city surrounded by active volcanoes towering at 5.800 meters.

Another feature is the Galapagos islands, lying approx 1.000 kilometers west and belonging to Ecuador (I actually had forgotten that).

So that will be a must visit which needs to be planned as soon as I get there as I hear hotels can be booked months in advance.