The Ecuador 3 Count, where we bring you 3 Ecuador stories that you shouldn’t miss.

Up and close with giant tortoises – Santa Rosa – Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands Ecuador

1: Here’s Why More Expats Are Exploring Ecuador

It’s all happening in Ecuador: as President Correa is re-elected, the nation opens a new international airport in Quito, where foodies are converging, the Galapagos Islands still lure visitors as a top Eco-destination and a stunning new rain forest eco-lodge opens in the clouds.

The only true way to see the cluster of islands known as the Galapagos is by boat. You can spend a few days or several weeks island hopping. They’re not pretty as such but enormously diverse in plant and animal life. One minute you’re walking over black molten rock and on the next island it is all lush green rolling hills with tortoises.

A visit to Quito’s Old Town food district is a blend of colonial and indigenous cultures through the melting pot of food, from ceviche to colaciones (roasted peanut). Ecuadorean cuisine really has to be experienced first-hand.

Three hours west of Quito sits a new eco-lodge nestled 3,000 ft up in the cloud forests. Mashpi Lodge. This name does not do it justice. Designed by Ecuadorean architect Alfredo Ribadeneira, with 22 rooms and suites decked out with Philippe Starck-designed bath tubs, it is a five-star glass enclosed space dome that looks like it’s come from the future and landed in the middle of a nature reserve. Here, Eco-friendly credentials and a team of experts are helping to chart the thousands of different species that inhabit the forest. The views are breathtaking.

2: How Being an Expat in Ecuador Will Change Your Life

Reinvent yourself in Ecuador.

Up second, surviving the first few days, months or years as an expat in Ecuador. The adrenaline has worn off a bit, you have unraveled a few of the mysteries of being a new expat. At first, expats find they’ve succeeded in establishing a routine that looks a lot like their old one… perhaps with better weather, nicer scenery, and lower cost of living. And that is okay for some, but watch out you don’t bring your homeland expectations to your new expat life.

But if you do have a real desire to change, reinvent yourself and grow, moving abroad can help make it possible. The thing to remember about moving abroad… the move itself will not immediately change you, yourself. You can’t simply move to another country one day and expect to wake up the next a different person. It takes time and adaptation.

Once you’ve taken a closer look at your expat life, you might just find it’s the right time to reinvent. Being an expat can help reveal things that may have been stuck in the corner of your brain for years… a novelist, a painter, a travel writer, an entrepreneur. You usually find them about the time you’ve taken care of the necessities, gotten used to your new expat life. And then it will be time to ask, “What do we do now?” and become someone or do something you never thought possible.

3. Foodies are Discovering Quito on Foot

Executive Chef Andrés Dávila leads guests through outdoor markets and food shops along the colorful streets of the Ecuadorean capital.

Finally: Quito’s Great Food Walk. The city doesn’t yet have the foodie allure of Lima, but this South American capital is getting increasing attention for its cuisine. As more gastronomy-focused tours of Ecuador pop up each year, visitors are being offered excellent cups of locally grown coffee and addictive, Ecuadorean chocolates.

The newest and grandest hotel in the city center, Casa Gangotena offers guests a walking gastronomy tour. The morning tour with the hotel’s chefs skips the tourist district and heads directly to local shops and markets where traditional sweets, grains, and spices are featured. With a climate that goes from equatorial tropical seaside to high in the Andes, there’s little that won’t grow here in the rich volcanic soil.