Even with all the mountains, people have found creative ways to grow many agricultural products. One of the big exports is flowers. Whenever you walk into a grocery or florist shop and see all those beautiful roses, chances are that many of them came from Ecuador. The country is one of the largest exporters of cut roses in the world. On many trips I have seen rows and rows of greenhouses along the mountain sides. Most of them are full of carefully cultivated rose bushes. They grow other flowers, too, but roses are the most popular flower they grow and export.
Living at over 9,000 feet of elevation was a challenge for me in the beginning. You have to be strong and have good lungs to live here. The mountain ranges and volcanoes are here because Ecuador is on one edge of the Ring of Fire. The tectonic plates move causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Some of these events have caused significant damage and many people died. People have great respect and love for the mountains and volcanoes here. They can cause serious damage, but they play a major part in the culture of the people.
There are wonderful myths about the personalities and interactions of all the volcanoes with each other. Each one has its own story and personality. That is one beautiful coping mechanism the people developed to manage the uncertainty of living in the shadows of imminent danger.
