"We are vaqueros": These Ecuadoran teens want only to be cowboys. (World).

"Jefferson," I said in Spanish, "why do you want to be a cowboy?'"

Jefferson Penafiel, 14, shrugged his shoulders and gave me a shy smile.

"I am a vaquero (vah-KEH-roh) because my father wants one of his sons to take over the ranch some day--after he gets too old or too sick to work. Every rancher wants his property and traditions to survive him. I am a vaquero because it also suits me. I would much rather sit on a horse than behind a desk."

Jefferson and his cousin and best friend, Anibal Castro, 14, work part-time on the cattle ranch of Wilson Leon, known to everyone as Wicho. An experienced cowboy and owner of large herds of cattle, Wicho has won countless rodeos. He has much to teach and relishes doing it.

The ranch is in the lowlands about 35 miles north of Guayaquil (gwah-yah-KEEL), Ecuador's largest city. But we might as well have been a thousand miles away, for nothing hinted that there was a city of more than 2 million inhabitants nearby.

The cowboys here are Montubios (people of mixed Indian, black, and Spanish descent). The Inca, a South American Indian people, conquered the area in the late 1400s. Spanish soldiers defeated the Inca in 1534 and ruled Ecuador for almost 300 years. The Spaniards brought black slaves to work on their plantations in the lowlands, where Wicho now has his ranch.

On the ranch, horses are the only way to get around. Wicho recently bought a used pickup truck, but no one how to drive it. His oldest son is trying to learn so that he can get a driver's license.

As we rode our horses to different parts of the vast property, a green savanna (grassland) surrounded us. It was January, and the savanna would soon be flooded by rains. Then Jefferson and Anibal would have to paddle canoes to get around parts of the ranch. No wonder people build their houses on stilts!

Many people in Ecuador are moving to the cities. Jefferson, however, has no use for city life. "My brother will soon graduate from high school," Jefferson said. "But if he works in Guayaquil, he will have to put up with cramped space, deafening noise even at night, traffic slower than our horses, and bad odors [air pollution]--not to speak of crime. My three brothers can go live there if they want. I don't."

I followed Jefferson and Anibal around the ranch on horseback for two days. Since they always rode at a gallop, I was soon reminded of how much space a fast horse can cover! It made me think of Simon Bolivar, who with his army rode up and down the South American continent to free it from Spanish rule in the early 1800s.

On the ranch, the day started early with the milking of cows, which lasted until about 9:00. After that, Jefferson and Anibal helped release the cattle from the corral to graze.

By then, Wicho's daughter, Julia, 8, and his granddaughters, Brigitte, 8, and Belem, 7, had climbed on a horse and trotted off to school. Wicho's wife and daughter-in-law were busy making cheese from the cows' milk and preparing lunch.

The men on the ranch slashed and burned bushes and weeds to make room for the fresh grass that the rains would bring. They also repaired a fence and went after a stray horse. One morning, after the milking, they marked and vaccinated calves, then gave rabies shots to the many ranch dogs and cats.

The work never seemed to stop. But late one afternoon, Wicho had the girls dress up for a rodeo, and everyone headed for the corral. The adults formed two rows, between which they whipped a horse into a full gallop. The girls had to lasso the horse as it raced by.

Wicho did not allow Julia to throw the rope by hand. She had to do it with a bare foot. She has already won several rodeos, and Wicho wants to make sure she remains unbeatable.

The passion the Montubios put into their work and play is amazing. It helped me understand why Jefferson and Anibal have no use for big-city life.

Questions

Study the maps and Facts to Know to answer the questions.

1. What city on the map is located closet to 2[degrees]S
latitude, 80[degrees]W longitude?

2. Ecuador has three major land regions. In which region is
the capital city located?

3. Ecuador's largest city is Guayaquil. In which land region
is its located?

4. Look at the elevation key. The elevation of Quito is
between and feet.

5. What country borders Ecuador to the north?

6. What borders Ecuador to the West?

7. What is the highest volcano shown on the map?

8. In which direction would you travel to go from Quito to
Esmeraldas?

9. What is located near 0[degrees] latitude, 90[degrees]W
longitude?

10. Ecuador is about the size of what U.S. state?

Answers

1. Guayaquil
2. Andes Highlands
3. Coastal Lowlands
4. 5,000 and 10,000
5. Colombia
6. Pacific Ocean
7. Chimborazo (20,561 ft.)
8. northwest
9. Galapagos Islands
10. Colorado
WORLD: "WE ARE VAQUEROS"

Write the letter of the correct answer on the line before each
sentence.

__ 16. Jefferson Penafiel wants to

      (A) move to a big city;
      (B) go to college;
      (C) work on a ranch.

__ 17. The ranch is located on coastal lowlands near the

      (A) Pacific Ocean;
      (B) Amazon River;
      (C) Cape Horn.

__ 18. Jefferson is proud to be a

      (A) vaquero;
      (B) warrior;
      (C) college student.

__ 19. Jefferson's homeland is sandwiched between

          (A) Argentina and Uruguay;
          (B) Colombia and Peru;
          (C) Brazil and Venezuela.

__ 20. What cultures and traditions blend in Ecuador?

          (A) Caribbean and American Indian;
          (B) Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese;
          (C) African, Indian, and Spanish.

Answers

16. C
17. A
18. A
19. B
20. C

RELATED ARTICLE: Where in the World?

Where can you ski, sled, or snowshoe across the equator? This is not a trick question. The answer is Ecuador, one of South America's smallest countries.

Many people assume that any place along the equator must be hot. But in Ecuador, the equator runs across the Andes mountains. Elevations of 16,000 feet and higher are covered with snow year-round.

Several mountain peaks are volcanoes, including Cotopaxi (koh-tuh-PAK-see), just 35 miles south of Quito, Ecuador's capital city. At 19,347 feet above sea level, Cotopaxi is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

As the map shows, Ecuador's land is divided into three parts: the coastal lowland along the Pacific Ocean; the Andes highland; and the eastern lowland.

Ecuador also rules the Galapagos (guh-LAH-puh-gohs) Islands, located about 600 miles to the west (see inset map on facing page). Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835, and was the first to describe the unusual birds, lizards, turtles, and other animals that make their home there.

Farmers and Ranchers

Oil is Ecuador's leading export. But most people earn a living from farming or ranching. Most farmers do not own land, but work as day laborers for small wages.

In Ecuador, the government requires children from 6 to 14 years of age to attend school. But most schools are in cities and towns, so many rural children do not attend school.

Study the map and facts on the facing page to learn more about Ecuador.

ECUADOR

About the size of Colorado, only three South American countries are smaller. Conquered by the Spanish in 1534, Ecuador won its independence in 1822. Since then, it has had more than 15 different constitutions.

FACTS TO KNOW

AREA: 109, 483 square miles.

POPULATION: 12,900,000; 62% urban.

GOVERNMENT: Presidential-legislative democracy; Gustavo Noboa is the President.

MAJOR LANGUAGES: Spanish and American Indian dialects.

ECONOMY: The chief export is petroleum; bananas, cocoa, and coffee are also exported. Most people earn a living from farming.

PER CAPITA GDP (*): $2,900; the lowest in South America.

LITERACY RATE: 92% men; 88% women.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: Men: 68 years; women, 73 years.

(*.) The value of all products produced by the country in a year, divided by the population. (GDP stands for gross domestic product: per capita means per person).

WORLD

1. True or false? Most of Russia's land is in Europe, but most of its people are in Asia. (false--the reverse is true)

2. Who is the current President of Russia? (Vladimir Putin)

3. What city in the Middle East is sacred to three religions? (Jerusalem)

4. Between 1920 and 1948 the area that is now Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip formed what British mandate? (Palestine)

5. In what South American country can you ski at the equator? (Ecuador)

6. What was the "Cold War?" (A non-shooting struggle for power between the U.S. and the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991.)