A Note from Andrea Holbrook

There are some places that are like home for us at Holbrook; Ecuador is one of them.

On Saturday evening, April 16th, a powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Ecuador. The epicenter was off the northern coast of Ecuador in the Manabí Province. More than 500 people lost their lives in the quake, and there were over 1,500 people injured. The hardest hit areas are in the northern coastal province of Manabí. The towns of Pedernales, Muisne, Cojimies, Bahía de Caráquez, Manta and other northern coastal areas have been hard hit.

This morning I spoke with Fernando Icaza, our Guayaquil representative, who shared a very powerful message with me that I would like to share with you. He said that the people of Ecuador are coming together around this tragedy and uniting to help each other. He said Ecuador is in the process of recovery and many brigades, including his recently graduated college-aged son José Andres, have traveled to the hardest hit areas and are engaged in the recovery process.

Fernando also wanted me to share something equally important. He asked me to be sure and convey that Ecuador now more than ever needs your visitation and more importantly, that the areas you and so many others love to visit or have on your list — Quito, Cuenca, Galápagos, Otavalo, Amazonia, Guayaquil, and so many other areas — are safe to visit and have not been impacted. So often, the images from media and other sources portray the sense that the entire country is a disaster area. While the entire country is galvanized to help, the territory is vast and so many areas are unaffected by the damage. 

So please help us spread Fernando’s message – VISIT ECUADOR!! And if you can or wish to, please help Ecuador recover through your direct contribution. Holbrook is contributing to the donation campaign listed on the Ministry of Tourism’s website. To contribute, here is the account information in greater detail:

Donate by Phone: 813-604-7062

Donate by Mail: Earthquake Ecuador: Account #36360112
Citibank
111 Wall Street
New York, NY 10043

Other relief initiatives: Based on the experience of relief efforts in Nepal just one year ago, you may prefer to donate items such as water purifiers and access to solar electricity; these things are critical for survivors. Our local partner is collecting donations to buy 50 kits to provide families with light and the ability to communicate. Click here to help them provide portable solar energy kits for those in need. Alternatively, you may wish to donate to the Ecuadorian Red Cross or United Nations Development Programme. A donation to these organizations will help with the immediate basic needs of those impacted by this devastating earthquake.

Thank you for your support of Ecuador!  And if you haven’t been there yet—no time like 2016 or 2017!

With every good wish,

Andrea Holbrook
President
Holbrook Travel