If laughter could be measured in money: Experiences and encounters in Ecuador. What kind of country is this, where bananas, cocoa, and coffee thrive in abundance, volcanoes with glacier caps attract tourists, vast amounts of gold and oil are stored, yet it is still considered one of the poorer countries in South America? A country where the Catholic Church is regarded as one of the most conservative in Latin America, where fourteen-year-olds give birth, fathers leave the family to try their luck in the USA against better judgment, and where people, despite all their hardships, are so contagiously cheerful, friendly, and life-affirming? Ecuador is a country full of contradictions and surprises. If time were measured in money like it is here, everyone there would be incredibly rich. If prosperity could be calculated by laughter, it would rank among the top in the world. In this country, Ingrid Hayek spent three summers as a volunteer.