The valley where only dreams grow

The Chota Valley lies in northern Ecuador, only a few hours drive from the Colombian border. Gushing along over a bed of rounded stones, the little Chota river only holds enough water to irrigate a few acres deep on each river bank. Apart from that the landscap is rocky and windswept, without a tree in sight. Scraping a living out of this tough environment looks like it requires a lifetime of backbreaking work. But I´m not here for the agriculture... I´m here for the football!


You see, this craggy little corner of Ecuador, with a population of only 2000, has produced some of its greatest soccer legends, including Augustin Delgado who scored the nation's first ever goal in a World Cup in 2002. Other stars include Ulises de la Cruz formerly of Aston Villa and PSV´s Edison Mendez. I´m here to find out why? How can a tiny community of mainly poor black farmers in a rugged Andean Valley produce such outstanding football players? Watch this space for more...

First photo taken by suramericavive