Much like el lotero, el caramelero (the candy seller) is a commonly seen vendor on any given street in city in Ecuador, any given time of day or night.

He or she sells candy, toys, and cigarettes, and what I find most common among the carameleros I have seen in Ecuador over the years, is that they all announce their offerings by taking a box of chiclets (gum), shake it like a rattle and announce what they sell.

You will often hear “caramelos, caramelos, chupetes, chicles, juguetes…….caramelos, caramelos, chupetes, chicles, juguetes” which translates to “candy, candy, lollipops, gum, toys”

I photographed this caramelero at the bus station where Juan and I took a mini-bus from Guayaquil to Ecuador.

From the few minutes of interacting with this caramelero, I gathered that this man is calm, proud, hard-working and appreciative of his job. He seems to be the kind of person who lives and loves life and surrounds those around him with smiles, emanating only goodness.