I cannot recommend Insituto Superior de Espanol highly enough! My six weeks with the school and my host family were the best I've had in eight months of travelling. While learning Spanish, the teachers and the curriculum made sure that we were learning in context: learn the word "beber" and you also learn about traditional Ecuadorian drinks and the holidays that they're associated with. Outside of the language classes themeselves, the school also offers cultural immersion activities which are well chosen and priced incredibly affordably, ensuring that you experience the best that Quito has to offer. Beyond these set offerings, the school is also very welcoming and equipped with any and all information that you might need to live/travel in Ecuador such assistance finding medical attention, where to buy cheap and good quality clothes, and how to navigate the bus system. With the support of both the school and my host family, I was able to settle in and experience Ecuador deeply.
Ecuador has not been portrayed well in the news lately, but I felt safe during my time in Quito. The airport pick-up was a blessing - I had a safe ride who could give me immediate tips on Quito right away. The safety tips are mostly common sense: don't go out walking at night (but you can take an Uber), only drink filtered/boiled water, don't carry too much money on your person or walk around fully immersed in your phone. Because I am rather cautious, I did make sure to tell the school and my host family about my plans for the day so that they could give me advice (both safety and practical) on my plans. Another important thing to note is that electricity and water outages are common in Ecuador right now due to the drought. Bringing a power bank and adjusting your hours to match the sun are essential for time there.
What was your funniest moment?
One time a bus driver personally made sure to give me instructions, with the help of some other passengers, on how to get to my destination.Google maps does not work for finding bus routes in Quito, so the best way to navigate is to ask a local or the bus driver if the bus is going to your desired destination. One time, after confirming with the conductor that the bus was going to where I wanted it to go, I settled in for the ride, enjoying the various vendors and babies providing entertainmnet on the bus. Then I realised that we had turned away from where I wanted to go. After 30 more minutes, in an area of the city I'd never been before, everybody else on the bus had gotten off and the bus driver pulled over, walked back and asked me what was going on. Apparently I had missed my bus stop. On the return trip to city centre, the bus driver pulled over at one point, walked back to me, and with some feedback from the other passengers, told me to get off the bus there and then gave me turn by turn directions to my destination
Pros
- Learning how to speak Spanish
- Learning about Ecuadorian history and how it impacts politics today
- Travel advice and planning
Cons
- Communication can be tricky with the host family because they don't speak English
- Power and water outages require more energy for managing
