Quito
What did you do? Student for three months then researched dissertation
Where did you live? Shared a flat with another student from our course
What was the accommodation like? Pretty poor but relatively cheap so fine
What was the cost of living like? Cheap as chips!
What was the transport system like? Surprisingly good and well organised
How was the social life? The best part of the year
Favourite place to eat? Sutra Bar. Street-Juan Leon Mera in Mariscal area. It's a hard place to miss - it had a huge tree outside with a wooden painted snake wrapped around it.
Favourite place to drink? Same
Favourite place to visit? The jungle - to RICANCIE office in Tena if you want authentic jungle tour and ask for a guide called Edmundo Cerda
What not to miss? White water rafting in Santo Domingo - book in Quito
What to avoid? The bus terminal is a dangerous place, unfortunately if you want to leave Quito you have to visit it. Hold on to your bags tight and look confident - people will be shouting at you to go with them on the bus, organise yourself before hand and check the guide book. Once you find a good bus company stick with it. Be careful in Quito old town, it is beautiful, but take literally nothing with you except the money to get home. Just consult the guide book, it will tell you everything.
Any advice to students? Shop around for your flights - don't take the first quote you get, phone around to get the best deal. Book
ASAP. Sort your visa in your second year, the sooner the better because the bureaucracy is
ridiculous. Apart from that, have a wicked time, it should be the best year of your life.
What did you do? Voluntary primary teaching for
NGO
Where did you live? The NGO's hostel in rural Ecuador and then with a family in the same village
What was the accommodation like? Very basic but all necessary commodities
What was the cost of living like? Pretty cheap especially the travel and accommodation
What was the transport system like? Excellent - though on all dodgy buses you share with chickens, pigs and lots of other people so it's fun and games!
How was the social life? Living in a village there were no bars as such but plenty of private parties or communal dances in the community centre, beer always available but little access to videos or any other leisure activity. The cities however had lots going on.
Favourite place to eat? In Quito, any of the restaurants that didn't service rice and beans! Especially Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Mexican) and The Magic Bean
Favourite place to drink? Again anything that served something different to beer, rum or local sugar cane alcohol. Try the Sutra Bar, Blooms etc
Favourite place to visit? The beach, Musine, Ibarra or the countryside which is Ecuador's most attractive feature. Volcanoes, mountains, lakes, hills, beaches, volcanic craters, rainforest,
cloud forest, the Galapagos.. Ecuador's got it all!
What not to miss? The Amazon rainforest, the Galapagos and the rural experience. The cities are not that attractive. The devils nose top of the train ride is also excellent for those who don't mind heights.
What to avoid? Drinking the water! Spending too much time in Quito and basing an opinion of the country on it. See the countryside it is amazing.
Any advice to students? Spanish courses in Ecuador are very cheap. Although the university you are assigned to is good, its expensive and may be worth doing private courses to boost your language skills further.