We’ve spent about a month in Ecuador now (not including our time in the Galapagos), and it’s been great! We’ve learned a lot of Spanish, a lot about traveling, and seen some really cool things! It got me to thinking about This as a place for travel. Here are the three reasons why I think Ecuador is such a great place to begin (or learn) how to travel in a place (rather than through a place):
- The dollar IS the currency. Ecuador’s infrastructure (economic as well as living) is very similar to those of develops countries. It has adopted the dollar as it’s currency (as of 2000), it uses plugs that are compatible with north American plugs, and it’s pretty close to the States. All of these make the little things (like in-your-head currency conversions) MUCH EASIER to handle.
- It’s easy to get around this diverse country. The mainland is pretty small (about 22 hours by bus north to south and probably about 15 east to west). The bus system here is great, and we’ve yet to be on a bus that leaves more than 10 minutes after it’s scheduled. So everything is really accessible. Even the galapagos are only a 4-hour flight from Quito. It is SO DIVERSE – it has the galapagos, the beaches of the coast, the Andes mountains, and the Amazonian jungle all within that little space. So you really can experience every type of South American landscape here.
- The Spanish is very clear and easy to understand. the Ecuadorians have the closest accent to “textbook” Spanish of any of the Latin American countries. It makes it much easier to both communicate in the native language (essential when asking directions or confirming a reservation) and to learn it. (When I was talking with someone about this, they mentioned that, especially in the Andes, Spanish could be a second language (to Quichua or other Incan/Mayan/indigenous language), so the people generally learn it academically – which would explain why it is so easy to understand for those of us for whom it is also a second language!
These are the main reasons we have found it really easy to adapt to travel in Ecuador.
@Alex, It´s really cool. We´ve spent most of our ecuadorian time in the mountains or in the Galapagos, but that´s mainly because we´re beached- and jungled- out (lots of time in Costa Rica on the beach, lots of time in the Galapagos in the jungle). Great country, really great for traveling…
You still in Philly, or in NYC?
Ay que bueno! I would now love to check out Ecuador for that 2nd reason, “every type of south american landscape.”