If you come to Quito, the place to stay is in the Mariscal. Gringolandia it is, but it is the happening place town. All the good bars, the ethnic varieties of food, the extensive travel agencies and outfitters, etc, not to mention its central location between the airport to the north and the historical city to the south. Calle Calama one block over from calle Fosch(the center of it all) is home to the best restraunts, bookstores and clubs. Pretty much the hub of it all. Villa Cayetano location on Calama puts the guest in the thick of it all with a natural, open ambience, quality rooms, reasonable rates, and plenty of amenities.
It was last Sunday in the Mariscal, I walked up to Finn McCools, a popular Irish pub in Quito’s Mariscal with the mind to order a Sunday roast and indulge myself. The waitress tells me there will be no roasts and that they’ll be shutting in 30 minutes. Normally the beer would be flowing at 4:30 in the afternoon, with the mixed crowd of locals, tourists, and expats watching sports, eating, or playing pool, but the new law had kept pretty much everybody at home. Quitos’ new drinking law had gone into effect and we were feeling it here at ground zero in the Mariscal, Quitos main party zone.
I looked back outside contemplating where to get Read more
Want to stay active while in Ecuador? Why not teach English and get paid? Cambridge institute, the worlds most esteemed teacher training program, through Southern Cross teacher training centers has just opened up a new campus on the outskirts of Montanita, in the haven known as Kamala. Here Cambridge has teemed up with dive center to provide teachers in training with an all inclusive 5 week package including instruction, in-class, assessed teaching time. Also included for the price is room and board–your private bungalow by the beach and Ecuadorian style home cooked meals poolside.
Important for anybody looking to gain their CELTA qualification is not just the certificate, but the
My friend Dixie from www.retire-in-ecuador.com recently visited Uzhupud Hosteria, which is about 40 minutes outside of Cuenca. I thought I would share her experience with you.
“Uzhupud means “Hot Chili Pepper Valley”. I visited Hosteria Uzhupud last week on a beautiful sunny Ecuadorian morning. Uzhupud is situated in Paute about a 40 minute drive out of Cuenca.
My first visit to Uzhupud was way back in February of 2008. My next visit was on a tour I did quite recently to Chordeleg. Now that I have lived in Cuenca for quite awhile I understand how much I enjoyed going out to Uzhupud for the 3rd time.
So why the name Hot Chili Pepper Valley. The name combines Read more
Textiles are one of the most popular souvenirs for visitors to Ecuador. These traditional pieces of art are hand-woven throughout Ecuador and the rest of South America. Brightly colored fabrics are spun into intricate designs and made into ponchos, blankets, shawls, bags and other items. Currently in Cuenca there is a gree textiles exhibit happening at the CIDPA on Escalinatas at Calle Tres de Noviembre. Admission is free, and the event affords you the opportunity to see beautiful textiles from around North and South America.
Textiles have been around for centuries in Ecuador, the most popular weaving town being that of Otavalo, in the north of the country. Spaniard Rodrigo de Salazar set up a weaving
In addition to Parque La Carolina there are 3 other major parks in Quito. They are: El Ejido, La Alameda and Parque Metropolitano.
El Ejido is located on Av. Patria west of Casa de la Cultura. It is one of the most traditional parks in the city and serves as a showcase for many local artists. A stroll through the park’s sidewalks affords you the opportunity to admire their work, which is set up for sale along the pathway. This park is also a popular place for street entertainers, such as the frozen man, comedians and other traveling theater groups. The shows can be quite entertaining and draw large crowds. You might also enjoy watching a competitive game of ecuavolei, Read more
Escaping the stress of the streets of Quito doesn’t always entail a trip into the mountains. The city is set up with a number of parks that span hundreds of acres of land within city limits.
Parque La Carolina is quite reminiscent of New York’s Central Park. It is located in the center of the city and is a popular place for families and friends to gather on the weekends. The park is home to a myriad of recreational activities; there are soccer fields, paths for walking, jogging and biking, tennis courts, and even a lagoon where you can rent paddelboats and canoes. On the weekends pony rides are also a favorite of the kids.
Need to learn Spanish quickly? Try an immersion program, like the one offered byMariana Gonzalez. Mariana has been teaching Spanish as a foreign language for over 10 years in Europe and Latin America. Not only are her credentials amazing, she is incredible teacher.
The classes are based on the method of total immersion, where right from the start you hear the language and then begin to speak it. As the classes develop, grammar, pronunciation, grammar excercises and conversation topics are introduced. Conversation topics can cover a wide variety of themes such as politics, economics, education, travel, culture and of course themes relating to Ecuadorian life and culture. There would also be an emphasis on idiomatic expressions and Read more
The Ecuador Gringo is a fan of Happy Gringo Travel, and that’s not just because I’m a happy gringo too. Happy Gringo is dedicated to planning the perfect trip to fit your needs, and they are genuinely happy to do it.
Tours include trips to the Galapagos, into the jungle and the cloudforest, as well as a whole host of day trips. The trips highlight Ecuador and provide tourists with glimpses into the everyday life of Ecuadorians. Tours are designed to have a more real-to-life flair than your traditional mainstream tours, which make them a favorite among travelers who want to experience the real Ecuador, but can’t make the travel plans on their own.
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