Not sure, if this belongs in this particular forum. I'm going to Ecuador on a missions trip(well you can't really call it that b/c I'm just going to a commune for a week to help out the poor in the area) if anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it.
yeah, quito's nice.. big city, can forget that youre not in jersey... thai restaurants, whatever you want if you go to the right places..but my favorite places are away from the europeanized section of quito... the rainforest to the east is amazing(haha i almost spelled amazon)... but that always takes more planning, buses, boats, planes...yadda yadda... not really sure where youre going since you didnt say much... but from my experiences and misexperiences... i wish i had spent more time in banos, otavalo wasn't all it was cracked up to be... and go have fun, you'll meet plenty of tourists and locals, it'll be fun... hablas espanol? if not it'd be nice if you did, but for a week trip I dont think you'll have much time to practice.. id say 1-3 months is more necessary for getting spanish practice, practical and conversational in.. goodluck... try everything new, guinea pig, fried crickets, go to the markets, walk around a lot, talk to people, theyre great... I was never personally afraid but being a 17 year old female it may be safer to travel around cities with a couple of friends, but never let that hold you back from new experiences... go to the beach if you can,i didnt have much time... and go see some mountains theyre crazy awesome... cuidate y buen suerte
Wow, sounds amazing and you're doing something productive at the same time. You're truly admirable. Best of luck and I hope you have a fantastic time .
