Quito and around for solo with minimal Spanish - language exchange?

hey! Quito is a great city to be in and a backpacker haven. Im not sure how you feel about hostels but there are a few in the old town which are very social for backpackers.... The secret garden hostel is one. Alternatively there is a 'gringolandia' there where you will see lots of travelers...it's called 'Plaza Foch'.

Maybe you could find a good spanish school there which will help you meet friends. Tourism in Quito is fab so you will not have trouble finding things to do and ways to do them. I would suggest getting a cab to the equator though, and you can do tours for everything else.

Visit the volcano lake, Otavale, Cotopaxi National park, e.c.t.

ps. there used to be a clubhouse for the South American Explorers club which I think recently shut in Quito but the club is still going and very big. Its a good way to seek other travelers in South America http://www.saexplorers.org/

Hope that helps :)

If you want to mix with locals then don't stay in the Mariscal Sucre (Gringolandia) area but stay somewhere in the colonial area. If possible do the Quilitoa Loop area where you will see lots of locals and try to get to the Thursday morning Saquisili markets where the indigenous people of surrounding areas come in to buy and sell produce and animals and people from Otavalo come and sell the same stuff they sell at their local markets. Otavalo is more touristy than Saquisili which is part of the Loop. The Secret Garden Hostel does have Spanish lessons but there are some good schools too. If possible do a short course and organise a home stay with a local family. On Friday nights and Sunday afternoons there is or used to be a group of indigenous folkloric musicians and dancers in the little plaza behind the Archbishops Palace in Plaza Grande in the the old town. It's rather nice to sit in the plaza and watch the world go by while having one of the ice creams from the little shops in the walls of the buildings which surround the plaza too. We have often got chatting to the locals enjoying the sun while there. It's a pity you can't stay longer really....

I'd like to do Quito for a few days. Then go into Oriente Region...for a while ...
Is it possible to take a boat on Napo River into Peru Then Fly back to Lima from Amazon Basin...?

South America is a Spanish Universe...UNLIKE Rest of the World Where English is Common second language...Its not unusual for Hostel & Even Hotel Desks to have NO English Speakers...So Bring your Phrase Book...This isn't Europe or Asia...!

Hi, me and my husband are going to be in Quito Feb 27-March 9, we might be on the same flight on Saturday ..from Ft. Lauderdale?
We are planning to do Mindo the cloud forest, Quilotoa and Cotopaxi, couple of days in Banos then Pululahua, the Saturday market in Otavalo and the termal waters in Papallacta. I speak spanish a little but I understand it better then I speak.
If you have any interest in those places we are planning to see maybe we can travel together?

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