At first, going to Puerto Lopez for Carnival in Ecuador was option B, but after we left this tranquil yet bustling little town we were already planning when to return. Puerto Lopez is a little fishing and beach town in southern Ecuador, anywhere from 6-8 hours from Quito by bus.
Puerto Lopez is known for a number of touristic qualities, but it doesn’t feel like an overly touristy town.? First of all, Puerto Lopez is a fishing village. Meaning that there are tons of boats on the beach of Puerto Lopez and right off the beach during the day as well as delicious and cheap seafood restaurants throughout the town. Puerto Lopez is also inside Parque Nacional Machililla, so it is not only a departure point to Isla de la Plata, but also close to Los Frailes and Agua Blanca.
The hostels and restaurants are open and booming during Carnival. Most restaurants have a set almuerzo, large meal, generally lunch, which usually consists of a main dish with rice, lentals, salad, some meat, weather it is fish, steak or chicken and a drink, usually juice. The prices of meals depend on how close you eat them to the beach, basically. The restaurants right on the beach look more legitimate, but meals can reach upwards of $7 or $8, while the almuerzos further from the beach are just as tasty, but generally cost between $2 and $3. Be sure to bargain the price before ordering, and remember when you pay what price was agreed upon.
The quality and price of hostels can vary greatly in Puerto Lopez as well. One that I recommend over the others is Villa Colombia. Here, our group of 7 weary travelers was greeted at 6:30am after an overnight bus ride with ready rooms and smiles from the owners. After checking in, they let us sleep and made us the complimentary breakfast around 9a. And we weren’t even paying to stay in the rooms that day. The advice about which parks to go to was invaluable as well as the personalized tour of Isla de la Plata from Galo, who also works at Villa Colombia. On our last day, we were even welcomed to check out just a half hour before our bus left for Quito; meaning we got to shower and rest before the long trip back. Villa Colombia is not directly on the beach, but a 7-10 minute walk away so there is tranquility in the hammocks of Villa Colombia that cannot be obtained at the bustling hostels on the beachfront.
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Sometimes it’s easy to forget while studying abroad that I am also here to go to school. Although I like to think of Quito as a vacation, I am also getting some college credit out of being here, so I would like to spend some time discussing the University of San Francisco in Quito.
The University of San Francisco in Quito was established by the University of San Francisco, note the name, in 1988 in response to the need of more higher education in Ecuador. It is a private, liberal arts college of just under 6,000 students, including students from all campuses, Cumbaya (Quito), Riobama and Tiputini as well as undergraduate and graduate students.
I am currently at the school in Cumbaya and coming from Elon University, a small, private school in North Carolina, I feel at home in Cumbaya?. The campus is compact, but still large enough to have open spaces for students to sit and enjoy the weather, the buildings are a bit of a maze and the landscaping is unbelievably gorgeous. Aside from the?ascetic?aspects, USFQ employs some of the most reputable teachers and is one of the most highly regarded institutions in Ecuador. The class sizes are small, generally no more than 25 students at most, and professors are very interested in their students learning.
I have mostly experienced the classes designed for International students and have had most of my contact with the Office of International Programs, so most of my information is relevant to studying abroad at USFQ. The university offers a handful of classes solely for international students to learn Spanish and others about Ecuadorian culture. There are also classes offered in English. My one English class has half American students and half Ecuadorian students with an Ecuadorian professor.
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Now that I’m somewhat settled into my host family and house, I have been checking out Colonial Quito. The past two days have been spent wandering through many museums, churches and stores throughout Quito’s main historic district. Although I have now experienced a fair amount of Colonial Quito, this has only stimulated my interest more. (Maybe part of this is the knowledge that I should try to like the city as I’ll be in it ’till May.)
Ciudad Vieja is easy to get to by either Trole or Ecovia. (I’m sure the Metrobus is just as easy, but I have not yet tried using this line.) At first glance, Colonial Quito is very busy, somewhat touristy but also not entirely colonial. The main plaza of Colonial Quito is Plaza Granda (a.k.a. Plaza Inpendencia because whenever the population really dislikes whatever the president is doing, they come here to protest and sometimes kick him out of office), which holds two of Quito’s most important buildings. The first is El Palacio, where the President works, and the other is Catedral Metropolitana de Quito, one of Quito’s most historic catedrales.
If you go to El Palacio on a day when the President is not working in the building, probably try for Saturday, you may be able to get a tour. The tour is free, but you are required to present some sort of identification. A passport would work wonders or a CENSO, Ecuadorian ID card, would be just as good, but you might be able to get in with just your U.S. drivers’ license. However, you cannot enter without any identification. Inside, they take a complimentary picture of you to commemorate the day and then bring the tour through the courtyards and most important rooms of El Palacio. Halfway up the stairs to the second story is an elaborate mural depicting the conquer of the indigenous Ecuadorians and there are other indigenous artifacts throughout the second story. The tour exhibits many historical artifacts, the main rooms of el palacio and even the President’s golden alter. If you come on a day when they are giving tours, this is one of the most interesting things you could see in Quito.
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