Life moves differently in the Ecuador Amazon. We’d been out on a day’s hike through the rainforest to reach a secluded waterfall, unexpectedly accompanied by a young Ecuadorian girl who’d been…
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Ecuador
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Bolivia Brazil Challenges Colombia Ecuador Personal South America Spanish ChallengeThe Spanish Challenge: Achieve Fluency Before Leaving South America
Can I become fluent in Spanish in South America? Six months ago I relocated to Ecuador, a Spanish speaking country, with little to no Spanish speaking skills of my own. I…
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Asia Challenges Ecuador Nepal South America Thailand VolunteeringLessons Learned from 200 Hours of Teaching English Abroad
“¿Tres ensaladas de frutas, por favor?” I leave the tiny serving hatch, where three women wearing hair nets and harried expressions rush back and forth. Plates of food scattered around the…
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Challenges Ecuador Galapagos Islands Photography South AmericaSnorkelling with Sharks at San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos
“Tiburones! Tiburones abajo!” My heart sank. Only an hour before, I’d learnt that this was the Spanish word for sharks. Plural. And now I was about to swim over a whole…
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Asia Ecuador Kenya Lithuania Nepal South America Thailand VolunteeringVolunteering with Children Abroad: the Issues You Should Know
When looking for volunteering projects in foreign countries, one of the first things to catch people’s eye is working with children. There are so many orphaned and impoverished children around the…
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Challenges Ecuador Galapagos Islands South AmericaSix Days for $900: How to Visit the Galapagos on a Budget
“Can we really stay in the Galapagos on a budget?” Sherri’s voice carried quickly in the early morning air. A mother walking her son to school looked back over her shoulder at…
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“Do you feel older than us?” asked Mhairi, as we sat in a cosy cafe on a Wednesday afternoon, discussing our travelling plans for the months ahead. I didn’t know how…
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It’s been two months since I started working at Collegio Miguel Merchan as a voluntary English teacher. In that timeframe, there a few things I’ve become certain of. Firstly, teaching is…
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Challenges Ecuador Peru South America Travel PlansCuenca to Cusco and Back Again: the Pitfalls of Planning a Trip to Peru
I stood in the small office, studiously trying to avoid the unflinching gaze of a prostrate Jesus. Under his crucified frame, a nun was peering at a computer screen, clicking idly…
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“Hola Piña! Como vas?!” I turned around for the fifth time in half an hour to see a group of girls eagerly clambering down the stone bleachers towards us. In front…