Quito & Vicinity - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 81

you lost your American Express travelers checks or need to pur-
chase some, go to Ecuadorian Tours , at Amazonas 329 and JWash-
ington.

Maps
The Instituto Geográfico Militar , on Jiménez, near Parque El
Ejido, sells the best topographic maps of Ecuador, which I refer to
throughout this topic (IGMmaps). They are open from 8 am to 4 pm,
Monday-Friday. To get there from 12 de Octubre, climb the hill on
Jiménez, cross Colombia to Paz y Mino, go behind the military hospi-
tal, turn right and you're there.

Studying Spanish in Quito

Learning Spanish in Ecuador is a rewarding experience
and being able to speak the language will afford you a great
many opportunities to learn about the country, its people
and its culture that you wouldn't otherwise have. Many
tourists come to Quito just to study Spanish. There are nu-
merous schools with various options for flexible schedules,
from simply spending several hours per day with an in-
structor, to living with a local family and completely im-
mersing yourself in the language. Check with the South
American Explorers Club (

and fax [phone], explorer@
seac.org.ec) for recommended schools and instructors in
Quito and elsewhere. Also see pages 54-55.

Touring & Sightseeing

Quito
The city itself is filled with the wonders of history. When the conquis-
tadors arrived here in hot pursuit of Rumiñahui in 1534, the Incan
general - and last holdout against the Spanish - decided it was better
to destroy the city and all of its secrets, rather than hand it over. After
they had razed it to the ground, Pizarro's Lieutenant, Sebastián de
Benalcazar, claimed the site and rebuilt Spain's seat of control out of
the very ruins of the old empire. Little remains as evidence of pre-
Columbian times, other than the stone foundations of the colonial