IN THE BLACK DIASPORA
WE OUGHT TO VISIT
WE OUGHT TO DO
AN AMERICAN IN ECUADOR LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE , DISCOVERING ANOTHER LAND
By Norris P . West
When I retired from a full-time career in journalism and communications last year , I decided to keep my mind active by studying Spanish . It was just the challenge I needed .
My learning journey recently took me to Ecuador for three weeks of immersive language education in the South American country ’ s capital , Quito , where more than 1.7 million people breathe thin air while living 9,350 feet above sea level – almost exactly on the equator .
The small Spanish school I attended lies in the heart of the city ’ s historic district , where small restaurants , banks , electronics stores and pharmacies slope down a main artery toward historic churches originally built as early as the 16th century and later enhanced by age and natural disasters .
Ecuador ’ s seat of government , the Carondelet Palace , and Quito ’ s oldest church anchor bustling Plaza de la Independencia ( Independence Square ), near museums and fancier restaurants while insulated from street vendors who holler on pedestrian-filled sidewalks about their merchandise of fruit , jewelry , hats and other items .
The past blends with the present in Quito . Like the rest of Ecuador , the city has a complex history of deep pain and immense pride , of conquest by Spanish conquistadors and liberation by Simon Bolivar-led forces in 1822 , of indigenous people who inhabited the Andean land for thousands of years and brought rich cultural gifts of art , music and food .
I took lessons at the Instituto Superior de Español and enjoyed several museums and attractions , thanks to my teachers , my host family and even some of my classmates . Walking through the city can be an adventure , with streets that feel much steeper than in San Francisco , and parks and other neighborhoods that have a western vibe in everything but language .
Every day , I walked 30 minutes from my host family ’ s house with one of my classmates to spend four rigorous hours in classes . Fluency is in the distant future and may never come , but I ’ m pleased to say that as
24