Felices de compartir su cultura ..!

Gioconda Davila is a treasure. She made me feel totally welcome and more than that, was unfaiilingly helpful in explaining transportation choices in Quito, how much to pay, where to get my laundry done at a fair price, where to find this service or that product. She helped me navigate my new Ecuadorian cell phone. She even helped me with phone calls to find people I had known in Ecuador years before. She prepared simple but delicious dinners for me and another guest, at a very reasonable price. She was more than willing to help me with Spanish and I in turn helped her with her English. Finally, she and her husband Roberto drove out to the Quito airport with a suitcase I had purposely left with her, as I was returning to the States from Guayaquil via Quito. Gioconda's house is in the La Gasca neighborhood not too far from the touristy Mariscal district. There are frequent buses that take you towards downtown. Getting back to the neighborhood is a little trickier, but cabs are cheap and easy to find. The house is very secure -- she'll give you a set of keys and ask you to lock up carefully as you leave. The room I stayed in was in the back of the house -- small but adequate with a private bathroom with shower. You'll need to be respectful of the family's private time and space -- I tended to stay in my room when I was in the house. There aren't a lot of tourist-class restaurants in the neighborhood, so having dinner at the house is a good idea. It gives you another chance to interact with Ecuadorians, which certainly is a goal of homestays. Overall, the experience was excellent and I heartily recommend the Davila household.