WI-FI
Most homes have wi-fi for you to use on your laptop, ipad or smartphone. The office also has wi-fi and usually an available computer for you to use. The Spanish school also has wi-fi and most restaurants will have it.
TELEPHONING
If you need to make long-distance or out-of-area code calls, it is advisable to use pay phones or a cell phone, available most everywhere now. The telephone company has offices throughout most Ecuadorian cities. Please arrange for your parents or friends to call you since long-distance service from Ecuador is much more expensive than in the United States. It could also save you the misery of misunderstandings with regard to the telephone bill.
If your (U.S.) family wants to call you in Quito, they will have to dial 011-593-22- before the local number. Telephone service is very expensive in Ecuador, and families worry about getting huge bills after your departure.
To reach the international operator, dial 116 or 114. Local telephone service in Quito is quite expensive. Remember that it costs your family every time you use the phone and it is also very expensive to call cell phones from landline phones. Please keep it brief. Many participants use plans with their cellphone carriers, or internet options such as skype and facetime to keep in touch. Make sure to install WhatsApp on your phone. Note that you must set it up before you leave the states.
POSTAL SERVICE
Don´t bother...
If really necessary then DHL, UPS or FedEx.
BOOKS & MAGAZINES
You may want to purchase a book of antonyms and synonyms for future language study, before you head to the airport.
If you want to buy Spanish language books in Quito, there are two big bookstores Libri Mundi and Mr Books, located inside malls. There are also small and independent bookstores such as Conde Mosca, Rayuela, Mediagua, Tres Gatos, Oso Lector.
For national and indigenous publications, Abya-Yala is an excellent publisher/bookstore to visit. They are located on 12 de Octubre and Wilson. They publish an extensive selection of cultural, anthropological, linguistic, and environmental literature.
TOURIST INFORMATION
While most of your time will be booked, if you have a chance on a weekend or before or after the program, there are many different things to see in Ecuador. A few suggestions are the traditional Indian market at Saquisilí on Thursdays, the colonial city of Cuenca, the market at Otavalo on Saturdays, the jungle, the natural hot springs at Baños, Mindo, and Papallacta, and the coast. In Quito, be sure and visit the village of Guápulo, the museums at the "Casa de la Cultura" and "Banco Central," Guayasamín's house, the market Artesanal, and the churches and plazas of the Old City, and take the Teleferico to the top of Pichincha. Also, find time to explore the various barrios of Quito and the different markets found throughout the city. Quito's bus system is extensive and cheap: hop on different buses and see what you can find.
If you have a place you want to visit while in Ecuador, you don't need to pre-arrange travel before you get to Ecuador, unless you are looking into the Galapagos Islands.