The Gentleman The Gentleman, Part Two
It was 2004 when NN, a British gentleman, brought more than 60 students between the ages of 15 and 18 to practice Spanish and live in the Ecuadorian Amazon. This was possible because NN had founded a foundation with Ecuadorian citizens and farmers to promote smart tourism in Ecuador. Smart tourism was a somewhat vague concept at the time, but it was understood as traveling to another country to learn, teach, and help others. Ecuador, then one of the cheapest countries in Latin America, had become a favorite destination for learning Spanish, along with Guatemala and Bolivia, since the students, who were also backpackers, had to stay for at least six weeks to learn Spanish to an intermediate level. The foundation created by NN offered students accommodation in Quito in an apartment for students and volunteers, with rooms with private bathrooms, a shared kitchen, dining room, and living room, an internet café, and classrooms for one-on-one learning (one teacher per student). This allowed ...