January 1, 2016 - Day 1
The evening before I celebrated the incoming new year cheers-ing with a bottle of wine on Facetime with my boyfriend, my mom snoring on the couch, and my dad at work. The knowledge of engaging in one of the largest celebrations as a newly turned 21-year old was trumped by my 3AM drive to JFK to disembark on a 15-day journey across Ecuador.
All of the students were overly eager but began dwindling waiting for Professor Tait was the last one to arrive... setting his own destiny for the rest of the trip. After the tedious check in and security, waiting to board the plane was the moment it all hit me, traveling with practically strangers for 15 days in foreign land.
Our arrival to Quito was... tight. All of us and our luggage squeezed into a van. Regardless of our intake of high altitude pills the size of an average thumb, we all immediately felt the change in atmosphere. Even with jet-lagged minds we were not short of pointing out all the differences between the roads, road safety laws, and overall infrastructure between Quito and the States. We had experienced our first culture shock when we saw a make-shift mini van out of a pick-up truck, no helmets for children on scooters, and endless stray dog. As we started nearing our hostel, Hotel Bonaventure, we noticed all the shops were closed because of the New Years holiday. The hostel was "quaint" as Sandy, a classmate and friend, kept saying to convince herself. After we dropped off our bags, as a group we decided to walk around to the nearby plaza La Foch where we enjoyed our first Ecuadorian meal.
All of the students were overly eager but began dwindling waiting for Professor Tait was the last one to arrive... setting his own destiny for the rest of the trip. After the tedious check in and security, waiting to board the plane was the moment it all hit me, traveling with practically strangers for 15 days in foreign land.
Our arrival to Quito was... tight. All of us and our luggage squeezed into a van. Regardless of our intake of high altitude pills the size of an average thumb, we all immediately felt the change in atmosphere. Even with jet-lagged minds we were not short of pointing out all the differences between the roads, road safety laws, and overall infrastructure between Quito and the States. We had experienced our first culture shock when we saw a make-shift mini van out of a pick-up truck, no helmets for children on scooters, and endless stray dog. As we started nearing our hostel, Hotel Bonaventure, we noticed all the shops were closed because of the New Years holiday. The hostel was "quaint" as Sandy, a classmate and friend, kept saying to convince herself. After we dropped off our bags, as a group we decided to walk around to the nearby plaza La Foch where we enjoyed our first Ecuadorian meal.
January 2, 2016 - Day 2
.Our second day was exactly what we have been waiting for! We began with Mitad del Mundo (center of the Earth), then we took the TelefériQo that led us to the volcano Pichincha, when we returned back to the hostel Nick's cousin who specializes in the world of volcanoes gave us a presentation, and after the extremely informative and well thought out presentation, Nick's loving family took us to a street center for dinner.
Bright and early we met our guide Gabriela who will be with us for the remainder of our time in Quito and began our drive to the center of the world, Mitad del Mundo. During our drive we passed the largest Gothic Church in Ecuador which remains unfinished due to insufficient funds, to which we will revisit later. Gabriela also talked a lot about the indigenous people, described the meaning of Quito, and how the natives (mindalias(?)) were slaves to the Incas.
Mitad del Mundo started off with pictures by the 0 degree latitude sign and then we were taken on a tour where we learned how shrunken heads were made, cultures of the indigenous tribes and their living habits, and warrior like weapons and abilities. Interesting enough deaths were celebrated, and were buried in an space saving way. People of the Quitos Caras tribe were buried in a "pot" or something of the sort to resemble a womb, and then the bodies were piled on atop of another until the cave was full, this style was specifically for a specific tribe. One of the really cool things was the sun dial and how accurate it is along with the knowledge that during the equinox, those on the Ecuador have no shadow for three minutes. We did many interesting experiments to show the difference between north of the equator, south of the equator, and on the equator. I got a certificate for balancing an egg on the equator line! For many balancing an egg on a nail was a difficult task to accomplish but I believe the one thing that made it easier was to line up the branding on the egg in alignment with the nail (spoiler alert). Another experiment our guide did for us was the turning of the water dependent on what side of the equator we are on. If we are in the south side of the equator water will turn/drain clockwise, and counter clockwise on the north side, and directly downward when on the equator line. At the end of the day as a group discussion we all believed this is a ruse because the switch of a mere few feet from one side of the equator to another and was just a cool thing to show tourists. Walking on the equator line showed the strength of balance, for some reason balancing on the equator line was more difficult than balancing elsewhere, that neat experiment was definitely not a ruse, along with the strength test where a person on the equator line seems weaker. One of the other really cool things of the indigenous was the cabana style hats men wore when they weaved, it was as hard as a rock but somehow stylish. At the end of our tour a man did a cultural dance of the indigenous people and he invited people of the crowd to dance with him, me being one of them. The dance that the crowd engaged in remained me of a Greek dance where we all hold hands in a circle, move clockwise and then move inward towards the center and then back out.After we left the real Mitad del Mundo we had to be typical tourists and also visited the fake equator line, was was no where near as exciting as the real thing.
TelefériQo was our next stop that led us to the volcano Pichincha. The TelefériQo is an aerial lift or also known as a gondola. That was the highest altitude we've reached on our trip at 13,287 feet and the view was absolutely incredible. It seemed as if every few hundred feet we climbed there was a little reward such as llamas and alpacas along with horses all the way up at the top. After that Gabriela took us around a rainy centre de historico. There was interesting information such as the presidents castle that is vacant now and a government owned church with the entire infrastructure in gold. This specific church's name is Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus.
After this long day, Nick's cousin Daniel came to our hostel to give us a presentation on Ecuadorian Geology. The major takeaways that I thought were most interesting included the formation of the Amazonic Basin and the geography of Ecuador and where and how different volcanoes emerge. Not having heavy knowledge on Ecuadorian geology or volcanoes I found Daniel's presentation to be engaging and informative. After his presentation Daniel's parents, Nick's tia and tio, were so happy to see Nick that they invited us all out to dinner. They were extremely kind in taking three trips from our hostel to the city center, and for every trip they pulled over to let us see the city at night and pose in front of beautiful churches, along with giving us a little history of the city. Nick has incredible family members, and it made me feel at home. Although I think they will always remember Amanda, Kim and I as the giggle crew in the back of their van.
But wait... there's more to the story. This was the night of the broken yolk (gross). This entire night and especially the couple of hours at the dinner table were full of laughs that my stomach began to cramp and I couldn't stop the tears from rolling! That night we found out who amongst our group hates runny eggs and it turned out to be everyone who ordered a meal that came with runny eggs! As my classmates, especially Steve, Kim and Amanda avoided breaking the yolk while eating their meal, it was undeniable that the jokes would keep coming. Then.... the inevitable happened... the yolk broke. Tait, you're lucky your bathroom trip was quick otherwise you may have sat on the broken yolk. I blame our giggles on the high altitude...
P.S., from that night forward I realized I need to keep a bottle of hot sauce with me at all time.
Hot sauce? Gracias?
Bright and early we met our guide Gabriela who will be with us for the remainder of our time in Quito and began our drive to the center of the world, Mitad del Mundo. During our drive we passed the largest Gothic Church in Ecuador which remains unfinished due to insufficient funds, to which we will revisit later. Gabriela also talked a lot about the indigenous people, described the meaning of Quito, and how the natives (mindalias(?)) were slaves to the Incas.
Mitad del Mundo started off with pictures by the 0 degree latitude sign and then we were taken on a tour where we learned how shrunken heads were made, cultures of the indigenous tribes and their living habits, and warrior like weapons and abilities. Interesting enough deaths were celebrated, and were buried in an space saving way. People of the Quitos Caras tribe were buried in a "pot" or something of the sort to resemble a womb, and then the bodies were piled on atop of another until the cave was full, this style was specifically for a specific tribe. One of the really cool things was the sun dial and how accurate it is along with the knowledge that during the equinox, those on the Ecuador have no shadow for three minutes. We did many interesting experiments to show the difference between north of the equator, south of the equator, and on the equator. I got a certificate for balancing an egg on the equator line! For many balancing an egg on a nail was a difficult task to accomplish but I believe the one thing that made it easier was to line up the branding on the egg in alignment with the nail (spoiler alert). Another experiment our guide did for us was the turning of the water dependent on what side of the equator we are on. If we are in the south side of the equator water will turn/drain clockwise, and counter clockwise on the north side, and directly downward when on the equator line. At the end of the day as a group discussion we all believed this is a ruse because the switch of a mere few feet from one side of the equator to another and was just a cool thing to show tourists. Walking on the equator line showed the strength of balance, for some reason balancing on the equator line was more difficult than balancing elsewhere, that neat experiment was definitely not a ruse, along with the strength test where a person on the equator line seems weaker. One of the other really cool things of the indigenous was the cabana style hats men wore when they weaved, it was as hard as a rock but somehow stylish. At the end of our tour a man did a cultural dance of the indigenous people and he invited people of the crowd to dance with him, me being one of them. The dance that the crowd engaged in remained me of a Greek dance where we all hold hands in a circle, move clockwise and then move inward towards the center and then back out.After we left the real Mitad del Mundo we had to be typical tourists and also visited the fake equator line, was was no where near as exciting as the real thing.
TelefériQo was our next stop that led us to the volcano Pichincha. The TelefériQo is an aerial lift or also known as a gondola. That was the highest altitude we've reached on our trip at 13,287 feet and the view was absolutely incredible. It seemed as if every few hundred feet we climbed there was a little reward such as llamas and alpacas along with horses all the way up at the top. After that Gabriela took us around a rainy centre de historico. There was interesting information such as the presidents castle that is vacant now and a government owned church with the entire infrastructure in gold. This specific church's name is Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus.
After this long day, Nick's cousin Daniel came to our hostel to give us a presentation on Ecuadorian Geology. The major takeaways that I thought were most interesting included the formation of the Amazonic Basin and the geography of Ecuador and where and how different volcanoes emerge. Not having heavy knowledge on Ecuadorian geology or volcanoes I found Daniel's presentation to be engaging and informative. After his presentation Daniel's parents, Nick's tia and tio, were so happy to see Nick that they invited us all out to dinner. They were extremely kind in taking three trips from our hostel to the city center, and for every trip they pulled over to let us see the city at night and pose in front of beautiful churches, along with giving us a little history of the city. Nick has incredible family members, and it made me feel at home. Although I think they will always remember Amanda, Kim and I as the giggle crew in the back of their van.
But wait... there's more to the story. This was the night of the broken yolk (gross). This entire night and especially the couple of hours at the dinner table were full of laughs that my stomach began to cramp and I couldn't stop the tears from rolling! That night we found out who amongst our group hates runny eggs and it turned out to be everyone who ordered a meal that came with runny eggs! As my classmates, especially Steve, Kim and Amanda avoided breaking the yolk while eating their meal, it was undeniable that the jokes would keep coming. Then.... the inevitable happened... the yolk broke. Tait, you're lucky your bathroom trip was quick otherwise you may have sat on the broken yolk. I blame our giggles on the high altitude...
P.S., from that night forward I realized I need to keep a bottle of hot sauce with me at all time.
Hot sauce? Gracias?
January 3, 2016 - Day 3
Our third day was another busy day but it was one of the best days of the trip in my personal experience. We begun the day with meeting our guide Gabriela who took us to a spot to Mindo to experience zip-lining, exploring the almost perfect village, and ending with torrential downpour during our hike through the Mindo Cloud Forest.
After going through the proposed itinerary during our class in the fall semester, zip-lining and hiking through a cloud forest were my top two things to accomplish on my trip to Ecuador. Zip-lining was so much cheaper than we all thought, and the experience was well worth it. I was extremely happy to have the opportunity to go zip-lining because of my fear of heights, but i have learned to conquer through my fear by going sky-diving, and on a hot-air balloon. I did have a slight anxiety attack standing on the platform waiting to be pushed down the line, but once again, it was a good opportunity to talk myself out of an anxiety attack. Once I was flying over those BEAUTIFUL views, all I wanted to do was stay up above the trees to take in the breathtaking views.
After zip lining we stopped for lunch in the town at the dragonfly inn, which was the best lunch I've had thus far on the trip. We also learned a lot about the owner of Drangonfly inn, a German fellow who's traveled the world extensively. Speaking to him was pleasant because it gave insight into the life of someone who experienced a huge culture shock and how he assimilated into a small unknown town. Surprisingly the beautiful views, fresh air, and an abundant variety of animals were not satisfying enough for him to complete his life there. His advice to us after we were thrilled to hear of his travels was that after about a year or 2 it all gets old and repetitive. In comparison, we only spent 3 days in Quito and felt like it wasn't enough, and for sure nothing was repetitive. It was cool to actually see that even though he experienced a major culture shock, he was able to assimilate quickly to a point where he has an extremely successful business in a great location.
After lunch we were originally supposed to hike through and to a waterfall but since that was closed Gabriela led us to another nature trail where we could potentially see hundreds of various species of insects (300 species of butterflies), birds, plants and trees! Along with the unpredictable climate of a cloud forest. The cloud forest was essentially in someone's backyard. As we begun our hike Gabriela continuously pointed out different plants such as one specific leaf that has the ability to drastically change colors. One interesting thing to me was that the entire area was provided with enough sunlight and rain that many different types of trees were quickly found but very minimal colorful trees. After a short distance our group began to split up to walk at their own paces. I often found myself wandering the hike alone intaking the peacefulness and serenity I received through the beautiful warm weather, a brisk pace, and being surrounded by natural beauty. About half way through our hike towards the overlook it began raining on and I remember thinking how lucky we all were to be wearing our hiking boots, especially me being clumsy and the most likely to slip on a rock or slide down a mudslide. As we continued our trek through the bearable rain we reached James' Hut, providing shelter from the rain for some, and for Shannon, a creative outlet to create a song (You'll have to ask her to sing it for you, it's quite catchy). After some safe haven small groups began reaching the sketchy outlook to overlook the entire forest, even though it was extremely foggy and difficult to capture the greenery surrounding, we sure did experience a typical day in the cloud forest. The hike back down was much scarier since the hike back was to be on a decline but thanks to my saviors Amanda and Steve I made it without slipping and sliding. That day tested our endurance, but most of all tested the strength of kindness and friendship in helping each other make it safely down a slippery slope.
This day in Quito was one of the most amazing days I had in Ecuador, and I would absolutely do it all again.
After going through the proposed itinerary during our class in the fall semester, zip-lining and hiking through a cloud forest were my top two things to accomplish on my trip to Ecuador. Zip-lining was so much cheaper than we all thought, and the experience was well worth it. I was extremely happy to have the opportunity to go zip-lining because of my fear of heights, but i have learned to conquer through my fear by going sky-diving, and on a hot-air balloon. I did have a slight anxiety attack standing on the platform waiting to be pushed down the line, but once again, it was a good opportunity to talk myself out of an anxiety attack. Once I was flying over those BEAUTIFUL views, all I wanted to do was stay up above the trees to take in the breathtaking views.
After zip lining we stopped for lunch in the town at the dragonfly inn, which was the best lunch I've had thus far on the trip. We also learned a lot about the owner of Drangonfly inn, a German fellow who's traveled the world extensively. Speaking to him was pleasant because it gave insight into the life of someone who experienced a huge culture shock and how he assimilated into a small unknown town. Surprisingly the beautiful views, fresh air, and an abundant variety of animals were not satisfying enough for him to complete his life there. His advice to us after we were thrilled to hear of his travels was that after about a year or 2 it all gets old and repetitive. In comparison, we only spent 3 days in Quito and felt like it wasn't enough, and for sure nothing was repetitive. It was cool to actually see that even though he experienced a major culture shock, he was able to assimilate quickly to a point where he has an extremely successful business in a great location.
After lunch we were originally supposed to hike through and to a waterfall but since that was closed Gabriela led us to another nature trail where we could potentially see hundreds of various species of insects (300 species of butterflies), birds, plants and trees! Along with the unpredictable climate of a cloud forest. The cloud forest was essentially in someone's backyard. As we begun our hike Gabriela continuously pointed out different plants such as one specific leaf that has the ability to drastically change colors. One interesting thing to me was that the entire area was provided with enough sunlight and rain that many different types of trees were quickly found but very minimal colorful trees. After a short distance our group began to split up to walk at their own paces. I often found myself wandering the hike alone intaking the peacefulness and serenity I received through the beautiful warm weather, a brisk pace, and being surrounded by natural beauty. About half way through our hike towards the overlook it began raining on and I remember thinking how lucky we all were to be wearing our hiking boots, especially me being clumsy and the most likely to slip on a rock or slide down a mudslide. As we continued our trek through the bearable rain we reached James' Hut, providing shelter from the rain for some, and for Shannon, a creative outlet to create a song (You'll have to ask her to sing it for you, it's quite catchy). After some safe haven small groups began reaching the sketchy outlook to overlook the entire forest, even though it was extremely foggy and difficult to capture the greenery surrounding, we sure did experience a typical day in the cloud forest. The hike back down was much scarier since the hike back was to be on a decline but thanks to my saviors Amanda and Steve I made it without slipping and sliding. That day tested our endurance, but most of all tested the strength of kindness and friendship in helping each other make it safely down a slippery slope.
This day in Quito was one of the most amazing days I had in Ecuador, and I would absolutely do it all again.
January 4, 2016 - Day 4
Our fourth day was a much needed relaxer from our adventures of our previous day. Gabriela decided to join us even on her day off, that's when we all realized she simply had the case of CBF and didn't actually hate us. We began our day at a market comparable to a flea market in the States where I strengthened my haggling skills. After shopping we all experienced the cheapest lunch to date, less than $4 for a 3 course meal! After that we finally got to experience the bus systems we read about prior to arriving to Ecuador! It was amazing how quick busses come and even more amazing that the fair is only $.25, 25 cents! On this day Gabriela also brought us back to Centre de Historico to give us a sunnier experience and also gave us the opportunity to go back to the gothic church we've passed on previous days named Basilica! One of my favorite things to do is explore different architectural styles and the size of Basilica was enormous. After walking across a loosely structured bridge I unfortunately did not get over my fear of rickety stairs and heights so I did not make it all the way up to the towers in Basilica, but I did purchase an alpaca sweater and found a free sight seeing binocular stand so I was able to get a close up of the Statue of the Virgin with a snake wrapped around her neck, La Virgin de el Panecillo. La Virgin de Panecillo was not an original statue, rather the origin of that plot of land was used when there were disputes between rebels and the government, it was used as an area for the rebels to be able to have aerial views and shoos from atop a hill. After our day of sight seeing was over, we ended with dinner at the Taco Factory that our group had a desire to go to since the 1st day.