Hey there! I'm back and at it with blogging. I took a bit of a break because I left on the 24th to spend a week in Ecuador on a school trip. It was honestly such an amazing experience and so much fun. I jumped at the opportunity to go to Ecuador with my school because I knew I would never have the opportunity otherwise. My family goes on vacation practically every year (#blessed), but we usually head to tropical beach vacations like Hawaii or Jamaica. I had never been to South America so this seemed like a super rare experience.
It was definitely a change of pace because I'm used to lounging on the beach all spring break or touring a city in America like New Orleans or Los Angeles. This was completely different because each day was chock full of so much to do. I woke around 7 each morning and didn't go to bed until around 11 or 12. I think going on a school trip has its benefits though because you become very close with the people you go with. Anyways, here's a little recap of what my week in Quito, Ecuador looked like!
Day 1 was spent mainly exploring the historical city of Quito. We explored the town square and many of the historic churches in the city. It was Good Friday so the city was super crowded because this day is much more important than Easter in Ecuador. There was a huge parade procession going on while we were in the city which was kind of terrifying and if you look up Easter in Ecuador you'll see why.
The city slightly resembles the Amalfi Coast mixed with Puerto Rico and accents from the French Quarter in New Orleans...quite the strange, but beautiful mix!
Day 2 we ventured a couple hours from our hotel to Otavalo Market, the traditional market of Ecuador. This is a huge market and my friend and I got lost so many times. There you can bargain for things like alpaca blankets, hammocks, jewelry, fake Ray-Bans, and more! I didn't keep track of how many bracelets I bought, but it was definitely over 20. It was definitely a great way to practice Spanish because the locals who sell there speak very little English! Before we went there we stopped at a little overlook with an incredible view of the Andes mountains and even met a scary llama.
Day 3 was probably my favorite day of the trip and honestly one of the best days of my life. It was so adventure filled and just so much fun. We began our day by taking our bus to where we were to zipline. But, due to the rugged terrain for the last two miles to the site we had to hop in the back of pick-up trucks and spend the rest of the way bouncing around the back. I've ridden in the back of a pick-up truck before, but when I was super young. Truly, highlight of my life. So much fun! Then we ziplined 12 different lines and I even went upside down on a couple of them.
After ziplining we went to a butterfly conservatory for lunch and to observe the butterflies. They were so pretty and would even land on your hand! After that we went tubing down a rough and freezing river. Picture white water rafting but much less safe and much more wild. Honestly, one of the most fun days I've ever had!
Day 4 we visited a private school in Ecuador and got to meet with some students there. They all spoke English so it was super easy to converse with them and ask them about life in Ecuador. After that we headed to the equator which was so cool. It's such a weird concept to think that you're in the middle of the world, but so cool to try all of the strange experiments at the museum. We spent the rest of the day in La ciudad de mitad del mundo (the city of the middle of the world) doing more shopping and exploring!
Stay tuned for tomorrow's recap for a summary of the remainder of my trip!
Xoxo
Day 1 was spent mainly exploring the historical city of Quito. We explored the town square and many of the historic churches in the city. It was Good Friday so the city was super crowded because this day is much more important than Easter in Ecuador. There was a huge parade procession going on while we were in the city which was kind of terrifying and if you look up Easter in Ecuador you'll see why.
The city slightly resembles the Amalfi Coast mixed with Puerto Rico and accents from the French Quarter in New Orleans...quite the strange, but beautiful mix!
Day 2 we ventured a couple hours from our hotel to Otavalo Market, the traditional market of Ecuador. This is a huge market and my friend and I got lost so many times. There you can bargain for things like alpaca blankets, hammocks, jewelry, fake Ray-Bans, and more! I didn't keep track of how many bracelets I bought, but it was definitely over 20. It was definitely a great way to practice Spanish because the locals who sell there speak very little English! Before we went there we stopped at a little overlook with an incredible view of the Andes mountains and even met a scary llama.
Day 3 was probably my favorite day of the trip and honestly one of the best days of my life. It was so adventure filled and just so much fun. We began our day by taking our bus to where we were to zipline. But, due to the rugged terrain for the last two miles to the site we had to hop in the back of pick-up trucks and spend the rest of the way bouncing around the back. I've ridden in the back of a pick-up truck before, but when I was super young. Truly, highlight of my life. So much fun! Then we ziplined 12 different lines and I even went upside down on a couple of them.
After ziplining we went to a butterfly conservatory for lunch and to observe the butterflies. They were so pretty and would even land on your hand! After that we went tubing down a rough and freezing river. Picture white water rafting but much less safe and much more wild. Honestly, one of the most fun days I've ever had!
Stay tuned for tomorrow's recap for a summary of the remainder of my trip!
Xoxo
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