Day 12: January 12th
We didn't have an early morning but I did get up around 8 so that I could get ready and eat some breakfast before we headed out for our Quito city tour. We left the hotel around 9 and headed to the first stop: La Basilica de Voto National which is the largest church in South America in terms of external space. The people of Quito believe that if this church is finished, the world will end so it has never been completed - the people just slowly add things or modify what is already there but making sure that it is never fully done. We climbed a tower to get to a balcony that overlooks the entire church and has the rose window pictured below. We then went up a few more flights of stairs to another balcony but this one had access to an outside balcony. We then crossed a construction bridge to a steep and narrow ladder which lead to a tower that we climbed all the way to the top. While we were up there, we had a quick chat with Tait about infrastructure within the city (as well as taking pictures). We noted that the houses that were built past a certain point on the hillside would not receive water and electricity because they were illegally built however, their neighbors slightly down the hill could run electric lines from their house and up and charge their neighbors to use from their house. We also talked about the fact that it was "cloudy" when we were up there but that is only because of the smog being trapped in the valley. The smog is coming from the buses that are constantly running in every part of the city as well as the cars. The smog bioaccumulates is the air and becomes dense enough to form the clouds that we were seeing however, there are no measures in place to reduce the amount of toxins emitted into the air. As we climbed down, I had a small anxiety attack since the stairs were very narrow and steep and we were very high up. But I made it down and we made our way back to Diego. While we were still in the church, Diego gave us some more facts about Quito including that the city is in a banana shaped valley. The valley was occupied by 1000 BC by the Incas who built their most important temples here and they continued to call the city Quitus Caras or "middle of" since the indigenous people knew that they were at the Equator. However, when the French came, they said that the indigenous people were wrong because they looked to the stars instead of using calculations to determine where the equator was. So the French created their own Equator which was based off of their calculations and is considered the "fake equator." From the balcony we were on, we had a clear view of Panecillo or the virgin with angel wings that sits atop the main hill of the city. The start of the city was meant to be from that hill and to the north but since the city expanded so greatly, there are houses to the south of her and those that live to the south believe that they are not watched over by the virgin since she is never facing them.
We then made our way to the main square of Quito where there is a large statue dedicated to the two independence days that Ecuador has: the first was an attempt in 1809 to gain independence but that lasted only 60 days. Seven years later, Ecuador gained its true independence and that is the day that is celebrated as a national holiday much like America's independence day. While the Spanish government was still in power, they made a law stating that the Incas only have the soul of a 12 year old since they are not Catholic and therefore are not to be shown the same respect. For example, if a 25 year old conquistador was talking to an 80 year old Inca, the Inca would have to show more respect to the conquistador since they would technically be older. We then headed to the government building and stopped on the stairs as Diego told us that Gabriel Garcia Moreno, who was an Ecuadorian president, was elected into his third term but a lot of people were protesting his election so they stormed the government building and in an attempt to escape, he was shot in the plaza. There were guards standing at the front doors that reminded me of the guards at Buckingham Palace - and can be seen in the picture below. After we went in, Diego tried to get us in for a tour but all the tours were filled for the day so we walked down a side street instead towards another church. This church was made with eight tons of gold and is called "the jewel of Ecuador." It was built by Inca slaves who added some of their religious symbols but the conquistadors thought it was a take on the Catholic cross and is very symmetrical. It is still a working church and people can pay a lot of money to have their wedding there. In the 90's there was an electrical fire towards the front of the church and so there are some remodels to the church that make these parts look newer than the rest. On Christmas night, there is a concert of the bells where all the churches in Quito ring their bells at the same time to ring in the holiday spirit. We then headed to San Francisco Plaza where the church there has a legend: an Inca man who was put in charge of building the church asked the devil for help to finish building on time so that he and his men would not be punished. The man made a deal with the devil saying that he would give his soul once the job was complete. The devil agreed and sent small devils to help and once they left, the Inca man took out one single brick from the foundation. The Spanards were so surprised and pleased that the church was completed that they let the man and his men go. When the devil came back for the man's soul, the man pointed out that the job wasn't finished because there was a brick missing and so he went on to live. Moral of the story: one brick is missing from the foundation and that is the legend that the people of Quito tell. After we finished there, we headed to a mall where we stopped for lunch at a food court so that we could all have options. We then headed to the teleférico which we took up Pinchicha but when we reached the stop, it was cold and rainy so the trails were too slippery to walk along. Instead we walked around for a bit and took some pictures before heading back down to the bus. We then headed to the Pacari office where we met Andres and he gave a presentation about Pacari - how they started, how its run, the process of making their bars, and then we got to taste different kinds of chocolate and even take a small bar home! Pacari is a family owned business that started when the founders realized that there was a want for organic chocolate bars that didn't break the bank. Pacari works with farmers to ensure that they are getting the most money for what they grow and that the consumer will get the best product. They use only the national cacao and instead of using pesticides, they implement a growing technique that yields the best cacao pods. After we finished up there, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner. Tait took us down one of the side streets that we had passed earlier to find a place that would have good food and good music for dancing. We settled on a place that had a variety of food on the menu and the music was great but the food ended up being okay and the service was terrible so we left there around 11:30 to go back to the hotel. And while some of my friends went out, I again had to catch up on my notes and then went to bed.
We then made our way to the main square of Quito where there is a large statue dedicated to the two independence days that Ecuador has: the first was an attempt in 1809 to gain independence but that lasted only 60 days. Seven years later, Ecuador gained its true independence and that is the day that is celebrated as a national holiday much like America's independence day. While the Spanish government was still in power, they made a law stating that the Incas only have the soul of a 12 year old since they are not Catholic and therefore are not to be shown the same respect. For example, if a 25 year old conquistador was talking to an 80 year old Inca, the Inca would have to show more respect to the conquistador since they would technically be older. We then headed to the government building and stopped on the stairs as Diego told us that Gabriel Garcia Moreno, who was an Ecuadorian president, was elected into his third term but a lot of people were protesting his election so they stormed the government building and in an attempt to escape, he was shot in the plaza. There were guards standing at the front doors that reminded me of the guards at Buckingham Palace - and can be seen in the picture below. After we went in, Diego tried to get us in for a tour but all the tours were filled for the day so we walked down a side street instead towards another church. This church was made with eight tons of gold and is called "the jewel of Ecuador." It was built by Inca slaves who added some of their religious symbols but the conquistadors thought it was a take on the Catholic cross and is very symmetrical. It is still a working church and people can pay a lot of money to have their wedding there. In the 90's there was an electrical fire towards the front of the church and so there are some remodels to the church that make these parts look newer than the rest. On Christmas night, there is a concert of the bells where all the churches in Quito ring their bells at the same time to ring in the holiday spirit. We then headed to San Francisco Plaza where the church there has a legend: an Inca man who was put in charge of building the church asked the devil for help to finish building on time so that he and his men would not be punished. The man made a deal with the devil saying that he would give his soul once the job was complete. The devil agreed and sent small devils to help and once they left, the Inca man took out one single brick from the foundation. The Spanards were so surprised and pleased that the church was completed that they let the man and his men go. When the devil came back for the man's soul, the man pointed out that the job wasn't finished because there was a brick missing and so he went on to live. Moral of the story: one brick is missing from the foundation and that is the legend that the people of Quito tell. After we finished there, we headed to a mall where we stopped for lunch at a food court so that we could all have options. We then headed to the teleférico which we took up Pinchicha but when we reached the stop, it was cold and rainy so the trails were too slippery to walk along. Instead we walked around for a bit and took some pictures before heading back down to the bus. We then headed to the Pacari office where we met Andres and he gave a presentation about Pacari - how they started, how its run, the process of making their bars, and then we got to taste different kinds of chocolate and even take a small bar home! Pacari is a family owned business that started when the founders realized that there was a want for organic chocolate bars that didn't break the bank. Pacari works with farmers to ensure that they are getting the most money for what they grow and that the consumer will get the best product. They use only the national cacao and instead of using pesticides, they implement a growing technique that yields the best cacao pods. After we finished up there, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner. Tait took us down one of the side streets that we had passed earlier to find a place that would have good food and good music for dancing. We settled on a place that had a variety of food on the menu and the music was great but the food ended up being okay and the service was terrible so we left there around 11:30 to go back to the hotel. And while some of my friends went out, I again had to catch up on my notes and then went to bed.
Day 13: January 13th
Woke up feeling tired since I had gone to bed pretty late after trying to catch up on all of my notes but still headed down for breakfast. We met in the lobby with all of our stuff, loaded the bus, and had to head to a medical clinic because Hunter was feeling very sick. At first Tait thought it would only be an hour or so and then we would be able to move on but an hour went by and they were still sitting in the waiting room. After about an hour and a half I went with Laurel, Angelique, and Aiden to a grocery store across the street to grab some food and a drink. We got back on the bus and heard that Hunter had finally been taken back but now they had to wait for a doctor. This was the perfect time to catch up on all of my notes and that is exactly what I did along with eating my snacks. We ended up having to wait on the bus for three hours just to be told that Hunter only had an upset stomach...fun. Finally we were moving and were headed to the equator (the real one not the fake French one). The real and fake equator are actually a under a hundred meters apart - the French were about 61 meters off. At the equator museum (the real one) there was a recreation of an indigenous tomb who's shape is similar to the mother's women since they believed in rebirth. Those who passed were buried in the fetal position in a large pot surrounded by animal skulls and on a second level closer to the surface, there would be food and water to help the person get to the next life. Year round at the equator, sunrise is 6 a.m. and sunset is 6 p.m. and along the equator, water falls straight down rather than counterclockwise in the Northern hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern hemisphere. According to our tour guide, our bodies are weaker at the equator line and we put this to the test by trying to force each other's hands apart away from the equator and on the equator. We also had to try and balance an egg on a nail on the equator line - sadly I failed but some of my friends did it! The last part of the tour was in a hut that is 150 years old and has not been modified or moved. Inside were replicas of the tools and furniture that a typical indigenous person would have in order to live. Before heading out, we were able to get our passports stamped saying that we had been to the equator and of course there was a gift shop. We then headed to Mindo which would be the last stop of our trip. As we descended the Andes, the vegetation changed to more native forest and was very preserved since there wasn't any agriculture or cattle farming and the land for houses and buildings was very limited.
We arrived at the Sachatamia Lodge, checked in, got our room assignments all while trying to not be a landing spot for the vast amount of hummingbirds flying around, and headed to the cabana with my roommates. Our cabana had a beautiful picture window with a small built-in bench where you could sit and look out at the cloud forest! We then headed to lunch where I had the most amazing chicken, potato, and veggie meal of the entire trip. We then had some free time before we had to meet for a reflection so I headed back to our cabana and just sat there listening to the rain hitting the roof and windows and just took a few minutes to enjoy the peace. Every building you walked in to, you had to take your shoes off to not track mud, rocks, or bugs in and I very much enjoyed that because I don't really like to wear shoes! During our reflection meeting we talked about the bus system in Quito since we were able to experience that first hand. From the furthest point of Quito to the center of the city, the ride would take 37 minutes by the bus system rather than over an hour by car. There wasn't really driver awareness of who needed to get on or off so it could have been really easy to miss a stop or not be able to get on if you were waiting at a stop. In comparison to Brazil, assault of females on the bus is high in Ecuador especially when the bus is very crowded. Brazil, during certain times of the day, has a pink car that the females can ride on and only women are allowed on there. We also talked about sustainability practices and how women are more likely to be sustainable but are hesitant about the motion sensor lights since an attacker could easily be waiting for long enough that the light goes off. Men are less likely to be sustainable because it is seen as not manly and that "a Prius is prissy." But we need to understand people in order to change their mind about things like climate change, sustainability, and even assault. What I learned from Diego after taking the bus is that distracted driving is not acceptable in Ecuador - if you are found to be driving while under the influence of alcohol, you land yourself three months in jail as well as a fine. If you are speeding 10+ km above the speed limit, you get three days in jail and a $2-3,000 fine. We also talked about how Pacari is organic but that doesn't mean that they are sustainable. The things that they are doing to be sustainable are more of a social element rather than an environmental one: they have no solar/renewable energy to run their factories but give the farmers solar powered lamps. Their packaging needs a lot of improvement in order to be more sustainable and they only have the one owner as a sustainability manager when there should clearly be another especially if they want to branch their demographic. They have also refused to get the Fair Trade certificate but yet they are organic by USDA standards - again if they want to branch out, they need to look into other options that will pull in customers.
We took a break and went to dinner before meeting again for Laurel and Vici's presentation on The Treadmill of Production. The treadmill of production is a theory which describes the relationship between social actors and ____ and Schinaiberg came up with the theory in 1980. The key actors include corporations, citizen workers, and the state. The main goal of the corporation is to increase profit; the main goal of the state is to increase the "base of power" and to provide jobs; the main goal of the citizen worker is to prevent environmental degradation. There are two types of treadmills: ecological and social. In the ecological treadmill, natural resources are used to get raw material but chemicals are then added to the environment. The social implications from this are that the workers generate profit, work until technology replaces them, and very rarely move up within the corporation. As for the U.S., we take resources from other countries to compensate for what has been used in the states - toxins in = toxins out. What about ToP in Ecuador? Well the citizen worker in Ecuador uses transitional funding in order to get things done and they vote to influence the state. During the Pre-Neoliberal Boom era in Ecuador, there was limited stability within the government as well as limited money to be distributed among the numerous organizations. It was during this time that the corporations had the advantage to push their agenda on the politicians. During the Neoliberal Boom Era (1987-2000), corporations were very powerful and interested in exploiting the natural resources that Ecuador has. The corporations worked with the state in order to make a profit from the natural resource extraction especially from oil extraction. There were complexities to international funding at this time mainly with misidentifying local needs. During the Neoliberal Bust Era (2000-2006), distractions in the international community reduced funding greatly. This lead to more local funding and influence rather than international but the main questions that every citizen had were: what should our focus be on? And where should the money go? During the Citizen's Revolution Era (2006-2015), President Correa enacted the Yasuni ITT Initiative in 2007 which later failed and he allowed for oil extraction at the end of his term. During this era, there was a collaboration between the state and the citizens pushing out the corporations and focusing on the agenda that would help the state and the people. Currently, Ecuador's state is weak, the corporations are strong, and the citizen workers are stuck in the middle. Serious changes need to be made in order for anything to get done but the state will stay in its weak state for while. After Laurel and Vici finished, I gathered my things and made the long trek back to our cabana and scared my walking mates because I thought I had seen a snake on the path. We all made it back to our cabanas safely and after prepping my things for the morning, I fell asleep to the sounds of the cloud forest.
We arrived at the Sachatamia Lodge, checked in, got our room assignments all while trying to not be a landing spot for the vast amount of hummingbirds flying around, and headed to the cabana with my roommates. Our cabana had a beautiful picture window with a small built-in bench where you could sit and look out at the cloud forest! We then headed to lunch where I had the most amazing chicken, potato, and veggie meal of the entire trip. We then had some free time before we had to meet for a reflection so I headed back to our cabana and just sat there listening to the rain hitting the roof and windows and just took a few minutes to enjoy the peace. Every building you walked in to, you had to take your shoes off to not track mud, rocks, or bugs in and I very much enjoyed that because I don't really like to wear shoes! During our reflection meeting we talked about the bus system in Quito since we were able to experience that first hand. From the furthest point of Quito to the center of the city, the ride would take 37 minutes by the bus system rather than over an hour by car. There wasn't really driver awareness of who needed to get on or off so it could have been really easy to miss a stop or not be able to get on if you were waiting at a stop. In comparison to Brazil, assault of females on the bus is high in Ecuador especially when the bus is very crowded. Brazil, during certain times of the day, has a pink car that the females can ride on and only women are allowed on there. We also talked about sustainability practices and how women are more likely to be sustainable but are hesitant about the motion sensor lights since an attacker could easily be waiting for long enough that the light goes off. Men are less likely to be sustainable because it is seen as not manly and that "a Prius is prissy." But we need to understand people in order to change their mind about things like climate change, sustainability, and even assault. What I learned from Diego after taking the bus is that distracted driving is not acceptable in Ecuador - if you are found to be driving while under the influence of alcohol, you land yourself three months in jail as well as a fine. If you are speeding 10+ km above the speed limit, you get three days in jail and a $2-3,000 fine. We also talked about how Pacari is organic but that doesn't mean that they are sustainable. The things that they are doing to be sustainable are more of a social element rather than an environmental one: they have no solar/renewable energy to run their factories but give the farmers solar powered lamps. Their packaging needs a lot of improvement in order to be more sustainable and they only have the one owner as a sustainability manager when there should clearly be another especially if they want to branch their demographic. They have also refused to get the Fair Trade certificate but yet they are organic by USDA standards - again if they want to branch out, they need to look into other options that will pull in customers.
We took a break and went to dinner before meeting again for Laurel and Vici's presentation on The Treadmill of Production. The treadmill of production is a theory which describes the relationship between social actors and ____ and Schinaiberg came up with the theory in 1980. The key actors include corporations, citizen workers, and the state. The main goal of the corporation is to increase profit; the main goal of the state is to increase the "base of power" and to provide jobs; the main goal of the citizen worker is to prevent environmental degradation. There are two types of treadmills: ecological and social. In the ecological treadmill, natural resources are used to get raw material but chemicals are then added to the environment. The social implications from this are that the workers generate profit, work until technology replaces them, and very rarely move up within the corporation. As for the U.S., we take resources from other countries to compensate for what has been used in the states - toxins in = toxins out. What about ToP in Ecuador? Well the citizen worker in Ecuador uses transitional funding in order to get things done and they vote to influence the state. During the Pre-Neoliberal Boom era in Ecuador, there was limited stability within the government as well as limited money to be distributed among the numerous organizations. It was during this time that the corporations had the advantage to push their agenda on the politicians. During the Neoliberal Boom Era (1987-2000), corporations were very powerful and interested in exploiting the natural resources that Ecuador has. The corporations worked with the state in order to make a profit from the natural resource extraction especially from oil extraction. There were complexities to international funding at this time mainly with misidentifying local needs. During the Neoliberal Bust Era (2000-2006), distractions in the international community reduced funding greatly. This lead to more local funding and influence rather than international but the main questions that every citizen had were: what should our focus be on? And where should the money go? During the Citizen's Revolution Era (2006-2015), President Correa enacted the Yasuni ITT Initiative in 2007 which later failed and he allowed for oil extraction at the end of his term. During this era, there was a collaboration between the state and the citizens pushing out the corporations and focusing on the agenda that would help the state and the people. Currently, Ecuador's state is weak, the corporations are strong, and the citizen workers are stuck in the middle. Serious changes need to be made in order for anything to get done but the state will stay in its weak state for while. After Laurel and Vici finished, I gathered my things and made the long trek back to our cabana and scared my walking mates because I thought I had seen a snake on the path. We all made it back to our cabanas safely and after prepping my things for the morning, I fell asleep to the sounds of the cloud forest.
Day 14: January 14th
This morning, instead of having to meet to go out at a certain time, we all had to meet in the main lodge at 8 for breakfast. So I got up around 7:30 and quickly got ready so that I could take my walk slowly and enjoy the scenery. I then sat with some other friends and watched all the hummingbirds until it was time to sit down for breakfast. After we all had finished a very filling meal (that had rolls with it - yes carbs!), we headed out to one of the trails that is on the lodge property. I learned that there is an abundance of native trees and that is because there are not a lot of introduced species but that is perfect because then more pollinating birds will be around. The native trees, unlike the non-native such as eucalyptus and pines, make food for the birds and that is why we see so many of them. There are 1700 species of birds in Ecuador and the endemic species depends on the ecosystem you're in. The biggest problem for birds? Cats. Cats are kept as pets and they go hunting in the forest and their prey is generally the birds. In the cloud forest, the spectackled bear was once very abundant but is now close to extinction. The bear has white markings on its face that are unique to each individual. Their blood was used for medicinal purposes before they were placed under protection. People also used to hunt condors - in the Paramo, people would place dead animals in the open and the condors would come to eat. Condors can eat up to 50 lbs in one sitting but this restricts their ability to fly away allowing them to be caught and kept as a pet. The people of the Amazon believe that certain animals bring different things to them: jaguars bring luck, hummingbirds brought fire to the first people to keep them warm, and pink dolphins bring bad luck. As we were walking we passed by a large group of anturillo flowers which are used to decorate houses and make them more welcoming. There is also a type plant called a monkey tail that was used to make nativities but there is a law preventing that now. Our trail eventually led to a river that has black sand and Diego told us that if we had the right equipment, we could do some alluvial gold panning! After we paused to take some pictures or videos, we headed back up the trail and some of us, including myself, went with Tait and a guide from the lodge to another trail across the street. There we saw birds and trees and even cows! But we had to turn around after 20 minutes of walking because it had started to rain and we didn't want anyone getting hurt on a slippery trail.
By the time we got back, it was time for lunch so we went into the main lodge and sat down with everyone to eat. After a filling lunch (all the food here was amazing), we had a little free time before our afternoon activity so some people went to the pool but I went back to the cabana to relax and do some reading since I brought two books with me and had barely cracked open the first. We then all met up around 2 near the main lodge and hopped in some taxis to go...ziplining!!! As we made our way to the ziplining place, we passed through town and Tait had assured us that we would stop in there after we finished ziplining so we can do last day shopping. After signing waivers and paying, we all got harnessed, took a few group pictures, and were giving a brief safety lesson. And then we were off! We did the course that took the longest going around and the views were amazing. After each line, we had to take a small hike to the next station but the hikes weren't terrible and again who can complain when you're in a cloud forest IN ECUADOR?! And then the clouds opened up and it started to rain but we all thought "eh, it's just lightly raining - no worries." Oh man were we wrong - the heavens really opened up and just let loose and let me just say, I love ziplining because I had been before this trip but I wouldn't want my worst enemy to zipline in the rain. Even though the rain was pelting my face, I was still making the best of this time - it was our last adventure in Ecuador and nothing could ruin that! The last line was 4 m long and the guide pulled on it to get the excess rain off and oh my that was the longest ride of my life. But we all survived! Even Angelique who is terrified of heights had fun! After we all met up, heavily soaked from the rain, we returned our gear and headed into town to do some shopping. Since this was the last chance to buy souvenirs, that were not horrible airport ones, I crossed the last few people off my list and after having 45 minutes to shop, we headed back to the lodge so that we could all change and get warm. We then had our last meal together at 7 and I have no complaints for any of the meals that we had at the lodge - they were all amazing and I would go back there in a heartbeat. After dinner we had our last reflection meeting where we just had an open discussion about how we thought the trip went - the pros and cons of having only Diego for the entire trip (along with local guides when needed), topics that we would have liked to see covered (I of course suggested soils), topics that shouldn't have been covered (we mainly agreed that we saw way too many churches), our favorite topics, the overall accommodations and pace, and how much money we spent (I still had money leftover!) so that Tait could give the next Ecuador trip an estimate of what we spent. Before we broke for the night, Tait let us know that all the presentations had been graded and that he was satisfied that they all had good supplements along with reflections afterwards. We could private message him on WhatsApp if we wanted to know our grade so Lori and I decided that we wanted to know and we did a lot better than what I had thought - generally when I give a presentation, I feel like I rush and then I don't get the information across properly but Tait reassured me that we did a great job. I then sat up in the little loft with some of the others and talked for a bit before heading back to the cabana to pack.
By the time we got back, it was time for lunch so we went into the main lodge and sat down with everyone to eat. After a filling lunch (all the food here was amazing), we had a little free time before our afternoon activity so some people went to the pool but I went back to the cabana to relax and do some reading since I brought two books with me and had barely cracked open the first. We then all met up around 2 near the main lodge and hopped in some taxis to go...ziplining!!! As we made our way to the ziplining place, we passed through town and Tait had assured us that we would stop in there after we finished ziplining so we can do last day shopping. After signing waivers and paying, we all got harnessed, took a few group pictures, and were giving a brief safety lesson. And then we were off! We did the course that took the longest going around and the views were amazing. After each line, we had to take a small hike to the next station but the hikes weren't terrible and again who can complain when you're in a cloud forest IN ECUADOR?! And then the clouds opened up and it started to rain but we all thought "eh, it's just lightly raining - no worries." Oh man were we wrong - the heavens really opened up and just let loose and let me just say, I love ziplining because I had been before this trip but I wouldn't want my worst enemy to zipline in the rain. Even though the rain was pelting my face, I was still making the best of this time - it was our last adventure in Ecuador and nothing could ruin that! The last line was 4 m long and the guide pulled on it to get the excess rain off and oh my that was the longest ride of my life. But we all survived! Even Angelique who is terrified of heights had fun! After we all met up, heavily soaked from the rain, we returned our gear and headed into town to do some shopping. Since this was the last chance to buy souvenirs, that were not horrible airport ones, I crossed the last few people off my list and after having 45 minutes to shop, we headed back to the lodge so that we could all change and get warm. We then had our last meal together at 7 and I have no complaints for any of the meals that we had at the lodge - they were all amazing and I would go back there in a heartbeat. After dinner we had our last reflection meeting where we just had an open discussion about how we thought the trip went - the pros and cons of having only Diego for the entire trip (along with local guides when needed), topics that we would have liked to see covered (I of course suggested soils), topics that shouldn't have been covered (we mainly agreed that we saw way too many churches), our favorite topics, the overall accommodations and pace, and how much money we spent (I still had money leftover!) so that Tait could give the next Ecuador trip an estimate of what we spent. Before we broke for the night, Tait let us know that all the presentations had been graded and that he was satisfied that they all had good supplements along with reflections afterwards. We could private message him on WhatsApp if we wanted to know our grade so Lori and I decided that we wanted to know and we did a lot better than what I had thought - generally when I give a presentation, I feel like I rush and then I don't get the information across properly but Tait reassured me that we did a great job. I then sat up in the little loft with some of the others and talked for a bit before heading back to the cabana to pack.
Day 15/16: January 15th & 16th
Early wake-up and breakfast before leaving the lodge at 8:15. We headed towards Quito but about 10 minutes into the journey, Vici realized she had left her coat so we had to turn around to grab it. We made it to the airport in Quito with plenty of time before our flight so we checked in, went through security, and then headed to our gate. We didn't have to sit long before they started boarding and surprisingly, we left early! On the flight, I did some reading since it was a short flight from Quito to Guayaquil and once we landed, we went to pick up our luggage and had to say our goodbyes to Diego. We took a group picture with him and all took turns saying goodbye before we went out separate ways. Since we had a layover in Guayaquil, we decided on a place to eat, sat down and ate, and then to check-in again before heading through security to our gate. Since we still had time before our flight, I found a good place to plop down and do some stretching since I had spent most of my day already in a bus and on a plane. We were all relaxing until we heard Tait and Elana's names called over the intercom and as they headed up to the desk near the gate, we all wondered what was happening. They didn't come back right away and so we began to get worried but Tait messaged us after 10 minutes and let us know that Elana had been pulled because she had 5 semi-full water bottles in her suitcase and Tait had been pulled because he had a box of dry soap that just happened to look very suspicious. They both came back and we all had a few laughs about the whole situation and before I knew it, we were boarding the plane to head to Bogota. We took off on time and landed safely in Bogota where we had to go through security again before we could find our gate. Since we had another layover, we all walked or stretched until we had to board our last flight together. Our last flight took off on time and I stayed up until dinner was served so that I wouldn't be starving when I woke up later. After I finished dinner, I watched one episode of my show on Netflix and then tried to sleep since it was going to be super early when we landed.
Before I knew it, we were landing at JFK. We got to the gate around 4:15 a.m. and it really hit me that I was one step closer to being home. We went through customs and baggage claim and then we all said our goodbye and headed our separate ways home. This trip had been such an amazing experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity to see such a beautiful country. I not only gained knowledge and experience but I also gained 12 new friends and a million memories that I will never forget. I was really able to come out of my shell with this trip since I normally like to keep to myself but when you spend 15 days with people in close quarters, you really can't hold back. I was able to move away from the fear of being judged because we all had crazy hair or were drenched in sweat or were getting sick. I was able to open up to this group of people so easily and just be my authentic self. I was able to have those normally difficult conversations with the other girls so that we could all share our experiences and I was able to have conversations with the guys without having to worry that they were taking my friendliness the wrong way (i.e. I was flirting rather than being a nice person and making conversation). Most of my friends from home were telling me to "enjoy your vacation over winter break!" but this trip was far from a vacation. I had to diligently take notes, I spent the entire fall semester preparing for it, and now in the spring semester I had to finish this site and write a term paper. Yes I got to travel on winter break but I did it to broaden my education and go somewhere that is every ENVL major's dream. I got to see different ecosystems, learn about agriculture, how the country is using renewable energy, what their water supply is like, see volcanoes, hike at 14,000 feet above sea level, improve my Spanish (kinda), and eat new cuisine. This trip has given me the opportunity to really question how environmentally friendly or sustainable a company, city, or country can be and what their definition of both is in comparison to the U.S. I would go back in a heartbeat and visit the places that I really loved like Cajas and Mindo. I'm sad that it's over but so happy that Lori convinced me to go to the information meeting back in March of 2017 because without that little kick, I would have missed out on this once in a lifetime experience. Thank you Tait, thank you Diego, thank you to our amazing TA, Jacalyn, and thank you to all of my classmates (Lori, Abby, Angelique, Hunter, Laurel, Kevin, John, Haley, Greg, Vici, Elana, and Aiden) for giving me the opportunity to gain knowledge, make friends, and make so many memories.
Before I knew it, we were landing at JFK. We got to the gate around 4:15 a.m. and it really hit me that I was one step closer to being home. We went through customs and baggage claim and then we all said our goodbye and headed our separate ways home. This trip had been such an amazing experience and I am very grateful for the opportunity to see such a beautiful country. I not only gained knowledge and experience but I also gained 12 new friends and a million memories that I will never forget. I was really able to come out of my shell with this trip since I normally like to keep to myself but when you spend 15 days with people in close quarters, you really can't hold back. I was able to move away from the fear of being judged because we all had crazy hair or were drenched in sweat or were getting sick. I was able to open up to this group of people so easily and just be my authentic self. I was able to have those normally difficult conversations with the other girls so that we could all share our experiences and I was able to have conversations with the guys without having to worry that they were taking my friendliness the wrong way (i.e. I was flirting rather than being a nice person and making conversation). Most of my friends from home were telling me to "enjoy your vacation over winter break!" but this trip was far from a vacation. I had to diligently take notes, I spent the entire fall semester preparing for it, and now in the spring semester I had to finish this site and write a term paper. Yes I got to travel on winter break but I did it to broaden my education and go somewhere that is every ENVL major's dream. I got to see different ecosystems, learn about agriculture, how the country is using renewable energy, what their water supply is like, see volcanoes, hike at 14,000 feet above sea level, improve my Spanish (kinda), and eat new cuisine. This trip has given me the opportunity to really question how environmentally friendly or sustainable a company, city, or country can be and what their definition of both is in comparison to the U.S. I would go back in a heartbeat and visit the places that I really loved like Cajas and Mindo. I'm sad that it's over but so happy that Lori convinced me to go to the information meeting back in March of 2017 because without that little kick, I would have missed out on this once in a lifetime experience. Thank you Tait, thank you Diego, thank you to our amazing TA, Jacalyn, and thank you to all of my classmates (Lori, Abby, Angelique, Hunter, Laurel, Kevin, John, Haley, Greg, Vici, Elana, and Aiden) for giving me the opportunity to gain knowledge, make friends, and make so many memories.