This post features student writing by Ella, Sarah and Lucy M.

Hola desde Ecuador!

We’ve arrived safely on the South American continent to stunning Quito. After a short night’s rest in our hostel, we headed out in lots of layers to explore the city. Our first stop was Parque Itchimbía where we looked out onto the densely populated and hilly landscape. As it began to rain we filed back into the bus and headed to Cafe Mosaico for orientation! During orientation we truly started to bond as group, outlining our trip expectations and goals. The best part of orientation was playing Three Minutes of Fame, where we got to ask our group leaders, Juliana and Lawrence, anything we wanted! Afterward we ate a delicious lunch of Ecuadorian food. The coolest part about the restaurant is that they rescue and care for stray dogs, giving them a food and a home. After lunch, we went up one of the mountains in a gondola, which in Spanish is called a teleférico. The views were amazing and the entire view of the city was breathtaking. At the peak of our climb we stopped to take some group selfies at around 12,500 feet! We made our way through the cloud cover down on the gondola and made our way into the old city by bus. Once there, we got a theatrical experience of the city through an amazing and knowledgeable guide that told us about the city center history. We ate dinner as a group on a beautiful rooftop with great views and then headed back to the hostel. Great way to start off our Ecuadorian adventure!