This post features student writing.

Hola desde Ecuador!

We woke up in the village at 8 AM for another yummy breakfast of eggs with onions and tomatoes, toast with jam, and a blackberry smoothie. Then, Sarah and Lily—our breakfast crew for the day—washed all the dishes as we all prepared ourselves for the first day of work! It was the first day with no clouds in the sky, so we all took advantage of the warmth. We were all split into several groups: one group hiked up the mountain to cut down branches and trees with machetes and the other group stayed at the house and began the first steps to construct a fence to protect the cow machinery.

We all came back together for a big lunch of soup, rice, mashed potatoes, salad, and plantains. After a quick rest, we headed back to work. During the afternoon, we all were together at the house moving rocks in order to construct the fence. We had a few run-ins with some spiders, which caused some laughter throughout the group. After work, we all enjoyed a restful siesta before Sophia, Jake, and Nathan put together a bonfire for the group. We had a delicious dinner of empanadas, new fruits, eggs, and toast. After dinner, we all bundled up in our sleeping bags and rested up for the next day!

We have felt very welcomed by the community—they even threw us a welcoming party with music and dancing. Fifteen guinea pigs were cooked in our honor. Almost everyone in the group tried the guinea pig and liked it. We danced around the fire and sang traditional songs and met everyone at the community. The work we have done and the experiences we have had so far wouldn’t be possible without the help and patience of Ivan, Luis, Marcia, Marisol, and Teresa, and everyone in the community who have been so kind and welcoming. 

— Lucy M. & Caroline