Read about the sights, sounds, and scrumptious bites students discovered during a day out in Quito, Ecuador on our Middle School Service Ecuador & the Galápagos program.
Hello All,
Eve, Lawson, and Lauren here! We are doing well and having fun in the vibrant city of Quito. We started our day bright and early with some delicious eggs and bread. Then we continued to orientation on the terrace, where we captured the amazing views of the mountains and city. We got to know each other through icebreakers and ground rules. Then we set off on our adventure! We went to Teleférico, where we rode the tram to the top of the mountain and took a scenic walk to high elevation swings.
After riding the tram down, we took a short bus ride to our lunch spot and ate some delicious food. Afterwards, we walked to the statue of La Virgen del Panecillo, overlooking the city of Quito. Then we split into two groups and headed to the heart of the city. One group walked around and explored the historical center, while the others got a chance to make chocolate bars with pure cacao beans from Ecuador.
In this place, we learned the meaning of the word minka, which comes from the Quichua word minga. This means working together as a team. We decided to make this our motto and so now, at the end of each day, we have decided to end our meetings by shouting this word! We also walked around the historical center and took an exhilarating climb to the top of Basilica Church today. Both groups got a chance to enjoy each experience.
After a jam-packed and exciting day, we headed to dinner in northern Quito. Here we enjoyed chicken tenders, nachos, wings, and salad–our last taste of American food! Once we got back to the hotel, we finished off the day with the first nightly meeting of our trip.
Signing off–
Lawson, Lauren, and Eve
To learn more about our Middle School Service Ecuador & the Galápagos program, click here!
