Ecuador Galapagos & Andean Service Adventure 2025
June 28, 2025
Today was a long travel day! In the morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and went to the airport. At the airport we got new boarding passes and got through the busy Houston security. Before boarding everyone got drinks and snacks! We then boarded and had a relaxing 5 hour flight to Quito.
We arrived in Quito in the late afternoon. We got through a long line in customs and got our bags from the bagage claim and met Fabricio before driving to a small cafe for dinner.
For dinner we had amazing homemade empanadas and fruit juice made from guanábana and blackberry. The family running the restaurant were very friendly. After dinner we got to the hotel, found room assignments, had a quick Ecuador orientation and went to bed.
By Boden
June 29, 2025
Hola from Ecuador day 2!
Today was full of fun adventures, bonding bus rides and four course lunches. During these we got to know each other, and form new connections. We started day 2 by waking up at 7:00am for our breakfast of fruits, eggs and a croissant. We then hopped on the bus and headed to our first destination, Pichincha volcano. We took a breathtaking ride up the side of a HUGE green gorgeous luscious mountain of trees. BUT… the mountain was in fact NOT a mountain at all. When we got we got to the top we discovered, the Lucious gorgeous mountain of trees, was a VOLCANO! After this SHOCKING realization we found it a great idea to hike to the top of said volcano. On the way of this breathtaking (literally) hike we were greeted by two beautiful fluffy clouds. But they were not clouds! They were… ALPACAS! These creatures were wearing authentic regalia full of vibrant threads and colors. At the top of the hike we found two swings – one thrilling, the other exhilarating, both intimidating-for they were hanging OFF of said volcano. After risking our lives, and breaking our comfort zone barriers, we hiked back down, hopped in the bus, and headed to our next destination, El Mitad del Mundo. This location is the center of the world with a latitude of 00°00’00”. We were lead through this incredible destination by a tour guide who taught us many things including the indigenous cultures and their customs; and the life of the Amazon. We also learned about how incredible this point on earth really is. After this, we headed to lunch at El Patio. This was an incredible experience where we ate food that was 40-70% cultivated in their garden right outside the building. During this meal, we were given 4 courses. Starting with a delicious soup, then a fresh garden salad, an elevated chicken and fries, and last but not least, a flavorful ice cream topped with rich dark chocolate and figs. Our next destination brought us to the downtown city of Quito. There we explored the Neo Gothic Cathedral and the Basilica. We then left Quito and headed back to our hostel. Once we got to our hostel, we had some down time and then had dinner of hamburgers, fries, and sodas! We discussed and created our group contract with our hopes and aspirations for our trip to come. New adventures await us to tomorrow as we step into the community where we will spend the next five nights with our homestay families.
Peace out boom Shaka laka hasta mañana!
XOXO Mac and Margaux 😉
