Quito, Ecuador

With a screech and a puff of smoke, my plane touched down at Quito Airport, and I was officially in my first country in South America. Spring break had officially started!By the time we had gotten out of the airport and through a winding mountain highway into the city, it was about 9:00 AM. We rushed to dinner at a local restaurant then went straight to the hotel. After a whole day of traveling, everyone was EXHAUSTED! We had an early wake up the next morning because we had a lot to do!

We woke up early and everyone got ready. After a quick breakfast, we boarded a bus and hit the road. We toured Quito, which is the capital of Ecuador. We started with a city overlook with the city in front of us, and a tall Madonna statue behind us. Then went to an old monastery, which is the oldest operational catholic school in Ecuador. We also visited the presidential palace and were able to see the changing of the guard ceremony which happens every Monday, and Monday only! We took a moment to rest and fill our stomachs with some handmade empanadas which were delicious! Our last visit of the day was the EQUATOR! There is a large statue in a large square that was thought to be the actual middle of the Earth, however, located just 200 meters (600ft) away is a museum that has the real line running through it. We confirmed this by doing several tests like testing the Coriolis effect and balancing an egg on a nail. What an amazing day!

Quito is a very mountainous city which makes for picaresque views. The city is surrounded by 60 volcanoes, some of which are still active. The last eruption was in 2015, however about 300 tremors are felt every month. From my hotel, I have a view of one of the tallest volcanoes, Pichincha, which overlooks the entire city. The buildings line the mountains and look quite spectacular. Overall, I was charmed by the country’s amazing food, friendly people, and amazing sites on the first day itself! We all headed to bed early because of our VERY EARLY wake-up. We would have to catch the 5:30 AM flight to Baltra Island in the Galapagos for which I was very excited!

Stay tuned for more content about my visit to Ecuador! Until next time!