Written by Andrew
Since the last blog we have done so many thrilling things! Let me fill you in!
While in the Amazon, we took the opportunity to do some tubing in the amazing Arajuno River right in front of us! The views were insanely nice! We also took the opportunity to explore the such biodiverse place and did a night hike with William to see how the critters of the Amazon lived life.
If you’re scared of spiders, look away now!
Shout out to all the brave night hikers for hiking in the Amazon at night and taking a look at spiders, snakes and everything else that popped up close and personal!
We then took the time to do some community service in a nearby town. This consisted of planting trees a small town of 150 inhabitants called Santa Barbara. We all felt extremely welcomed and were able to work side by side with the community members.
The next day, we were invited back to Santa Barbara for a glimpse into the culture. This consisted of dances and the big feast. We ate fish, steamed vegetables, and chicha. Chicha is a Ecuadorian drink made of mashed yucca which is drank at all meals in some households. The mashed yucca is then mixed with water and left to ferment over the next couple of days. It is important to not let it ferment for more than 5 days if you would like to drink chicha with your kids at breakfast, after 5 days the drink becomes alcoholic!
That same day, we all did a tour at Ama-ZOO-nico, a animal rescue center which is made up of thousands of Hectares in the Amazon. We saw tapirs, spider monkeys, and even an Anaconda. The tour was extremely informative and was led by voulenteers from around the world. Big shout-out to our amazing guides from Paris and Taiwan!
After that we took on the challenge of WHITE WATER RAFTING! We started our 2 day rafting trip down the Jatunyacu river in a town called Tena. We raffted in 3 different groups and had a guide on each raft. Shout out to Byron, Clayton, and Jordan from Caveman Adventures for guiding us through the thrilling experience! And a even bigger shout out to the people who capsized on our second rapid and persevered!
We spent the night on an island, but before that, we had an amazing time connecting with locals by watching a cultural dance and even joining in! While on this island, we also learned more about the chocolate creation process with a local chocolate maker. We ended our rafting experience in Puerto Napo with a great lunch and short drive to our hostel Tena Naui!
After spending the night we woke up bright and early to drive to our final destination…
Quito, Ecuador! The Capital!
It was a 4 hour drive filled with majestic views and of course another great Ecuadorian lunch waiting for us we we got there. Huasi Lodge is where we would spend our final moments together on this amazing Global Routes experience.
To end the trip, we had our last chow circle, our tradition which always happened before dinner. This one was was extra special, although we were a bit sad knowing this was our last one, it was filled with amazing gratitude’s and heartfelt moments between the whole group.
We had our final dinner with an amazing view of Quito, making sure to cherish and soak in these last moments.
After that we had our final ceremony. During this time, we reflected and spoke on memories we cherished and moments we would never forget. Mine was one with my host family in Pucara. The Flores family treated me as one as one of their own from the moment we meet, but the morning in which me and my group mates left their care was a very special one. I assisted with their morning chores of moving the cattle, milking the cows, and just making sure all the cattle were doing well.
At one point, my host father lost control of a baby cow which began to run my way. I caught it meanwhile still having another baby cow on my other side! He screamed with joy and thought it was so cool! It was an awesome moment to me, and something I’ll remember for years to come ❤️
Our last full day in Quito was full of exploring! We walked around the the hilly streets of Quito, visited the Basilica del Nacional, and had lunch in a very cool cafeteria setting.
Just hours ago, we boarded our first flight Quito to ATL and now I write these final words from our gate about to board our final plane to JFK.
To me Global Routes has been more than a trip or a summer experience. It’s been a life changing moment which will guide me in the right the direction for the rest of my life.
Thank you Mateo, Ryan, and Rachel for being unique and awesome trip leaders. Not only that, but for being caring, supportive, and loving of all of us during this amazing moment in our lives. We can’t wait to reconnect and let y’all know how life is going for us, and how your unconditional support has guided us in the right direction.
From the bottom of our hearts thank you ❤️
What were three of the top highlights this week?:
Charlie: “Um…the most memorable part of the trip would have to be spending time with everyone. I truly enjoyed and cherished the moments I had with every single person. I wish we could be together as one but, it was fun while it lasted. I learned how to open up and make more connections. I really love y’all with my whole heart. Until next time! I’m super shy, super shy. ❤️”
Elaisa: “My highlight of the trip is quite broad but important because we would do this almost everyday. The mornings, afternoons, nights we would spend playing and teaching card games was very much appreciated by me and others. Games like CABO, Pirate *****, and Mentira were able to bring everyone together with so much curiosity and enjoyment. Therefore I cherish all the decks and cards we’ve burned along our four-week trip!”
A special thanks to the following amazing humans who have made all of this greatness possible,
Parents & Guardians <3, Summer Search mentors <3, Tashi, Kelly, Adam, Marcelo, Peter, Tom, Homestay Families, and everyone who received us with a warm welcome in the beautiful and unique country of Ecuador.
I cannot stress this enough, Thank you ❤️ or better said, Yupaichanni <3 !
