Well, after 24 hours of traveling home and a bit of procrastination, here we are at my final blog. Looking back on the trip, it honestly feels like a fever dream filled with surreal and unforgettable experiences. We gradually worked our way to the furthest point from society and reality, just to be right back…
Tag: Plus3 Ecuador
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Final Days in Ecuador
This Wednesday was a lot more chill after a hectic couple of days. We had a calm 8 AM breakfast of eggs, yuca, fresh fruit, and orange juice. Very yummy per usual. Today we worked on our pottery a little more since it had dried out completely. I took a small stone and rubbed the…
The final stretch :( Goodbye Ecuador
Wednesday, May 20th, was a much needed slower day. The night before, we had finally returned from deep in the Amazon with the Waorani tribe. The journey back was long and exhausting, filled with canoe rides and bus rides, but somehow we all made it back in one piece. What I didn’t make it back…
Monkey See, Monkey Do
* Monkey photo credit to Matt* Nora see, Nora tried. On a more serious note, the last 3 days have been an absolute whirlwind. Sunday morning, we got up early and had to have our bags packed so we could drop them off on the way to breakfast. Our backpacks and provided boots were all…
Adios Ecuador
Today marks the last day of Plus3 Ecuador. This trip has truly been life-changing for me. It really opened my eyes to a brand new culture that was completely different from back home, which was really cool to see. I got to meet new people, go to new places, and build new connections with people…
Wrapping Things Up
Today(5/19), we were very tired from our adventures with the Waorani yesterday, so we took it easy today with another travel day back. We woke up pretty early and had breakfast before going on our last canoe ride of the trip. This time, the canoe ride took us a little bit longer since we were…
Last Moments in Ecuador
To start off the day, we had breakfast and then joined back in the common area at the lodge for a lesson on chocolate making! We had a great guide come and show us his process of turning roasted beans into melted chocolate which was a super cool experience to see up close. Then I…
The Longest Travel Day Ever
To start out our last day I packed up the rest of my things and got ready for breakfast. I was really hoping they would make the breakfast tamales again for our last meal there because they were so good but unfortunately, they didn’t. The meal they made however was almost just as good (close…
Signing Off
I am saddened to say that this is my final blog post for Plus3 Ecuador. The last three days of our trip were more relaxed after the blur of activities and experiences we had with the Waorani, with whom we were all reluctant to part. On Wednesday morning, we polished our hardened pottery with rocks…
Last Days in Ecuador
After returning from the Waorani community, we still had two more days left at Iyarina before heading home. On Wednesday morning, we woke up, ate breakfast, and got a chance to relax a little after the long travel day back from the Amazon. The break was very much needed. Later in the morning, we headed…
Adios Amigos!
Our trip is coming to an end, so this will cover the last days. On Wednesday, we were able to start painting our pots because they were dry. To paint, we used hair that was tied onto a little stick. I painted some triangles with dots in them. On the inside of the bowl, on…
Days 11/12/13: Almost Bilingual
After the Waorani we spent a good day pretty much relaxing at the lodge which was nice as I took a very long nap. We also painted our bowls from the prior day and I went for a starry galaxy design which turned out not great, but I was proud of it. When I went…
Days 11/12 – The final days.
Day 11 was a nice chill day after another long travel day back from the Waorani. We were all absolutely exhausted, not only from the travel but from the packed day with the tribe. Breakfast at 8am, like usual, but only some pottery painting in the morning, followed by a great showcase of how chocolate…
With The Waorani
We woke up from our lodge to take an early bus all of the way to the Waprani territories, the ride being about 2 hours long. When we finally arrived to the doc, there were four big canoes waiting to take us on our journey. Lily, Ben, Gavin, and rick were on my canoe,…
Tribal Living
We spent an unforgettable day with the tribe, starting with a visit to the massive ceiba trees, some of the largest trees in the Amazon. These trees hold great importance within the community, serving as gathering places, scouting locations, and spaces where stories are passed down through generations. Listening to the matriarch of the tribe…
Bye
As I stood in the ridiculously long immigration line in the Quito airport, I had time to reflect on our action-packed trip. Everything I learned, accomplished, and experienced in such a short amount of time cannot be explained in words – thus explaining why this “reflection” blog will be a short one. Talking with our…
Into the Lungs of Planet Earth
The next leg of our journey took us deeper into the Amazon as we traveled to the Waroni tribe. The trip involved a two-hour bus ride to the airport, followed by another six hours traveling down the river by canoe. It was incredible being so far removed from civilization and fully surrounded by nature. Along…
Wandering Through the Waorani Nation
Sunday began bright and early at 5:30am, as we were finally traveling to see the Waorani! After briefly struggling to get out of bed, Nat and I packed the last of our things and headed over to the main tent. Unfortunately, we had to wait around a bit longer than expected after breakfast because we…
Kicking it with the Waorani
Day nine started a little bit before six in the morning but only because everyone cooking downstairs woke me up. Breakfast wasn’t until 7:30 so I tried to go back to sleep but wasn’t really successful. For breakfast we of course had juice and coffee, but the main meal was oatmeal and buns. After breakfast…
Sun Burns and Scenic Routes
Day eight was of course a long one. We got up earlier than usual and had breakfast around six. For breakfast we had eggs, buns, and fresh fruit. After breakfast we immediately packed up the bus with our supplies, life vests, bags, boots, and were soon on our way to the canoes. The bus ride…