This post will be for days 3 and 4. Day 3 was a travel day, but was still filled with activities. After an 8:30 departure from Quito headed to Iyarina Lodge in the jungle. After the city, we headed 13,000 feet up in the Andes. The driver pulled off the road onto an access road to an overlook, and the view was stunning. The air was cool, crisp, and refreshing. Skip gave us lessons about the local fauna, and we (unfortunately) had to leave the overlook early because of the altitude. Some of us sprinted towards the bus, and that was a bad idea. Everyone was out of breath, but we were all excited to go to the next destination: the hot springs.

In the hot springs, we met a man named Juan. We did not realize that the people in the same pool spoke English as well, until Juan started speaking to us. He was born in Quito, went to school in Kentucky, and currently lives in Knoxville. Juan reminded me of my grandfather. He seemed like he knew everyone in the spring, was extremely smart, and was outgoing. He recently started a start up, MC2, and the idea is blending the traditional Ecuadorian culture with Mexican and Southwest American art styles. He was super passionate about his culture, and that we were going out to experience his lifestyle.

After the hot spring, we went to a cloud forest. That was one of the coolest hikes I’ve done. We pulled over off the highway in a thick cloud. I woke up from a nap, and was still groggy, but I lucked out and there was a couple of people selling coffee and empanadas under a tarp. I grabbed a coffee, and the lady took a metal bowl and scooped it into a plastic cup. That was the best coffee I’ve ever had. It was creamy and smooth, while not being too bitter. However, I fell behind because I had to wait for the coffee. On the trail, I had to catch up to the group, and that included climbing over a fallen tree. This sounds crazy but as God and Bella as my witnesses, I did not spill a drop of that coffee on that hike. After the hike, we took a break at the empanada stand, and almost every truck and car honked at us on their way. Everyone in Ecuador has been so welcoming, and I feel like a part of the community. While we were sitting there I hear a thud and one of the posts holding a tarp over the empanada stand had fallen over, and a very confused Skip. After a hectic few moments, the truth came out. Skip saw a butterfly and went to catch it. However, he ran into the post holding up the tarp. That was the hardest I’ve laughed on the trip so far. We arrived later at the lodge, and I’ll talk about that more in the next post. Tomorrow, we are going to meet with an indigenous tribe deep in the Amazon.