Day 3 of Ecuador was an even more amazing experience. We left the hotel at around 7:30, and made our way through the beautiful mountainous landscapes of Quito. We were heading towards Jet Fresh Growers, a rose farm situated just outside of Quito. When we arrived, we were instantly greeted by an onslaught of animals. Llamas, dogs, ducks, chickens, and cats all rushed over to welcome us to the farm. After saying our hello’s to the adorable animals, we began our tour of the greenhouses. We learned all about the process of growing roses, including the cutting and grafting process that is used to strengthen the plant. The roses were amazing. There were an endless amount of colors, shapes, and sizes. After touring the greenhouses, we went to see the chemical treatment and packaging processes. The efficiency and coordination of the entire operation was very impressive. We were then led into the freezer where the roses are kept in a water solution before the finagling packaging, where they are then ready to be shipped out. As we we’re leaving the processing facility, we were able to see some of the plants artists painting the roses more unnatural colors such as black, bright blue, and covering them in glitter. Our tour guide also prepared a gift for us; a rose with a Pitt logo stamped on it and another with a Spotify link that eventually Rick Rolled us. Our last stop at the farm was an amazing fruit and cheese buffet that the staff had prepared for us. It was an amazing introduction to native Ecuadorian fruits, my favorite being the golden berries and cactus fruit.
After our tour of the rose farm, we got back into the bus and made our way toward some nearby Incan ruins at Hacienda San Agustin de Callo, a lodge that incorporated the Incan ruins within the rooms. After getting off the bus, we were immediately greeted by the owners dog, appropriately named Lady Gaga as she absolutely stole the spotlight. We then headed into the hacienda with our four-legged guide leading the way. It was an interesting mixture of Spanish republican and Incan style architecture. We learned how advanced the Incan architecture was, so much so that when the Spanish tried to imitate it, they completely failed. We viewed fountains and rooms that the Incans used to use for rituals. We were the greeted by another four-legged friend, an adorable puppy named Maxi. We headed into the living room of the hacienda to try a traditional Ecuadorian drink called canelazo. It was orange in color, but tasted extremely similar to the apple cider that my grandmother makes. It was such a treat! But the surprises weren’t done yet. We were led into the courtyard where the owners gave us baskets of carrots and brought out their entire flock of llamas. We were able to pet and feed them, and I even gave one a carrot with my mouth.
The hacienda was situated in front of volcán Cotopaxi, but it was unfortunately obscured by the clouds for most of our visit. We were, however, able to see El Callo which sat just in front of the hacienda. Legend says that the Incans constructed the entire mountain by themselves.
After leaving the hacienda, we took the hottest bus ride of my life to Bios chocolate, a chocolate factory located in Quito. We got to try different types of chocolate, from floral to fruity. After learning about some history, we were able to get our hands dirty and make our own chocolate.
Hasta Luego,
Olivia