It all started in Pittsburgh at 1:30am, when we had to wake up and start our days. We got on the bus and traveled to the airport. Everyone was tired and out of it. We got through security, and we successfully made it to Miami. In Miami we had an 8-hour layover, and during this time, we got to take the bus and go to South Beach. We got to go on the beach and explore the city of Miami; it was a really cool experience. Next, we took the bus back to the airport for our 3-hour and 30-minute flight to Quito. When we finally landed in Quito, it was 9pm, and we jumped back an hour, so we were almost up for 24 hours. We took an hour bus ride to the hotel, and we were all ready for bed and to start our first day in Quito!!

We woke up early in the morning for a breakfast at the hotel. We started off by exploring the San Francisco Catholic Church. It was a very beautiful church with lots of amazing artwork and design. It was covered with tons of gold, which really made the place unique. After stopping into a church service at San Francisco Catholic Church and seeing the beautiful church, we got to tour Museo Franciscano Fray Pedro Gocial. It was really cool to see the history and artwork throughout the tour. We got to try baby coconuts and see the first brewery of the New World. It was such a unique experience, and the church had beautiful views outlooking into Quito.

Later in the day, we decided to walk to Basílica del Voto Nacional. It was quite a hike but was totally worth it. We got there and the church was beautiful. We bought tickets and started exploring. We climbed many flights of stairs and saw many amazing views. Nothing compares to the last staircase, was outside and was more like a ladder than a staircase. It was sketchy, but we made the climb. When we made it to the top, we realized that the views were worth the journey. My picture is an image of me at the top of the church with the background being the view of Quito. It was a great first day!!