Today we awoke to the most beautiful view in a magical place. I am constantly in awe of how much effort Ecuador puts into the beauty of their buildings – whether it be hotels or businesses. I keep thinking that maybe we are just surrounded by wealthier areas, but each new place continues to impress – even if it’s just the exterior painted in bright colors – it adds so much to an area. I aspire to paint my own house bright orange!
Our first adventure was at the market in Otawla. SO many vendors lined one area it was easy to get lost between textiles and jewelry. I have never been more grateful for the amount of Spanish I know while bargaining for the best price of goods. I was even interviewed by an Ecuadorian student for a bit as we both tried to stumble through each other’s language. Christian, James, Alex, Rohan, Mark, our lovely guide Mary, and I stumbled upon a super modern coffee shop and played an intense game of UNO. I sadly did not win 🙁
After the market, we went to a Quichwa ceremonial space where Mary educated us about her culture as a Quichwa woman. Every piece of her clothing had meaning. The red cloth hidden on her lower stomach represented strength to the area that brings life into the world.
Soon after, we went to a park with a huge waterfall and a crazy-looking park with a swing-zip-line thing. I was the first jumper and didn’t perish! Definitely one of my favorite parts of the day!
We then rushed to get to the Condor Park – the official bird of Ecuador. While I’m not a bird person, I will admit seeing all of the different assortments of birds was pretty cool. Even crazier, though, was getting to see a woman feed the large birds – feeding them a bucket of dead chicks! Yikes! I used Skips binoculars and immediately regretted watching a chick get completely shredded apart.
By the time we got back to the hotel, I was EXHAUSTED but we got a surprise…guinea pig…to eat…as an appetizer. I’m not gonna lie, I couldn’t stop thinking of PJ – my hamster I bought at age 7 – while eating it. RIP PJ. I can’t say Guinea Pig is for me!
After getting dinner out, we returned to find the hotel owners Jose and Matilda had prepared their traditional berry drink, bread and music for us. They said they treat everyone who stays with them as family, and they wanted to share their culture with us as their mother always had. These are the types of interactions I travel for. We danced the traditional Quichwa circle dance as they played all their favorite songs. Tomorrow, we will embark on our 7-hour bus ride to the lodge!