Hey friends! So its been a BUSY last couple of days. Monday we started our day in Quito with breakfast at the hotel before making our way to Yumbos chocolate where we got to do a chocolate tasting! We started with 100% cacao which was not the best… BUT it got so much better. We had flavors from tangerine to lemon grass and even coffee and it did not disappoint. I also think I had the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life. After the tasting we took our last couple hours in Quito to walk around shop a little more before getting lunch and then heading on the road. Lunch was great as I’ve come to expect and afterwards we hopped in the bus and we were on the way to Bios chocolate for another tasting! I took a little siesta on the ride but was ready for more chocolate by the time we got to the Bios facility. There we tried even more flavors which I had never even imagined. Some of the chocolate bars had figs or even freeze dried raspberries which may sound intimidating but they were amazing. Our tasting went so well and then we got to tour the facility where we ate chocolate directly from the machines! The tour was about 3 hours and afterwards we got back on the bus to head to where we were staying next. After yet another siesta during our ride, we arrived just outside of Cayambe at the hacienda we stayed at. We got settled in and made a fire to all hang around before ending the long day of travel.

On Tuesday we woke up bright and early to grab breakfast from our new friend Antonio who managed the hacienda. Breakfast was filling and we quickly got on the road again to check out or next tour at Ecuaroscanada. Here we got to walk around the rose farm and see all the work that goes into the exportation of flowers. We had a couple fury friends from the farm guiding us as well during the trip and it was so cool to see all of the effort that goes into making just one bunch of roses. We also learned about some of the busy seasons for the rose industry especially in Russia. There they have a larger emphasis on national women’s day and our guide explained to us that during this time Ecuaroscanada produces up to 40,000 stems of roses PER DAY! After the tour we went back to Hacienda for a quick lunch before leaving again to meet the leader of the foundation which supports the hacienda we were staying at as well as the mayor of Picalqui, the small town we were staying in. There we learned about the importance of exports for the town and how they wish to make connections in the United States to enhance their economy. The meeting was very informational and I really enjoyed it. We made our way back to the hacienda and had to quickly get ready for a soccer game we had planned! We then got to play soccer with some high school students from Quito who were also staying there. The game was so fun and we won 3-2 which was just an added bonus. I loved every second and so far I think it has been my favorite moment of the trip. We quickly changed and packed up before dinner because we had to leave for Otavalo right after eating. Dinner was great and we said goodbye to our new friends as we made our way to the next destination.

On Wednesday we woke up in our new hotel in Otavalo before having an early breakfast. We quickly ate breakfast and then got on the bus to head to the inner city to look at some of the markets in town. I got some very cool gifts and stopped at this coffee shop to try some of the Ecuadorian coffee. After this we grabbed lunch in the area and then made our way to a local waterfall. There we learned from our guide about the history of Otavalo and its locals. The outing was so informational and I had so much fun seeing the waterfall. There was also a small zip-line that I got to do that was scary but also really fun. After this we went back to the hotel and tried Guinea Pig before heading to dinner. Dinner was great and we once again made our way back to hotel. Once we got back, the owner set up a traditional Ecuadorian ceremony where we got to listen to traditional music and learn even more about the amazing culture. After this we called it a night and got ready for another long day of travel ahead!