Hola!! Over the last few days, we have covered a lot. We woke up Monday morning to check out of the hotel and to go to a chocolate tasting. We learned a lot about the process of making the chocolate bars and the history behind chocolate. We tried many different flavors, but my personal favorite was the lemongrass. after the chocolate tasting, we walked around and did some more shopping before we went and had lunch. at lunch, I was brave enough to try Cow Stomach. Although it wasn’t my favorite, I am glad I tried it.
After Lunch, we left the city of Quito and went to the city of Cayambe. We had a bonfire when we got there and then went to sleep after that. That next morning, we woke up and got ready to go check out a flower farm that specializes in roses. We had a 2-hour tour of the farm and got to know all of the ins and outs of farming roses. we learned about the lifecycle of the roses and when they can be harvested. after the tour, they gave us flowers, and we went back to the hotel where we were staying at in Cayambe. Before dinner, we had a pickup soccer game with the local school children. We had a lot of fun playing with them, and it proved that sports can bring people close together. after dinner that night, we packed up and left for the city of Otavalo.
The morning in Otavalo was really special. We had the opportunity to walk around one of the largest markets in Ecuador. they had an array of things from Alpaca sweaters to fridge magnets. After some shopping around, we all grouped up and went to a waterfall. This was a sight that had you fully immersed in the landscape. After looking around, we went to lunch and ate our fill.
We then set out to our next Place, which was an Aviary. we had the privilege to see Ecuador’s national Bird, the Condor. after looking around at all of the amazing birds that they had, we proceeded to go to the hotel before we went to dinner. we relaxed for a little bit and had a chance to try an interesting dish. the dish we had was Guinea Pig. After eating the Guinea pig, we went out to have dinner. when we came back from dinner, we were treated to a traditional Ecuadorian dance/music. this was a perfect way to finish off our night.