I started my journey extra early at 2:00am for our flight to Miami at 6:00am. Once we got to Miami we had a layover until about 5:00pm, so we went to Peaceful Beach and took a quick, refreshing dip in the ocean. After our swim, me and a couple of other girls went to the Birdcage cafe and grabbed lunch. I got an acai bowl, Natalie and Leah got burgers, and Nora got a breakfast plate. We then headed back over to the airport where we got on our next flight and landed in Quito a little past 8:00pm. After taking a bus, we checked into Hotel Real Audencia where I immediately passed out. 

The next day we got up for breakfast at 8 and had croissants, cantaloupe, papaya, watermelon, and eggs. We then headed over to the Basilica and Convent of San Francisco. The Basilica was insanely beautiful with lots of gold accents everywhere, and it was truly breath taking. No photos will ever do it justice. We then went on to take a tour of the Convent and saw all of the artwork it displayed and the brewery. On our way to lunch we got churros filled with caramel and chocolate that was busting at the seams, and they were absolutely delicious. For lunch we went to a place called Frutería Monserrate and got huge empanadas. After that we walked up to the Basilica del Voto Nacional where we walked up over ten flights of stairs to get to the top of the north tower. The stained glass throughout the building was gorgeous but the stairs/ladder to the tower were honestly scary because of how steep they are. However, the view at the top made it all worth it. 

When walking back we found a cute little shop called Huma Chocolate and Coffee where they let us taste test their chocolate. Some people got coffee and hot chocolate while we were there, but I just got a chocolate bar and a bag of coffee beans. We decided to enjoy our time there and they even asked us to sign their Ecuadorian flag on their wall. We decided to take a quick taxi ride to the Virgin of the Panecillo and enjoy the amazing view of Quito. What really surprised me was how much larger Quito was than I was expecting. After enjoying our time there we went back to the hotel and had chicken, rice, and vegetables for dinner. We then went to a restaurant with a DJ where we all danced, and even the waiter and some of the kitchen staff joined us. It was an amazing way to end a long day and will definitely be a memory I will carry with me forever!