2021 Telluride Ecuador Program
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Quito
Written by Tia Schenk and Lilly Sommers
Yesterday morning we had scrambled eggs with cheese, some bread, fruit and hot chocolate. After we finished eating, we packed up and loaded our things onto the bus to drive an hour and a half to our next hotel. We left the hotel in Papallacta, drove past the Cotopaxi volcano and through very beautiful mountains. We made a quick stop to get some snacks and then drove through Quito and arrived at The Hotel San Francisco de Quito, one of the five oldest buildings in Quito (built in 1698) where we are staying for the night.
After arriving at the hotel, we walked to the main square for lunch! For lunch we got pork sandwiches, chips and ice cream! Then we got onto the bus and headed to the teleferiQo (which is Ecuador’s equivalent of the gondola). After riding the teleferiQo up to the top of the nearby mountains for some great views, we all went back to the main square for dinner; after dinner we went back to the hotel to do a group reflection and to admire our last night in the beautiful city of Quito!
August 3 - 4
Written by Elle Owen and Tommy Tyson
On Tuesday August 3, we left the Eco Lodge where we had a fun stay. We hopped on the bus and had a 1 Hour and 30 minute drive to the zip line. When we got there we got harnessed up and had a safety talk. Then we started are zip lining adventure. It took us two hours to do seven really fun zip lines in the forest. After that we ate really good Yucca, salad, and pizza. Then we hoped on the bus to start our next adventure! We drove up into the highlands to our hotel at the hot springs, “Las Termas de Papallacta.” That night we took our first of many dips in the variety of natural pools, it was a really fun day!
Yesterday the group spent a well deserved day of R and R at the hot springs. We stayed in cabin suites with private access to different temperature hot springs in our area. Our stay also included access to the larger public pool area on the grounds. We spent this relaxing day hanging out and enjoying each other’s company, hopping in and out of the springs and reflecting on our experiences writing letters to our future selves (which we will receive a few years later). Some people in the group got massages and hung out in the spa area as well. Overall it was an incredible stay and one we will not forget anytime soon.
Nanegal Blog, Days 6-8
Written by Jacob Sharpe, Seamus McParland-Daab, Charlotte Katz, Kai Kusuno and Regan Chandler
We woke early on Saturday to go to breakfast at seven. After we ate we piled into several trucks and drove from the eco lodge (Maqui Pucuna) to the school in Nanegal. We started our service project by doing numerous projects. We first plowed the ground to plant grass, we sanded wood and we replaced old wood. Then we planted most of the grass and sanded most of the structures on day 1 of the service work. Afterwards we went to lunch at a restaurant nearby called Bambu. We ate lunch here every day after our morning work at the school.
This afternoon we met with some local kids and played games that were facilitated by a group called mundo circo, where they had face painting for the kids and games with balloons and juggling and much more. In the evening we rested back at our eco lodge in the hammocks to the sounds of nature.
On Sunday, we woke up around seven on Sunday to eat breakfast. After breakfast we drove around twenty-five minutes to our job site. We split into groups again to continue work on sanding, painting, yard work, and building a hanging bridge. At twelve we wrapped up our tasks and went to lunch at Bambu.
In the afternoon most of us took about a 30 minute car ride from Nanegal to a local coffee farm, while some others went back to the eco lodge to relax. At the coffee farm, we learned the process they follow to produce their specialty coffee. The coffee that they make here is very good and has won awards in Ecuador for its taste.
Following the coffee tour, some went to play soccer in the town’s stadium with some locals while others hung around the plaza and explored town. We had a reflection this night back at our lodge about what’s been challenging and how we’ve overcome those challenges.
Yesterday morning we started off with some delicious eggs and toast! We then loaded into several trucks and drove into the town of Nanegal where we spent the morning finishing our community service project at the school. When we finished we each received a certificate of participation for all of our hard work and some kind words from the school director. Soon after that we walked to a well deserved lunch where we ate soup and ceviche!
After lunch we went on a walk to a waterfall in the town of Nanegal called La Poragua. We went swimming in many of the little pools at the bottom of the 80+ foot falls. Then we did a workshop with some of the little kids from the town. After the workshop most of us went down the soccer field and played soccer, lots of kids from the town of Nanegal ended up joining us which made it so much fun. Later we traveled back to the hotel and had dinner, where we celebrated Charlotte’s birthday (and Ellowyn’s on Friday!)
After dinner, about half of the group went on a guided night hike in the surrounding cloud forest to glimpse some of the nocturnal animals around the reserve up close. We saw a lot of cool bugs and some rare bioluminescent mushrooms.
This morning the adventures continue as we depart the lodge for Reserva Intillacta. More to come soon!
Blog 4
Written by Jackson Lopez and Morgan Perpar
Yesterday, we woke up and ate breakfast at our hotel, enjoying our final morning in Otavalo. We then hopped on the bus and began our journey to Nanegal, where we will be staying the next four nights. We drove for a bit and then went to a lookout to see la Laguna San Pablo and the volcano Imbabura. We then continued our 3 and a half hour drive. On the way there, we saw two more volcanoes called Cotopaxi and Cayambe from the road.
As we approached our destination, we twisted and turned down into the bottom of the valley. Our hotel was very pretty and down a long windy road in the cloud forest. It’s an eco lodge in a giant reserve with many animals surrounding it. We hung around the hotel and got ready for our lasagna dinner ending with cake to celebrate Ellowyn’s birthday. This afternoon was super fun!
Blog 3
Written by Jacob Martin and Jaden Lopez
Yesterday we started the day off with a good breakfast, then we all got in the bus and went to a weaving workshop at the house of a famous weaver, Miguel Andrango. This was really cool and we got to shop for some of the stuff he made at the end. After that we got in the bus and went to Peguche Waterfall. We all got really good photos and ate lunch. After the waterfall we walked down the trail a little bit and went to a natural pool.
After enjoying our time at the waterfall we took the bus to a Jewelry workshop, at our guide Natalia’s workplace. We made bracelets, necklaces, and even earrings. Back to the bus it was and we went back to the artisan market at Plaza de los Ponchos to go shopping some more. Around 5:45 we dined at Mi Otavalito where we had delicious quinoa soup and beef, fries, rice and a nice fresh salad. After the amazing meal we had in the evening we headed back to our hotel were we went our own direction either relaxing in our rooms or having a bit of fun in the game room playing ping pong or pool. All in all it was an interesting, adventurous, and fun day for July 29th.
Blog 2
Written by Audrey Shoup and Pella Ward
¡Hola! Yesterday we woke up on top of a volcano! Our breakfast was great! We then traveled to another town called Otavalo. We went to the house of Jose Luis Pichamba, who showed us all of his musical instruments and how he makes them. Him and his family also performed music for us which was really wonderful! We then had lunch at their place. It was very good! After that we traveled a little longer to go to the hotel. After checking in at the hotel we then headed out to the market at Plaza de Los Ponchos.
The market was full of hand made jewelry, paintings, clothing, and more. As we walked around looking for gifts for our friends and families, many people encouraged us to buy their products. “¡Amigas!” or “¡Señorita!” they often called out to me and my group. When you do find something you’d like to buy at this market the smart thing to do is to bargain with the seller for a better price. Not only did we find lots of cool souvenirs but this market was also a great opportunity to practice our Spanish. Afterwards we walked a few blocks to have a dinner at a pizza place called Sabor Vasco. They served us delicious pizza with many options for toppings along with a refreshing mint limeade. Once we were stuffed with pizza, we headed back to the hotel. Las Palmeras Inn has a main building that contains a dining area as well as a pool table and more. But my favorite part is the little cabins where the guests stay. They even have a fireplace and comfy chairs to sit by the fire.
¡Hasta pronto!
Blog 1
Written by Tony Ordonez and Finn Trommer
Today was our first day exploring the beautiful city of Quito, Ecuador. In the morning we went to the main plaza and we got to explore if for a little before we went on a tour of historic moments and stories about Quito. For lunch we ate at Notansanto and had delightful food.
After our lunch, we went back to the central Plaza to catch our bus to the Museo Intiñan At “Mitad del Mundo”. The museum at the middle of the world. We split into two groups, and toured the museum. We learned about the different totem poles at the museum, and which countries they were from. As well as experimented with the Coriolis effect. Water draining in northern hemisphere spun counter clockwise, while in the southern hemisphere it spun clockwise. We all tried our best to balance an egg on top of a nail at the center of the equator. We then found ourselves in an old house made from natural materials. The roof of the building was insulated from natural materials. The next exhibit was learning about shrunken heads, a new topic for us all. After this we got to learn about a tribe of people in the Amazon, while standing in a house that they had built. Next, we wandered about for several minutes. Some of us went into the gift shops while others chose to go and pet the Alpaca outside.
The next leg of our day consisted of us riding the bus to our next hotel, on the rim of a volcanic crater. Our accommodations are extremely nice, and so was the dinner. We all had the options of having fish, pasta, pork, lamb or chicken. It was all very tasty. To conclude our day, we played a group game, and set out group guidelines for the remainder of our trip. Special thanks to Mr. Rod, Mrs. Lopez, Mr. Tommy, and Mrs. Natalia for setting us up for an amazing trip.