2023 Weston Ecuador Cultural Journey
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Culture Clash
Written by Darrell
At the beginning of the day we woke up at a homely hotel. The people in this hotel wrung out all the homesickness that you could possibly have due to their kind mannerisms and the warm smiles they brought to every situation.
Even though most people woke up very energetic and loud, this didn’t affect them, as they still treated us with kindness. The plethora of options they gave us to eat is another thing that most people overlooked, because even though the hotel was large, it was run by few people. The ability to arrange all the food necessary to feed our large group, and still tend to all the needs of other residents, should be congratulated. The warm and fresh bread with homemade jam and butter, along with the cold fresh fruits, could only put a smile on the faces of everyone that ate them.
The next destination on the itinerary was a bus ride and walk to a waterfall. On the way to the waterfall, our group got greeted by many stray dogs, who are not native to this area. Due to the large population, there are many strays on the streets. As we walked to this waterfall a dog (we later named Jermaine after the famous artist Jermaine Cole) started to travel with our group. I believe the dogs on the island are very symbolic of the people in many ways. Not only are the dogs very kind and friendly to everyone but the dogs’ ability to make the people around them happy perfectly mirrors the people of Ecuador. As the dog followed us you could see the smiles of the group start to increase and the frowns (due to a wet and rainy day) being transformed into smiles and appreciation for the environment the group was in.
After this walk we said goodbye to Jermaine and left for our cultural experience and lunch. Upon arrival at our destination the smell of sage and smoke filled my lungs, later understanding that it was the rocks heating up we were going to use to cook our food. Looking around, I saw a pit in the ground, and nature and animals living in perfect harmony. The meaning of cooking food in a hole was to symbolize the connection that our food has to the earth and to connect us closer to the earth which supplies us with a home and food to survive. The test of fully being present for the meal changed my perspective on how I saw eating. Changing it from a repetitive, impulsive action into a thoughtful and respectful action that I should be grateful for.
As the music started we were told to all get up and dance around the food, this action was a traditional part of the ceremony that was supposed to connect the earth to the food even more. By stomping into the ground and feeling the vibrations of the drum and the rhythm of the pipes, I believe it gave the food more flavor but also gave me a greater appreciation for the cycle of life that allowed everything to happen how it did. A large part of the culture of the people was cycles, and understanding everything happens for a reason. When talking about death, grieving never came up once, but celebrations and games and dancing did. The mindset of different cultures and ways of life are what make traveling worth while. Even though this was the end of the trip, the things we all learned will follow us throughout our entire lives.
April 21
Today was a big travel day. We started the morning at 6 a.m. and got breakfast rapidly on Santa Cruz Island. We jumped on a bus to get on a water taxi to go on another bus and head to the airport. From there we stopped at Guayaquil and then continued to Quito. After a bumpy ride, we finally made it to Quito. We said bye to our tour guide, Richard, from the Galapagos and got on another bus for two and a half hours. We stopped at a gas station to get yummy snacks and we were on our way to Otovalo. We ate a nice dinner at 7, wrote letters to our future selves, reflected on the positives, negatives, and transformations we experienced this trip and went off to bed. Tomorrow we get to experience the Otovalo culture and begin our journey back home!
A Day on the Water
Written by Denali E., King W., Jacob I., and Samuel R.
We spent a large portion of today on the water. From dinner to snorkeling to changing islands, we had a good time off shore.
In the morning, we went snorkeling in a lake full of wildlife. We saw some iguanas and sea lions chilling on the path to the snorkeling lake. There were many fishes in the lake as well as sea lions, urchins, starfish, and turtles. During our snorkeling expedition, we followed the turtles, watching their every move closely. We also managed to catch a glimpse of a sea lion catching it’s lunch with a big swarm of small fish. After snorkeling, we ate lunch at the same restaurant as yesterday. There was a new item on the menu: spaghetti, and it was delicious.
After a bit of a break, we then took a boat ride back to Santa Cruz. It was pouring, and the boat-taxi rides were very adventurous. We returned to our original hotel in Santa Cruz. On our way to a great dinner, we got the idea that this place would special when we learned that we would have to take a boat to get to it. There were many options for drinks such as water, coke, passionfruit and blackberry juice, which were all pretty cool. I personally think the blackberry juice was really good but some people were saying the passionfruit juice was better. It was the best dinner I think we’ve had yet. The fish was really good even though it didn’t have octopus as advertised. The dessert was a warm chocolate cake with ice cream on top, which was gas. After that filling dinner, we made our way back to the hotel to prepare for our next exciting day.
It’s a boat! It’s a bike! It’s a marine iguana!
Written by Priscilla and Sanya
We started our day waking up early, packing our bags, and temporarily leaving Santa Cruz by a two-hour bumpy boat trip to go to the Isabela island.
After getting settled in a beautiful hotel, we went for a nice lunch down the street. Later, a few of us decided to take a relaxing swim in the pool, including playing “Marco polo” and having “chicken fights.” The next part of the day was to visit a scenic trail, and either bike or walk the path. Some intriguing details of the hike was a gorgeous view of the beach, seeing giant tortoises and iguanas (and lots of other admirable animals), and climbing to a higher viewpoint to enjoy and admire our surroundings. Memorable things we saw from above included the Sierra Negra volcano and the infamous Wall of Tears. While the Isabela island served as a prison back in the day, many incarcerated people passed away while building this wall, hence its name.
On the way back from of our journey as it began to rain, we stopped at a little beach where some people took a dip in the water. As the day started coming to an end, we made our way back to the hotel to relax before going off to dinner. Our day finally concluded with a good night’s rest, preparing us for the following fun day!
A Deeper Dive Into the Galapagos
Written by Charlotte P. and Owen M.
We started off the day by walking to the Charles Darwin Research Station, where we learned about the history behind the Galapagos, ranging from the sixteenth century to the modern day, and the measures taken to preserve and foster the unique environments of each island. Although we saw a wide variety of animals including mockingbirds, iguanas, crabs, finches, and lava lizards, the giant tortoises were definitely the focus of the tour. We were able to observe the tortoises in many different stages of their lifespans, from infants to over a century old. The tortoises are kept in a controlled environment until they are four years old and able to survive in the wild. We ended the tour with a viewing of the taxidermy tortoise Lonesome George, the last surviving member of the now-extinct Pinta Island tortoise species who lived from c. 1910 to 2012. Although the entire tour was impactful, seeing Lonesome George definitely put things in perspective for all of us and further emphasized the importance of protecting of such a fascinating yet delicate ecosystem.
After we visited the tortoises and learned about preserving the wildlife of the world, we walked down through the town to the docks where we were supposed to board a water taxi to another area with a water hole for swimming. At the docks, we encountered some sea lions sleeping on the planks as well as some pelicans. We were all excited from getting to see the wildlife of the Galapagos up close. We then boarded the boat which took us on a short trip to a path which led us though many incredible areas such as a beautiful beach and a lagoon that was recently formed from the constant rain in a salt mine. We found all of this fascinating but one interesting feature of the trail was that the path was formed from volcanic rocks. We reached the watering hole and we got to swim in it alongside tropical fish that live in the waters as well. This was the perfect activity for the day since everyone was definitely feeling the heat from the sun. On the way back from the watering hole, we got to visit the beach where we swam some more in the refreshing waters of the Galapagos. We traveled back to the hotel afterward and, after a short break, explored the urban area around our hotel for a while and checked out the shops. We met up at the restaurant for dinner and enjoyed some of the local specialties like fresh shrimp. As a nice way to end our day as well as our dinner, we headed over to an ice cream shop where we bought some dessert for ourselves. We definitely learned a lot about the wildlife in the Galapagos today and we experienced the high quality of the gastronomy in the Galapagos. Today was definitely fulfilling and I can’t wait for what we do tomorrow.
Day 3: Finally in the Galapagos!!
Written by Noah, Ryan H., and Luca
After arriving to the Galápagos Islands via airplane, we took a speed boat in the rain to arrive on Santa Cruz Island. There, we experienced the highlight of the day. We took a bud down a path which lasted a few miles. On the path, our tour guide introduced us to the giant tortoise of the Galápagos Islands. Along the tour, we learned many things about the amazing creatures. This includes the fact that they live for well over one hundred years, the potential size of the animal, how they mate, and much more. In they group I was apart of, we were able to get close to a massive tortoise which likely was over 70 years old. The guide explained that when tortoises get to a certain size, they don’t even have to experience the threat of predators. Moreover, we learned that the animals can live to such extraordinary ages because they spend nearly two thirds of their day sleeping. All in all, the tortoise walk was amazing. We likely saw well over thirty massive animals, each one being unique in their size and behavior.
-Noah
After learning about the tortoises and the many features which they hold, we then took a trip underground, beneath the wildlife habitat where we found lava tunnels. These tunnels were created thousands of years ago when the island was volcanically active. The lava would flood these tunnels until it eventually cooled and hardened which brought this amazing tunnel feature. Although we didn’t see anything too crazy, we learned that these tunnels are homes to many insects and animals such as bats, large hand-sized spiders, rats, owls, and snakes. Another amazing fact we learned is that these tunnels can be up to five hundred meters long. These walks brought amazing views and was an amazing spectacle. Overall, the tunnels were awesome to see, and a very cool contrast compared to the above-ground vegetation.
– Ryan
Today we ate many delicious foods. One of the best meals that we ate was lunch. At lunch there was a variety of foods including coconut fish, marinated chicken, and pasta carbonara. Out of all of the days, many believed that this meal was the best yet. This was until we had empanada street food for dinner. An empanada is a fried dough filled with different things such as Nutella and banana, Mexican style beef and cheese, and chorizo (sausage). A majority of the group made the decision that the empanadas were the best meal of the trip so far. After a great day of food and adventure, we went to sleep satisfied.
-Luca
Journeys of day 2: The Andes & Churches
Written by Francesca and Violet
Before our second day of adventure officially began, a few of us decided to wake up early to relax and enjoy the sunrise in the hot springs. These springs are some of the cleanest hot springs in the area. The natural filters of the andes mountains make the springs extremely clean and almost drinkable! After a relaxing start to the day, we showered and headed to the resort breakfast. The breakfast was an amazing buffet with a large spread of delicious foods. Many of us were able to try foods that are not easily available in the United States. For example, we tried a new fruit called maracuya.
After a delicious breakfast, some headed back to the hot springs while others took the opportunity to take a nature walk to see some of the diverse wildlife in the Andes Mountains. We spotted bunnies, cows, and a variety of birds, as well as flora and fauna surrounding the river and waterfalls running through the mountains. After our nature walk, we returned to our cabins to relax, pack, and prepare for our next adventure.
Then, we took a two hour bus ride back to Quito, where we stopped for lunch. For lunch, we enjoyed white corn soup, a variety of main dishes like chicken and beef with rice and beans, and ended the meal with a sweet cornbread dessert. After lunch, we took a tour of quito while learning about the history and the religions of the city. We were guided through a tour the museum, and after we saw the different churches and cathedrals of the city. When the tour ended, we returned to the hotel to rest and get ready for dinner. For dinner, we all tried a variety of different foods, including guinea pig, a popular dish in Ecuador! The atmosphere was amazing, and so was the food! To finish off the day, we returned to the hotel to pack for our journey to the Galapagos.
Day 1 Adventures!
Written by Rosa W. and Amy R.
Today we went to an outside museum that is located on the equator! Some things that we really enjoyed were the activities that we did on the line that divides the north and south hemispheres. We tried to balance an egg on a nail, walk on the line with our arms out and eyes closed, and learned about the forces in action. We also explored homes that were built before the museum was created and learned about some of the customs or lives of the people who had lived there or in the Amazon.
After the tour was over, we spent some fun time talking and purchasing gifts from the weavers before heading to the hot springs resort. On the way, we saw views that only got better as it went on, and took a break at the highest point of our travels! After we arrived at the resort and checked in, we quickly changed into our bathing suits and headed for the hot springs. After a few fun and relaxing hours, we headed to dinner and enjoyed the many options prepared for us, including chocolate cake! We ended our adventure-packed day with more time in the hot springs.