We're Back

What a wonderful adventure! We have all arrived home safely with many stories to tell about our trip to Ecuador. We hope to share some of them with those of you who have been following this blog soon.

Our last two days of the trip were filled with exploration and adventure as we toured the Museums under the fundacion - Yaku Museum of water and MIC - Museum of Interactive Science. We were fortunate to have enthusiastic tour guides that engaged us throughout their exhibits and answered our questions about the setup and purpose within each area. The highlight of Yaku were the slides and tunnels that we went through which taught us about the journey that water takes to get from the mountains to the houses in Quito. At MIC, we looked around their children's area of the Museum and experienced a staged tremor, just like an earthquake. We also viewed an incredible life-like model of Quito with light and sound that showed where certain buildings and areas of the city were located - very cool!


Saturday was a beautiful day - clear skies and amazing weather so that we could actually see a snow capped volcano! We spent the day at the Museum of the City for the opening of the exhibit - From the Adirondacks to the Middle of the World. It was an incredible reception with warm greetings from the Ambassador, members of the Embassy, Museum personnel and staff as well as the Ecuadorian students and parents. We felt so welcomed by all of the people and they put up a great exhibition of the children's art. They also provided delectable snacks and a collection of traditional children's games in their outdoor courtyard area. It was an amazing day, one that won't be forgotten.

On our flight back to the USA, I asked the students to write what they learned from the Ecuadorian students, this is what they shared:

I learned that the Ecuadorian students were as nervous of us as we were of them. We didn't know if we would be able to communicate or if they would like us, and I feel like they felt the same ways about us. But once we both got over our nervousness and they got over theirs we all had a lot in common, and we became friends.  - Isabella

The Ecuadorian students enjoyed talking with us! When we were talking on the bus to Tulipe (the archaelogical site) they really helped us work on our Spanish. The Ecuadorians also taught me about acceptance. Whenever we were with them they always acted as though they we were all the same, and they didn't care that we didn't speak great Spanish, they still wanted to walk with us arm in arm.  
- Tara

I learned that the Ecuadorian students listen to the same type of music (Justin Beiber, Eminem/Rihanna) and that they like meeting new people and have a lot of questions. It is interesting.    -Jenifer

San Clemente, Hacienda, Otavalo

We have been in ecuador  for five days now and have seen and experienced so much. We are having an absolutely incredible time! The five of us left Quito Wednesday morning to drive to a few native communities north of the city - one spepcifically being San Clemente. The group learned about the community of 660 people and explored the forests with a guide who explained how the people use the native plants medicinally. Wednesday evening we stayed in a beautiful Hacienda with gardens and bridges. This morning we woke up and explored a lake by boat then spent time in Otavalo, the native market, viewing the handmade crafts and goods.  Everyone is doing well and enjoying all of the activities.

The three students are doing really well and eating all of this up. We will be spending tomorrow touring the museums under the foundation with the group then attending the exhibition reception on Saturday.

We asked the students to share a phrase or word that best describes their travels so far. This is what they shared:

I think it (Ecuador) is amazing. It is amazing because there are many different things to see like the waterfalls and different types of plants and birds. Also, it's because there are many different foods like hai (a spicy salsa made with native vegetables and spices) that has a really good taste. The volcanoes are beautiful and amazing too - Jenifer

The word that I would use to describe this trip is amazing. The food is amazing because everything is very fresh and delicious. You can tell that they put time into preparing it. My favorite thing has been the creamy soup with fesh avocado. The scenery is amazing - on our long drives, we are surrounded by the beautiful Andes mountians and at night the entire city is lit up. It is really breathtaking. The markets are very amazing because they have everything that you could want. The day trips that we have taken have also been amazing. The waterfalls, and the trip to the middle of the world were especially fun!
- Isabella

I love alpacas! When we went to San Clemente our guide, Tupac, had a cute baby alpaca. I have bought some nice things such as scarves, blankets, an alpaca, and slippers of alpaca fur. They are my new favorite animal. Breathtaking is how I would describe Ecuador. The peope are beautiful, the animals are majestic and their mountians are mind blowing. My favorite part of this trip was when Tupac's alpaca came up to me and let me pet him, then followed me. Isabella and Jenny said "Tara has a little alpaca!"
-Tara

Cloud forests \66 bus rides!

It is our third day in Quito and already our group has seen and done so much. Yesterday we hiked in the cloud forest and explored endemic orchids, birds and geikos in person then touched the middle of the world/ equator line. We saw Mitad del Mundo before enjoying a fantastic dinner at Vista Hermosa with an incredible view of old town Quito. Today, the group enjoyed a fun surprise by meeting ALL of the Ecuadorian students participating in the Adirondacks to the Middle of the World project. They were all so happy to meet us and had many questions about dogs, cars, colors, activities and food in New York. The students were immediately drawn to the American students, linnkig arms and singing pop music together. Together we hiked through an archaeological site of the Yumbo people and saw some of their stone ceeremonial sites which were created by using the stars and sun. This trip has been packed with so many cultural and learning moments - its amazing!


In asking the students to reflect on the trip so far, this is what they shared

Ecuador is beautiful, exotic and peaceful. So far I haven't felt the altitude, but the sun's warmth is very enjoyable. My favorite thing so far has been the hike in the cloud forest. There were some amazing sights and it is filled with beauitful nature. Riding on the bus to an archaeological site was super fun! Isabella and I spent two hours talking with the Ecuadorian students Kelly, Jenifer, Anjie, and Carly. I can't wait for tomorrow!       Tara

Ecuador is beautiful! The mountains surrounding Quito are some volcaoes which are pretty cool. The markets where you can bargain to buy thigs for less are neat. Also, the waterfalls are nice. The kids are really cute and they listen to some of the same music as us. I was shocked to find out how much  I understood Spanish.     Jenifer

First Day in Quito!!

The group had a safe and smooth trip from Newark, NJ to Quito, Ecuador yesterday, arriving at 10:30pm. We were all pretty tired from our travels and ready to explore the city.


Sunday morning started with the group having a fantastic breakfast including papaya, kiwi, and some new fruits from the area - everything was so fresh and delicious and we all taste tested them together. From there we meet up with our tour guide, Benicio who lead us to a tour bus where we eventually met some of the Ecuadorian students and our Museum contact, Maria. The tour bus took us through the city of Quito on our way to the futbol stadium to watch a game between the Quito Universidad team and the Ambasto team. It was fascinating to see the buildings and the rolling plateaus of Quito on our way. We sat in our own "sweet" as the students got to know one another and watched the futbol game as it was filled with five great goals by the Quito team. After the game, we drove to the old city to explore the churches, plazas and architecture. We went by foot and saw the San Franscisco plaza along with the street of seven crosses. The group learned about the Spanish influence on the architecture and buildings and viewed the inside of two different churches. After learning so much a getting a great introduction to the city, a bit of its history and its elevation, we went back to the hotel and explored an outdoor market with paintings, crafts and clothing. It was a fun filled first day! The group is excited to see the orchid reserve and middle of the world (equator line) tomorrow.

The students shared a few of their reflections from their first day:

It was awesome. I loved walking around the city with the Ecuadorian students. They asked me all kinds of questions - about my favorite singer, animal, artists. - Jenifer

It was a great first day with new experiences. I had never been to a soccer game before and seeing the buildings in the city were so beautiful - especially the churches - Isabella

Ecuador here we come!

The American group is gearing up for our trip to Quito, Ecuador that will leave Saturday, February 19th. Over the last month we have been holding language lessons to practice Spanish as well as to gain a broader perspective of what it will be like traveling to a developing country. Three students from the Glens Falls area will participate in the trip for this project From the Adirondacks to the Middle of the World: Community, Challenges and Contributions.


We are all very excited to begin our journey touring Quito - experiencing the culture, learning the language, visiting the sites and meeting our counterparts at the Museum of the City. There is a lot ahead of us and we hope you can follow us throughout the next week along the way!

Before beginning the journey, the students took a brief moment to share their responses to the following question:

What are your personal expectations in traveling to Ecuador?

"Learn about the Ecuadorian culture." - Isabella

"See some volcanoes." - Jenifer

"Learn a new culture, try their food, and have fun!" - Tara

"Learn about the Museum of the City and what the students are interested in." - Gretchen

"See some amazing sites and make connections with the Museum staff and Ecuadorian students." - Sheileen