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
Appears that the days are chocker/blocker full.......
ReplyDeleteLots of new and exciting experiences.
Have fun, and I look forward to more postings.
Love Sheila