Hello, I’m back again! I’m picking up from the previous blog, now about four to six weeks into my study abroad. I stayed in the Cumbaya Valley in Quito with an older lady as my host mother. I have really enjoyed my host mom; she is very concerned and caring while also allowing me lots of freedom to hang out with friends or explore the city. I’m about a 25-minute walk from the university. Quito itself has been a blast and there are lots of places to eat, drink, shop, dance, and party. I have certainly made the most of my time here with tons of excursions and social events.
As part of my first class, we got the chance to visit the Amazon rainforest for a five-night excursion. Getting to the Amazon was a long journey that involved taking a bus to the airport, catching a plane to Coca, Ecuador, taking another bus to hop on a two-hour boat ride, only to take yet another bus and go on yet another boat before finally arriving at the station. The place we stayed at is called the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, located in far east Ecuador. We stayed in dorm-style cabins with one other classmate. Included in the excursion were three meals per day, and my appetite was crazy for the whole trip, so I consumed every calorie I could. Electricity was sparse and only allowed for select hours of the day. There was no hot water either, and the distant proximity from civilization was apparent.
Massive Ceiba Tree at the Tiputini Station in the Amazon Rainforest
Holding a Turtle at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (professor said it was okay)
The wildlife I saw at the station, however, was a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience. I saw jaguars, tapirs, capybaras, pink river dolphins, four species of wild monkeys, five species of parrots, including the scarlet macaw and the blue-and-yellow macaw, and countless more species of birds and insects. This excursion was a part of our freshwater ecology class, the first of five classes I’m taking. The professor and other experienced guides at the station led guided hikes several times per day, offering insight, observations, and answers to our questions along the way. We also took frequent boat rides, where we saw many of the previously mentioned wildlife. This was an experience I will never forget!
Early Morning Boat Ride on the Tiputini River
After returning from the Amazon, we completed the final week of the first class with a report, journal entries, and a final presentation. To celebrate the end of our first class, the group and I decided to take an excursion to Baños, Ecuador, southeast of Quito. We took a four-hour bus ride to arrive in Baños, where we stayed two nights in a hostel for just $7 per night. During the Baños trip, I went ziplining and paragliding for the first time, as well as canyoneering. At night, my group and I would spend time hanging out at the hostel bar and the pool/hot tub for leisure.
Gorgeous View of Baños, Ecuador
Mainland Ecuador has so much to offer and is really underrated as a vacation destination (in my opinion)! I would highly recommend this program to open-minded students looking for new experiences and adventures!
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