The trip to Ecuador was smooth and uneventful. We enjoyed the sunset while flying over Cuba, with the clouds blazing like lava across a molten sky.

After a brief, 4 – hour plane ride, we arrived in Quito. After meeting the Gate 1 tour guide, Wilson, all 17 of us jumped in the bus for a bumpy hour ride to the Hilton. The city lights sparkled across the mountain side.

The Hilton was standard; luxurios but lacking personality. The alarm rang at 6AM, and we were loaded onto the bus again by 8 for a tour around the city. We stopped by the governor’s building and had the privilege of watching a protest take place in front of us!

Next, we stopped at a church called La Compania. I thought I had seen the most exquisite churches already in my past travels, but I was in for a surprise. I had never seen anything like this! The interior was made of tons of pure gold, and the light reflecting off of it was so bright it made my eyes water! Muy maravilloso!

Our final stop before leaving Quito was Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (The Middle of the World). It was really fun being able to be at 0○ latitude and stand in the Northern and Southern hemispheres simultaneously. Wilson challenged us to balance an egg on the end of the nail, and Jacob, Vivi’s boyfriend, did it!

We celebrated with lunch. I tried Apple soda for the first time – muy delicioso. All four of us (myself, Vivi, Cory, and Jake) decided to be brave and ordered cuy. What is cuy? Let me show you:

If you guessed guinea pig, you are correct! The flavor was actually fantastic, but the consistency was not my favorite. Vivi had quite an experience and ended up being peer pressured by our guide until she agreed to eat not only Piggy’s eyeball, but his brain as well! She is a brave soul. ‘But what if you were all to get sick?!’ You might be asking….ironically enough, the only members of our group to get sick so far were the couple who ordered well done burgers and fries. As they say….YOLO.

We ended the last leg of our trip with a surprise from Wilson – a very yummy demonstration of Ecuadorian ice cream. No milk is used – only fruit juice spun multiple times in a copper bowl sitting over ice. Naturally, we were forced to partake in this activity.

Our day ended at Las Cabanas Del Lago in Otavalo. We had a tour briefing and ate a delicious dinner of potato soup, lemon trout, and fruit with custard. Our last activity of the night was an impromptu dance lesson in the lobby, which left us more than ready for bed!