This resort was incredible! Located in Otavalo, we stayed in gorgeous cabins surrounded by unbelievable landscaping.

The resort was complete with a mini golf course, with rabbits, finches, and chickens! There were coy ponds all around the property and waterfalls and gardens with swings. The Andes mountains were our backdrop. The highlight of the resort was the lake – with speedboats and a tower and rope swing for guests to use.

It was too cold to go swimming, but the view was spectacular, especially at sunset.

The rooms were spacious and cozy, with fireplaces instead of heaters, and large front porches and windows overlooking the lake. This resort was more than anything I could have ever imagined! 

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!

On the morning of the 27^th, we packed up and met our transfer outside the hotel. There was another couple riding to the airport with us, Nick and Sarah from Minneapolis. After exchanging brief conversation, we discovered (to my absolute delight) that they had bought the same Groupon and would be traveling with us for the rest of the trip! I can’t even describe the relief at having a woman to talk to, since I hadn’t had that luxury since I left Orlando;  flight attendants and hotel staff don’t exactly fill the void. They naturally thought that John and I are a couple, an assumption we are starting to get used to (although it still hasn’t become any less disturbing!).

The flight to Melbourne was uneventful. I filled the 4 hours with writing postcards and watching footy on the miniscule screen in front of me. We landed in Melbourne at about 4:00pm and the second I stepped off the plane, I was freezing! The temperature had changed from low 80’s to high 50’s! The city also experiences strong winds and unpredictable rain, which combined creates a chilly day. The locals often describe Melbourne as having the potential to experience all 4 seasons in one day!

My first judgment of Melbourne is similar to my final opinion of the city: it is a city of art. Full Sail students would be in heaven there. The combination of the stunning architecture (a rather incredible blend of century old buildings and state-of-the-art bridges and skyscrapers), intricate displays of street art, high-end fashion, and the variety of cuisine and music forms a city dedicated to all the young and young at heart who have a passion for art. The attitude of the city as a whole is not as laid back as Cairns, with less backpackers and more local youth. It took me awhile to warm up to Melbourne, regarding both the weather and the city itself.

Listed below you will find a rough itinerary of our trip. Most time zones in Australia are roughly 12 hours difference from Eastern time. However, as a few regions that we will be visiting do not follow this general rule, I have included a link that shows a worldwide map. If you place your mouse over difference locations in Australia, the map will tell you the time:

Time Zone Map:  http://www.timeanddate.com/time/map/

• June 23: Depart from Orlando, FL – 8:00AM (EDT)

– Arrive in Los Angeles, CA – 10:29AM (PDT)
– Depart from Los Angeles, CA – 11:55PM (PDT)

• June 24: In-Flight

• June 25: Arrive in Brisbane, QLD – 7:00AM (EST)

– Depart from Brisbane, QLD – 9:45AM (EST)
– Arrive in Cairns, QLD – 12:15PM (EST)

• June 26: Dive and Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns

• June 27: Free day in Cairns

• June 28: Depart fromCairns, QLD – 12:40PM (EST)

– Arrive in Melbourne, VIC – 4:05PM (EST)

• June 29: Tour of Melbourne City

• June 30: Free day in Melbourne

• July 01: Depart from Melbourne, VIC – 12:10PM (EST)

– Arrive in Adelaide, SA – 1:05PM (CST)

• July 02: Depart from Adelaide, SA – 5:25PM (CST)

– Arrive at Kangaroo Island – 6:00PM (CST)

• July 03: Tour of Kangaroo Island

– Return to Adelaide by ferry and coach

• July 04: Depart from Adelaide, SA – 9:00AM (CST)

– Arrive in Sydney, NSW – 11:25AM (EST)

• July 05: Tour of Sydney

• July 06: Surfing at Bondi Beach

• July 07: Depart from Sydney, NSW – 1:40PM (EST)

– Arrive in Los Angeles, CA – 10:30AM (PDT)
– Depart from Los Angeles, CA – 1:10PM (PDT)
– Arrive in Salt Lake City, UT – 4:01PM (MDT)
– Depart Salt Lake City, UT – 4:55PM (MDT)
– Arrive in Orlando, FL – 11:14PM (EDT)