Jan 10th (Arrival day - At least that was the plan)

The hope was that everyone would arrive in Ecuador on the 10th but the weather chaos in the mid-atlantic had other ideas.  Mason's flight was cancelled, Beth and Annika spent all day trying to get out of Atlanta and the rest came in from Miami at midnight.  Travel

January 11th - Heading to Cotopaxi

This morning those jet lagged students had some breakfast and saw their first south American birds. One of those, the saffron finch, has become our group symbol which frames our group contract. As a group we discussed and agreed to concepts that are important to the function of our group. From compassion to respect to empathy to gratitude we added these words to the inside of our finch image (actually a finch sitting on a banana as the first taste of a banana in Ecuador made a lasting impression on the students). Then each of us signed the contract.

After lunch we loaded up and have headed to our hacienda in the shadow of Cotopaxi at 11,700+ feet higher than any of the students have ever been. We settled in to this wonderful hacienda and have had a geology lesson from Sharon Muenchow our resident geologist. This will give some context for the students tomorrow as we are going to try to hike to the Refugio of Cotopaxi where climbers who want to summit the second highest mountain in Ecuador stay overnight to try and make it to the summit. It isn’t a long hike but it starts at 15,227 feet and the refugio is at 16000 feet. For those that are able we will try to hike to the edge of the glacier which is here at the center of the earth.

Hopefully the remaining students who arrive tonight will join us here by tomorrow afternoon.  And then we will continue our journey. 

January 12 - Cotopaxi & Finally Our Group is ONE - Soph M

Today, we started off by waking up at 7:30 am, whew that's early (for me at least). Then the group meandered down into the dining room, and we were treated to the most delicious breakfast, where many of us ate heuvos fritos, tostada francesa, and panqueques! Soon after we finished breakfast, it was time to leave for our drive to Cotopaxi. 

The drive to the start of the hike to Cotopaxi National Park Refugio was a beautiful yet bumpy ride. Selena, Ti-shawn, and I had the good forutune to sit in the back of the bus and we felt every single bump we hit, but the ride was so alluring. On the way there to Cotopaxi our guides, Carmen and Bridget, told us about how Cotopaxi means neck of the moon - in Quechua 'Coto' means neck and 'paxi' means moon. I think that perfectly represents Cotopaxi. On our way to Cotopaxi we stopped and saw some really cool birds - aplomado falcons and caracaras. Our guides told us that our group had good energy because we saw the birds and Cotopaxi was completely clear, not covered in clouds, which was not common for that late in the day! It was such a special moment for us and I truely believed that we could all feel the good energy flowing through us. 

Once we had conquered the bumpy road and made it to the starting point of the hike, we hopped off the bus and started to bundle up. I know most people were wearing like 4-5 layers of shirts to stay warm. It was pretty cold mainly because of the how windy it was. When we had all our layers on, the group started the hike. Holy freaking crap. Just the walk up and out of the parking lot was hard. It was the hardest hike of my entire 20 years on earth. We chose to go up the switchback way instead of the straight up walk to the Refugio. Slow and steady won the race, as for most of us it was the highest we had ever been in our entire lives! We made sure to take many breaks so we could catch our breath and drink lots of water. Finally after what felt like a million switchbacks, we saw the orange top of the Refugio! It was truly the coolest thing I have ever done. 

After we had all made it to the Refugio we took a cute little group picture and then went inside. We were given tea and hot chocolate to warm our cold hands and faces and then we ate a yummy lunch where we got to try the Ecuadoran fruit, granadilla! I absolutly loved it, it was sweet and the seeds inside gave it a little bit of a crunch. After we had all finished lunch and used the restroom (you had to pay 50 cents for tp!), we started our descent. Going down we chose the straightaway and we were bascialy skipping/running down the mountain. It was so much fun and we all had a lot of sand in our shoes! The hike was so challenging but so worth it. I am so grateful I was able to expeirence it with the most hardworking and determined group of people. We all showed so much "coraje" and I am so proud of each and every one of us!!!

After another bumpy ride down the mountain we made it back to the lodge. The rest of our group had made it! Most of us took showers and a nap. Ti-shawn, Selena, and I decided to give the spa a try and it was so lovely and relaxing! After some much needed relaxation time, we meet in the game room at Hacinda Porvenir to catch up the entire group  so we were all on the same page. Soon after we went to dinner as one big happy family and ate some delicious food including some really great desserts. I am so grateful that everyone made it to Ecuador safely!

To finish off the night we meet one more time in the game room to share what we have been journaling and drawing about. It was a lovely and relaxing way to end the night. Overall, it was a wonderful and terrific day in Pichincha, Ecaudor!! Beunos Noches, mi amigos <33

January 13 - Cotopaxi & Descent into Banos! - Anna K

Our day started out a little later than yesterday--we all gathered for our last breakfast at Hacienda Por Venir at 8:15 AM. After one more delicious breakfast, we said goodbye to the beautiful hacienda and boarded a bus to our next destination: Cotopaxi National Park! After an exciting drive (we encountered a herd of alpacas on our route), we entered the park and met up with our amazing guides, Carmen and Brigit, and drove the rest of the way to Laguna Limpiopungo. On the drive, our guide Carmen welcomed us to the park with an indigenous song inviting us into Cotopaxi. 

Once we got to Laguna Limpiopungo, we were immediately greeted with so many amazing sights and sounds! There were so many species of birds, it was astonishing! Andean Gulls swooped down and fed their chicks on small grassy islands, Andean Teals nestled in the tall grass, Greater Yellowlegs napped in the marshy shore, and Andean Condors soared overhead. We saw THREE Andean Condors, which may not sound like much, but there are only around 150 individuals in th entirety of Ecuador, so that's 2% of all Andean Condors in Ecuador! It was an amazing experience, and before we loaded up in the van, we scampered around the lake, some of us literally jumping for joy.

As we exited the park, we stopped by a shop selling indigenous-made textiles, and collected some fantastic goodies! Ponchos, scarves, sweaters, hats, gloves, we all came away with something amazing. Some of us even changed into our new clothes right there and then!

We boarded back into the van and then we were on our way to Banos. We saw some amazing sights, and after the drive, we unloaded into our hostel. After settling into our rooms, we headed over to a nearby market for lunch. We enjoyed a delicious meal; members of the group sampled llapingachos, chorizo, and beef intestines, alongside freshly-squeezed juices! 

After our bellies were full, we split into three groups: one group hiked up a nearby trail and encountered a magical gnome land, one group went shopping and conqured the streets of Banos, and one group stayed behind at the hostel to nap and explore. After our various adventures, we all met back up for dinner at 6:30. We made our way over to Cafe Colibri, and were amazed by the beauty of the restaurant!

Upstairs, there was a gallery of amazing artwork by a local artist that spanned 40 years! Our dinner was phenomenal, and we enjoyed each bite. After a lovely evening, we strolled back to the hostel and bunkered down for the night.

January 14 - Descending into the Tropics! - Ti-Shawn W.

The morning started off relaxing with an early morning visit to the hot springs, Termas de la Virgen, in Banos. We were able to unwind in a hot bath while watching the beautiful waterfall cascade above the luscious landscape that Banos had to offer. This was followed by a delicious French breakfast consisting of eggs, bread, passionfruit marmalade, crepes, pineapple juice, and hot chocolate courtesy of our hostal, Le Petit. 

We swiftly packed up and got on the PARTY BUS!!!! The bus drove us throught the mountain side of Banos, where we drove through tunnels, saw the hydroelectric dam that generates power for Banos. Then we went to the Devil's Bath Tub. We saw alluring waterfalls, unique flora and fauna, exotic birds and other intriguing creatures. We had a delicious lunch of maduros with gucamole, various dishes of fish, chicken, fries, salads, salsa and fruit washed down freshly squeezed juice. 

We countinued our trek to Mera to get our bright, yellow boots and then onward to Sumak to our field station, Sumak Kawsay in Situ. We had a heavenly dinner prepared by Mama Gloria. Our moth reseach team went to conduct their study. We all finally settled into our beds for the night.

January 15 - Tropical Rainforest Exploration- Lauren 

Breakfast was at 8:30. I ate eggs and rice for breakfast. (veggie option?) After breakfast I looked through the moth data and photos with three other students that was collected the night before. We used iNaturalist to ID the moth photos we collected. In total we counted over 400 moths! For lunch we had chicken, rice and lentals (veggie option?) There were two choices for afternoon activities. Some students went on a hike to the Monkey River and waterfall to go swimming. The other group of students attended a microbiology workshop. I decided to attend the microbiology workshop.  We were given agar plates and instucted how to sample surfaces for microbes and cultivat them on the agar plate. I chose to take a sample from water inside a bromilidae plant. We used a  Q-tip to spread our sample onto the agar plate. At the end of the workshop the agar plates were placed into a heated incubator so the micororganisms could grow. Between lunch and dinner we had a delicious banana pancakes and Guava? I had 5 banana pancakes! I took a nap an the couch upstairs after that. For dinner we had soup with popcorn in it and sausage, rice and french fries. We took a night hike after dinner into the rainforest to look at animals, We saw many invertebrates (insects, spiders, harvestmen) and vertebrates (snakes, lizards, frogs). We saw over 11 species of frogs! My favorite species we saw was a toad called Rhinella festae. We got back to the field station from the hike around 9:30pm and drank some tea before going to sleep. Overall, it was a very fun exciting day.

January 16 - Tropical Rainforest Rest Day - Frank

 As you can imagine, we're pretty tired. I can't even remember what I ate for breakfast-- that's how tired I am. (I think I ate soup?) Nevetheless, it was delicious. (Thank you Mamita.)  Right after breakfast, I had to log all of my moth photos into an excel spreadsheet. I didn't take pictures of that because it was nasty work. Absolutely treacherous. Gazing upon such an excel spread sheet would surely drive any person mad enough to run off into the Amazon and NEVER return. (I'm just kidding, i love moths. I had a lot of fun. In 30 minutes our group found 50 different species!) After getting the work out of the way-- most spent the day on some low-energy play. This started with the first activity which was a coffee workshop led by Mamita.  One thing about grinding coffee beans that no one talks about is that the process of roasting, grinding, and sorting all produces a smell that reminds me of a campfire. This activity took up the entire morning as well as some of the afternoon. At some point I gave up on sorting beans and picked up the book I brought but haven't touched yet. I read the first chapter of The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. It was a weird book. I summarized the chapter to several people and when someone new would pass me by I would ask "did I tell you about this chapter I read?" and they would respond "Frank, I could hear you. We're in the same room.".  This same coversation has been had several times over the trip as I also have tried summarizing Metamorphosis by  Franz Kafka. (There was an audiobook on the plane to get here that I listened to.)  I traded book titles with Beth-- Beth is reading If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio.  While we're on the topic of books,  Alex has been recomending this one book the entire trip: The Mapmaker's Wife by Robert Whitaker. He's been quoting it a lot throughout the trip. I think that summarizes most everyone's reading endeavors unless I'm forgetting someone. After wrestling with the coffee beans, the group adventured to the clay bath near the Sumak Site. We threw mud at each other and some us went down the mud slide. A smaller portion of us went to wash off at a river, although I personally opted to wash off with a small bowl of water that I would repeatedly pour over myself. (I'm not the smartest cat in the jungle.) As nightfall approached, the moth group set up their second moth survey. We surveyed moth populations and species biodiversity for 30 minutes, right before heavy rainfall started. Afterwards, we hiked back up to the Sumak site in order to partcipate in group karaoke. (I personally sang Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra, I Started Something I Coulden't Finish by the Smiths, and What's Mine is Yours by Sleater Kinney-- although I sucked at singing the last one. ) (Some other noteable songs sang were Timber by Pitbull-- sung by Ti-Shawn, Selena, and Sophia; Duvet by Boa-- sung by Lauren; Jolene by Dolly Parton-- sung by Anikka; and Careless Whisper by George Micheal-- sung by Mac, Anna, and Matteo.) More adventure awaits for this crazy gang of environmental science and biology majors, so stay tuned. 

January 18- Giving Back- Mateo 

Today was all about giving back to the community that has supported us! Unfortunately the day started off with heavy rain so the Leaf Cutter Ant Research Group was not able to get their 8:30am samples, fortunately though, our lovely Birders were at least able to get some of their data in on time. Alas we pushed on and had some breakfast together at 9! By the end of breakfast it was still raining pretty hard so we all agreed on waiting until 11pm to head to Waska for our volunteership so the rain could hopefuly clear up. Everyone had an hour to relax or get themselves ready for our journey to Waska down the street.

In that freetime,  Dr. Renee, Sharon, and I went on a little excursion to the waterpark that was down the road from Ecorazza. At the waterpark it was still downpouring, we were able to watch the hyperactive river that poured into the waterpark. Pretty scary and dangerous waters! Once 11 hit and everyone gathered together, Alex was nice enough to order us truck taxis to escort us to Waska so we wouldn't be walking in the rain.  

Once we all arrived at Waska, the sun started to come out and set us all up for a day of hard work. Firstly we gathered at the firepit at Waska. There we gathered with people from the Juri Juri and the Guayusa Runa communities! We learned each other's names, had everyone's faces' painted by Sisa Guatatuca. Alex our overseer put us into three different groups, the armadillos (people that tended to the greenhouse), Jaguars (people that helped put together the Labrynth), and the weavers (people that repaved the front of Waska by weeding and putting down Gavel). We took turns rotating around, there was also a bracelet and necklace making station with Veronica (the matriarch of the Juri Juri community). At Waska we had lunch which was chicken cooked in coca-cola and at dinner we had chicken-foot soup (obviously there were vegetarian options available).

Before dinner we all took a trip down to the Butterfly Conservation Museum as a little break. There we overcame our fears of certain insects like tarantulas and we learned about butteflies, rhino beetles, spiders, and other kinds of insects. We got to hold two differen kinds of Tarantulas, one was a tree species and the other was a ground-dwelling species. Woohoo Ti-Shawn for pushing her boundaries and allowing a Tarantula to crawl on her! Many others also followed her brave path in holding the two different tarantulas as well. We got to also explore the gift shop! :D 

After coming back and having dinner the Moth Team went out and took samples towards the entrance of Waska. The Leaf Cutter Ant people (Soph, Selena, Beth, and I + Sharon!) found three different locations at Waska where there were two different colonies to be studied. Channeling my inner-coraje and our guardian Waska cat totally led the Ant group to the locations, we were able to collect some pretty cool data! From Ant traffic jams to watching boxing matches between the minimas and mosquitos. Woohoo Ant team 8 different trails finally done! 

Once the Ant and Moth groups were done with their collection samples, we left back on foot to Ecorazza where we all returned to bed. 

Today was the second day of volunteership with our friends over at Waska Amazonia! We started the day with a lovely breakfast at Ecorazza before walking over to Waska. On the way, the ant group discovered a new colony of leafcutter ants traveling on our path, and they took a quick detour to record some data for their ongoing research. One we arrived at Waska, we joined our friends from the Juri Juri and the Guayusa Runa communities for aonther day of fulfilling work. Before we got started, our group had the opportunity to have our faces painted with a red dye, which is often used as a food colorant. Their were many beautiful and traditional designs included in the paintings such as the sun, mountains, and water to name a few. 

Much of the volunteer work at Waska on day 2 of our volunteership was a continuation of projects from the previous day. Everyne spread out to tackle the variety of tasks that included weeding paths, moving gravel and stones, and continuing to expand the labyrinth spiral. With Peter's guidance, an impressive living arch composd of branches, vines, and other tropical plants was constructed at the entrance of the spiral, and more life wa brought to the space with living sculptures assembled from tree trunks and plants collected from the surrounding forest.

The living arch was only the start of the creativity that filled the day, as a few friends from the  Juri Juri and the Guayusa Runa communities joined me in painting some amazing watercolor works of art. Subjects for these works of art included toucans, butterflies, and even architecture! This experience alo gave us an opportunity to practice ou spanish and get to our friends even better. Lunch was a delicious taco bar, and most of us ended going back for seconds. Work and laughter  continued to fill the afternoon, and as the work day came to an end we broke up into groups to return to Ecorazza or go for a quick hike and swim in the river. 

Once everyone had returned to Ecorazza, we all got the chance to enjoy the pool, hot tub, and steam room. Whether you were relaxing and recuperating from a hard day's work or getting up to some pool shenanigans like handstand competitions (Soph won that one), everyone enjoyed themselves thouroughly. Dinner followed after the fun, and the pizza was very popular fair. We also celebrated TiShawn's 23rd birthday with yummy cake and at least 5 different renditions of "Happy Birthday"! Overall, it was an amazing day here in Mera, and everyone is looking forward to tommorrow's adventures! 

Jan 20 - In the Dark Under the forest - Selena

Hola, this morning we had breakfast which was soooo good, wish we had all the fruits in the states. Then we had an option to either go hiking or stay back and enjoy the day at Ecoarraza, can you guess what I chose. The hike was up to three different caves which insisted of crawling through small spaces, encountering bats and scorpions. The views were beautiful and the silence was deafening but yet so peaceful. After about 6 hours of hiking we headed back down for a little spa night which had a pool a steam room and a hot tub and then finished the night with dinner which we had a few different options and I had chicken. We ended the night a little early to go and pack out bags for our next adventure tomorrow where we shared many stories and talked through the night about our future ambitions and memories that we can’t wait to make ! ♥️ 

Jan 21 - Coming to Community - Beth

This morning, we woke up for our final morning in Ecoarazza and had a wonderful breakfast to start off our day! We ate fresh papaya, mango, and croissants! After breakfast, we quickly finished packing and hit the road!

Our first stop was at an artisan/sweets market. There were so many cool things to buy!

Next, we went to a beautiful botanical garden. 40 years ago, the garden was a cow pasture that the owner then cultivated into an ecologically diverse garden. ("Garden" doesn't even feel like the right word! It was so large and lush!) It was truly beautiful!

For lunch, we ate at a restaurant along the river in Puyo. Many of us had the Ecuadorian trucker meal. It consisted of chifles (plantain chips), beans, salad, and tuna (optional). After eating, we visited the bridge that runs over the river (which had some awesome views!).

Finally, we arrived at the Guayusa Runa community! The community welcomed us with a magnificent ceremony that took place around Abuelo Fuego (Grandfather Fire), which included dancing and drums! 

Today was a marvelous day and I can't wait for what tomorrow brings!

Jan 22 - Guayusa Runa - Mason

We started the day off bright and early with a Guayusa Tea Ceremony at 6:30am in the morning. We drank guayusa out of traditional bowls, talked about our dreams from that night, and recieved advice from Papa Jaime on the meaning of our dreams. From evil spirits to death omens, our dreams had it all. After the dream sharing, Papa Jaime told us a traditional story about ants in the rainforest and then we were each assigned our own Quechua name. Mine was Kawsaywuarme, which means "woman of life."

After everyone got their name, we ate breakfast and then learned how to make clay bowls in the the traditional Quechua way. Some of us also made other assorted clay items, such as a snowman and a snail, with the leftover clay. We set the ceramics out to dry and then headed out to the field for a demonstration of weaving fish traps. After that, a group of us went down to the river to go on a canoe trip to a local waterfall. On the way back from the waterfall, the current was so strong that our guides had to get out of the canoes and push us upstream by hand.

Later that afternoon, everyone gathered in the field for some traditional Quechua games. We practiced using blowguns and throwing spears, and although some people had better aim than others, everyone had a lot of fun. Overall it was a great day, and we're very grateful to the Guayusa Runa community for being such incredible hosts!

Jan 23 - Traveling & Urban Parks- Frank

 Hey guys, I'm blogging again. Today, we said goodbye to our Quechua friends. I will personally be missing our many conversations that I had in very broken spanish and extravagant hand expressions. (I learned a very important spanish word-- chisme. I have reveived a lot of good chisme during my time on this trip.) After saying our goodbyes, hugging our friends, saying goodbye to the many dogs, and saying goodbye to both monkeys-- the Hollins battle bus rode off into glorius victory, all the way to Tena, home to  a really good cafe known as Cafe Tortuga. At Cafe Tortuga, I had some bomb french toast-- and got myself an additional bomb banana coffee milkshake as a treat. I clanked my teeth against the metal straw that my drink came in (because Cafe Tortuga as well as many other facilities in Tena are dedicated to sustainability) and I was chamingly reminded of the first time I got lip piercings. After our Cafe Brunch, we toured around the ecological park in Tena. We saw many an interesting plant, and even a very handsome fellow named Satcha. (He is the park's rescued Tapier who happens to be domesticated and roams the park freely.) Afterwards, we marched on to our hostel for the night which was this swanky place with a swanky cat. 

Jan 24 - River Adventures - Annika

 Day 2 in Tena began with a yummy breakfast at hostal Pakay! After breakfast, everyone packed their day bags and got ready for the main excursion of the day : a boat ride along the Napo River. While we waited on the shore to board our vessels, everyone picked a rock off the beach that they felt drawn too. Included in the mix were rocks and pebbles of all shapes, sizes, ans colors, creating a beatifully unique collection.  Finally everyone boarded the Toucan and the Ariel 2 and we set off down the river. The shores were a birder's dream, and herons, egrets, sandpipers, anhingas, and toucans were just some of the species spotted by our group. We stopped for a quick hike on the shore and saw possibly the coolest and rarest bird of the trip: a Hoatzin! These incredible birds bear a striking similarity to dinosaurs, with a unique appearance that includes clawed wings and colorful plumage. to quote our resident bird expert Kristin, "Hoatzins are the only birds in their group; all the others are a part of the fossil record." Seeing these amazing creatures was not only a blast from the past but also a once in a lifetime opportunity, as they are usually found in much more remote locations. 

After the hike, everyone returned to the boats and we continued on. As we approached the community where we were planning to eat lunch, we encountered difficult and shallow waters. Our group was separated briefly as the boats took different routes around the roadblock, but we were reunited in no time after some impressive steering from our amazing captains. Quite the jungle adventure! We soon arrived at our destination and were greeted by a delicious lunch prepared by our hosts. We chatted and laughed over lunch, and afterwards bid farewell to our new friends and began our journey back to shore. The ride back was slightly less but just as fun, with even more bird sightings and sceney. Before we knew it we were back on the shores and we said goodbye to our captains. As we walked into town to board the bus back to the hostal, we ran into a group of mischevious monkeys known for an occasional theft! As the day came to a close, we returned to Hostal Pakay for dinner and a well deserved rest. Dolce Suenos!

Jan 25 - Return to Quito - Soph

Hola mi amigos! We started off today by waking up for an 8am breakfast at our lovely hostal called Hostal Pakay. They have a strong focus on envionmental sustainablity and use dry toliets! Haha. After breaky we finished packing and started to load up the bus. I got my coveted spot in the back of the bus with all the bags and we were on our way to Quito!

The ride up into the cloud forest was a little bit of a bumpy one. The views were amazing but a little hard to see as fog started covering our windows. After a while we stopped for a bathroom and snack break. I got some cool snacks and a little baby Coco Cola for $3!  

On our way to Quito, we had the wonderful opportunity to go to a hot springs called Pappalactus. The hot springs were surrounded by the cloud forest and had the most beautiful views. There were so many beautiful pools, ranging from burn your skin off hot to the coldest freaking water ever. Renee and I stayed consistent on going back and fourth between the nice hot pool to the freezing cold river water pool. We stayed in the cold pool for 5 minutes at one point! Many people in our group just decided to stay in the hot pool, which is understandable because it was drizzling on and off throughout our time there. 

After an hour and a half of exploring the pools, we got dressed and had a nice lunch at the resturant in the spa. I had some fried chicken, with some potatoes covered in peanut sauce which was pretty good. Once we finished lunch, we went back to the van. Matteo and Mack decided to join our professors on the short hike through the polylepis forest. The rest of us decided to stay on the van and get some rest. The hike was very foggy but very cool to see. The polylepis trees were very old, but very small, because they grow at a slow rate due to the high altitude and they have very flaky bark due to growing with strong UV. They also saw some cute bunnies. 

Once everyone was back at the van, we started back on our bumpy drive to Quito. It was a two and a half hour drive into Quito, just because the traffic getting into the city was a little crazy. We finally arrived to Hostel Viajero at 6:30pm. We sorted out our rooms and then went down to dinner at 7pm. Dinner was delicious and I had a chorizo sandwich with some french fries. We had a little cat friend join us and he was trying to steal some of our fries. 

After dinner was over, some people went to bed, while Ti-Shawn, Selena, Matteo, Mack, Anna, Beth, and I stayed out late (by late I mean 10pm) for some salsa dancing classes. It was so much fun and the bartender (who was also our salsa professor) taught us some really fun dances. Overall it was a very fun and relaxing day. I am sad to be leaving Ecaudor, but I am so truly grateful for having such a wonderful and amazing expirence with such beautiful people. Hasta luego Ecaudor! <333