11
Location: Quito to the Amazon
This morning we got to sleep in until 8:30, a much-needed rest to prepare for an hour to prepare for our departure to The Amazon. After breakfast at Hosteria San Carlos, we had about an hour to plan out our next Olympic challenge – the talent show! The five teams brought their A-game with poetry readings, dance routines, and all types of silliness. Kaitlin even did a backflip! The team who won, in the end, was the Pink-Footed Boobies (Brooke, Julia, Hannah S., and Kira) with their song routine. After an hour of free time, we eagerly headed to the airport and departed for Coca. After some yummy cheese or chicken quesadillas, we boarded the plane and landed in Coca about an hour later. At the airport, we met Hector, possibly the world’s most interesting man. He is helping our group to navigate the Amazon and is scheduling our service projects. We quickly learned that the city of Coca was hot and humid, as we all squeezed into taxis and headed to the long canoe that we would be taking down the Napo river. After an hour in the canoe, we arrived at our EcoLodge and quickly settled in. We had the most delicious dinner, which consisted of meat, rice, and most importantly – soup with popcorn in it (popcorn is a traditional soup side in Ecuador). After dinner, we had our arachnid tour where we walked around the lodge and spotted all kinds of insects, monkeys, and boa constrictors. After an exhausting day, we all settled into our lodges and had lights out at 10 pm. – An eco-friendly aspect of the lodge. We are loving the Amazon and cannot wait to see what is in store for us.