We made it to beautiful Quito! After eating breakfast, we spent the morning doing our orientation in the Jardin Botánico, one of Quito’s most beautiful central parks. At the garden, we wandered among winding pathways full of tropical plants and flowers, talked about our hopes for the next month and established our group expectations.

After orientation and some delicious pizza lunch, we headed to Quito’s historical center, where the colonial architecture makes you feel like you have traveled back in time.

We visited the Basilica, the oldest in South America, and climbed up to the tower, where we caught a beautiful view of the city.

Afterward, a really interesting theatrical guide led us around the city, and we learned about the colonial origins of the city in a very fun way.

We finished the night off with a dinner at Cafe Mosaico, a restaurant on the hill that overlooks Quito’s center. The glittering lights of the cathedral from afar and the Andes mountains in the background were a great way to finish our first full day in country.

Tomorrow we are really excited to board the bus early in the morning to head off to our host community, Las Tolas!

Hasta pronto!

— Leah & Alvaro