Today, August 6th, 2017 our delegation climbed a volcano called Chimborazo. The special thing about this volcano is that it is the closest place to the sun from the center on the earth. At 6:45 am we woke up to go to breakfast at Cafe del Tren. After we ate we took a bus to the base of Chimborazo. When we got to the base, everyone was really nervous. We were able to see the mountain and seen how big and intimidating it was. The hike was not the part that was intimidating, it was the fact that when we get higher in the atmosphere, the air gets thinner so it gets hard to breathe. As we was walking, Albert and I (Jaden) were situated so that we were in the front and back so if people needed to take breaks, we would know easier. Everyone was struggling but we all persevered! We all supported each other as much as we could until we was back at the bus to go to our next location, a forest.

                                      

We began our route to the forest. Everyone was instructed to keep the talking to a minimum because of the increase in altitude. The higher we went, the harder it was for us to breathe. Our tour guide also instructed us to hike up the mountain in a single file line to avoid as much danger as possible. After about 20 minutes, I suggested that we take a break, clear our minds, and most importantly, drink water. Soon after, we resumed our hike up the mountain to the forest. As we got closer to the top of the mountain, more trees began to appear. We arrived at the forest. We did it. Symbolically, as we went up the mountain, the wind didn’t let up on us at all. However, when we got to the forest, wind seemed non-existent. We were in a forest on top of a mountain, in Ecuador. None of us ever imagined a day like this would come. This moment was surreal and we all enjoyed this moment together, as a family.