The day started early for us today. We woke up at 6 AM, the earliest we’ve even woken up here, then we had breakfast at Roma Santa’s at 7AM. We had a delicious breakfast. We ate corn with cheese, eggs mixed with chicken and broccoli, bread, watermelon and strawberries. After that we made out way to the “Taita Chimborazo” (Father Chimborazo), a famous volcano in the area. We took the bus up the volcano, and because it was so cold, it started snowing! For some of the Glimpsers, this was their first time seeing snow/snowfall. We walked to a monument and took a break for 30 minutes. It was very cold up there and the air was very thin. After seeing the monument, we drove down to the starting point for our hike. The hike took an hour, during which we saw local wildlife. We saw fields full of Vicunas, which are a species native to the volcano, and are related to the llama, alpaca, and camel. We saw plenty of horses, cows, and sheep as well. The hike also contained different streams and beautiful flat terrain. After the hike, we had delicious burritos for lunch at Roma Santa. After we returned to the hotel, we had free time until dinner. At dinner we ate delicious fish, french fries, and a salad. Suddenly, the lights dimmed and a laser machine turned on. Loud music blared as Glimpsers sang along and danced to many familiar tunes. After a tearful farewell to Mama Santa and Nelson (it was our last dinner there), we returned to the hotel. During the final nightly meeting the flag was passed for the last time to the next LDDs (Leaders of the Day). After the nightly meeting, we engaged in the last activity of this trip. Everyone would sit in a circle and face outwards, eyes closed. 5 people were selected. Kelly would list questions (ex. Squeeze the shoulder of a person who touched your life) and the 5 people would tap the shoulders of the people who they felt answered the question. After 5 questions the people would be swapped out, so that everyone would have a chance to be selected. After the event concluded, bedtime was pushed back, so we could all watch a horror movie together.

(Picture Credits: Wesley Wei)