An inactive volcano, 20,000 feet high, EL VOLCAN CHIMBORAZO!!!

Today in the morning, we went to Volcan Chimborazo.  It is a very famous mountain (since it’s an inactive volcano) and probably the most famous here in Ecuador. We traveled to the mountain on a bus, and it was a long ride from where we are staying. Bus rides can be fun though. 20,000 feet is very high, and to answer your question, no we did not go up 20,000 feet. We went up around 13,000-14,000 feet, and had a nice walk with snow all around! It was hailing and snowing, and it was really exciting (no wonder today was a fun day). But, it was also very, VERY cold. We walked to an obelisk, which was very pretty, and took lots of pictures. I even took a picture with the Ecuadorian flag. Afterward, we went on two hikes with very kind and amazing guides. The first hike was a very short and simple hike on flat ground, in which we enjoyed the view most of the walk.  HOWEVER, on the second hike. IT WAS CRAZY. IT WAS RAINING AND RAINING HARDER, AND THE VIEW WAS SO PRETTY, AND THERE WAS LOTS OF MUD. Sorry, I was excited. Although many of us had a couple of struggles, I think we all had fun. As the leader of the day, I wanted to take the lead on the second hike to show leadership. And let’s just say things happened . . . towards the end portion of the second hike, there was an area that was pretty steep, but totally safe. I promise. Me being the leader and in the front, I just simply followed the guide as usual, and then it happened. There was one path that was very muddy, and my boots could not handle it. I slipped and fell. Quick shock, but everything was fine. It was kind of exciting and funny. There were lots of coordinators watching us to make sure we were safe and took safe paths. But since this path was so muddy and slippery, I fell two more times and decided to do a slip ‘n slide on my butt. On the bright side, I had fun going down. As for the rest of the group, the coordinators found a safe path and we all happily finished the hike! Afterward, we had plenty of free time for resting, had lunch, and then had dinner at La Nativa. We’ve been there before, and since it was our last time there we expressed our gratitude and gave many thanks.

Shoutout to Mom & Dad, Love you guys. I had lots of fun today, and I can’t wait to tell you guys about it.

Big shout out to our designated bus driver, Don Fernando. He’s been taking us everywhere and caring for us when we were on his bus. He even took us all the way up to Volcan Chimborazo. He’s truly the best and we are very thankful for what he does for us.  I would also like to thank our guides at Chimborazo, Ceasar at La Nativa for cooking us an awesome meal, and our PCs, Health Coordinator, and Country Director.  Thanks for going with us to Chimborazo! 

So, tomorrow’s leader of the day is Artin! He’s very kind, cool, and smart. I feel like he can be a great leader when it is needed for tomorrow, our free day.  Please look out for his blog post tomorrow evening.

Thank you all for reading this kind-of-long blog.

Much Love to all,

Christopher Mora