Today, we woke up at 7am. The weather was perfect and we all woke up feeling energized from the hard day of work yesterday. After meeting in the lobby, the group walked to Roma Santa for a refreshing breakfast including hard boiled eggs, yogurt, white and wheat bread, fruits, tea, and a luscious strawberry juice.
Immediately after the wonderful breakfast provided by Mama Isabelle, Nelson, and the fellow kitchen staff, the delegation headed off to COPROBICH, an organic quinoa factory.
Following the tour of the factory and demonstration of how the quinoa grows and is harvested, the delegation was given the chance to bring quinoa back to the States to share with their family and friends. Be prepared for some seriously healthy dinners.
The delegation ate a yummy lunch after an hour long bus ride back from COPROBICH. Lentils, rice, pork, and spicy salsa were provided with love from the Roma Santa kitchen. During which, fruitful discussions and heart-pounding card games milked the energy out the delegation. Luckily, the group stopped at the hotel for a quick break before presenting the CAP PowerPoint to the Utopia representatives. After a thought-provoking discussion about construction plans, the representatives concluded the meeting by offering special thanks and greetings to the delegation.
For the next two hours, the delegation went to the local school to tutor students in English. Although it was only the second tutoring day, the students made great strides. The delegation, with their concrete lesson plans, shared languages and cultures with the students despite coming from different countries.
Next, the delegation drove back for another round at crowd-pleasing Roma Santa. Our dinner consisted of teriyaki chicken along with a vegetarian option. They even had potatoes with verde salsa and chocolate cake! It was anther fantastic meal that left everyone waddling back to the hotel. And here we are, finally starting our last week here in Riobamba. It will be so sad to leave but we are excited for the next day to come fast. It is our final free day and we can’t wait to bring back memories and gifts for our families and friends.
Thank you so much for keeping in touch with us and please continue to write cute and embarrassing blog posts for the glimpsers. Disregard this statement if your last names are Lyon, Muniz, and Lopez. Please! Gracias and good night!
Love you kiddo, Can’t wait to see you again.
Hi Adri! I can’t wait for you to get back and make us some tasty Quinoa dinners! Your sisters are doubly excited. We miss you lots but look forward to all the great stories you’ll surely have. And maybe you will have forgotten some of those memes and will actually speak in phrases your parents can understand. That would be exciting! Keep having a great time cuz it will all be downhill once you get back. Jk. Love you lots! Mom
hey guys you spelled another wrong by leaving out the O just wanted to point out your mistake hehe
Breakfast sounds yummy but can it compare to gummy bears and Ice Cream, Beth? What a great adventure you are having. Love, Grandma
What a day, Wesley. Our most intimate knowledge with quinoa has been from the supermarkets, and most of us only saw the seeds. Now, Wesley you are the first one
in the family to see the whole plant ! Looking forward to the arrival of the quinoa grains delivered directly from the field :-). Make sure you comply with the US importation laws regarding plant seeds. It is equally amazing even if you can not bring the quinoa seeds across US customs.
With Love,
Mom and Dad
Hey Elena, it’s so fun to read about what you guys have been up to every day—and wow, you guys pack so much into every day! We all miss you and have a hard time believing that a week has gone by already. I bet it seems like it’s flying by even faster for you! We’re sending you lots of love & hugs. 🙂
XOXOXOXO
Hi y’all!
Michael Martinez’s mom here who is also known as Mikael. FYI he changed the spelling of his name when he was a wee lil 6 grader. thought I would just mention that:)
LOVE hearing all about your adventures in Ecuador! and can’t to have you make us Quinoa Mikael!
stay healthy and absorb as much as you can guys!
ps we need more pictures, Best Sufia
Halfway Asia, I’m feeling conflicted because I am so excited to see you but I don’t want your amazing experience to end… Looking at the pictures of your new friends and reading the wonderful posts I now see me not hiding your Passport was the right thing to do… Mommy, Daddy and your twin siblings are very proud of you!! Miss You Love You
(Sorry if this is a repeat, I don’t seem to see my posts)
Asia Halfway…
I love seeing the pics of all your new friends and reading about all of your new adventures!!
I’m so excited to see you but I don’t want your amazing experience to end…
I am so proud of you and I am so proud of me for not hiding your Passport like I wanted to!!
Love, Mommy, Daddy, the Twins
Mark Alvarado
Sounds like you are having a good time
God bless you all
Mom!
Hi Claire!
Hope you are having tons of fun. Thinking about you and can’t wait to hear about your trip when you get back!(:
Love,
Sara
Need to see Mark Alvarado in more pictures please!!
Mom
Sonia Alvarado
Looking good big mark! ?
– aaron & matt
Hmmm. I can’t quite make out that last sentence in the blog… 🙂
This last half of your trip will fly by. Don’t forget to take pictures and keep your journal so you can tell us all about it.