Click here to see pictures from the trip to La Guilena

“Three! Two! One! Say cheese!” That was the exact moment when the buckets of water caught them off guard.

Today the Global Glimpse crew focused on the history and culture of Guaranda through tours of the city center and a field trip to La Guilena, a privately owned farmed on the outskirts of the city. After breakfast, the students participated in a scavenger hunt walking tour, which had them finding various landmarks in the city and visiting the town market to purchase curiosities such as exotic fruits and other goods they were unfamiliar with.

Next stop was lunch and a tour of La Guilena, an adapted-use farm which, in addition to its agricultural use, provides visitors educational opportunities. Here we met Maria and Elena, the owners of the farm, who gave us a historical context of Ecuador and a description of Carnival, the country’s long-standing traditional celebration held in Guaranda. The history lesson was followed by a scenic hike of the grounds where students were educated on local plant and animal species and introduced to the farm’s domestic livestock.

As a follow up to the historical components, glimpsers painted masks in celebration of their own Carnival. During Carnival, people enjoy festivities and partake in a cleansing ritual involving water. It was here that our Glimpsers were given a taste of the real celebration, and with that came the first bucket of water!

Immediately, a pandemonium of the highest caliber broke out, with students scattering in all directions to escape the downpour and to find buckets of their own. After many splashes and even more laughs, the students returned home for group reflections and their nightly meeting.

This trip is the perfect formula of education, reflection, leadership, and fun. In celebrating Carnival, we were able to celebrate Ecuador and each other. When it rained on their parade – or, in this case, their Carnival – each one had a smile on their face and love for each other in their hearts. I am thankful to have such memorable experiences with such an amazing group of students.

I will be passing the torch off the Jeisenelly tomorrow, our first student Lider del Dia, so stay tuned!

Big Love,

Jeromie Whalen
Global Glimpse Leader