Free Day (No. 17)

Hey everyone it’s Yasmin and Sabina!

Thankfully, we were the lucky leaders that got to sleep in and wake up stress-free knowing our day would be filled with fun and ease. We made our way to Riobamba city and split into groups to discover and enjoy the culture and beauty of the Andean world. We took the first couple of hours to get our nails done (even the guys) and took the time to relax and socialize with the locals. The nail artists embraced our rough Spanish and had the patience to try and comprehend us. We had a couple of laughs and showed off our new and improved toes and fingers to the rest of the group.

As we made our way to the next destination we were joined by a couple of friendly dogs that we ended up naming Global and Glimpse. We split ways once more, some of us went shopping, some toured the city, and some even joined a vibrant parade. When we met up again with the group we were surprised by the boys dressed in ponchos and Aya Huma masks (look it up!). Throughout this time Enrique was kind enough to buy the whole group cholas, which are small buns filled with sugar cane paste, even Global and Glimpse enjoyed them with us.

Lastly, we got to the hotel and re-energized ourselves with a game of futbol. We girls also joined and aggressively fought for our goals. By working together Adam’s skills helped us exhausted girls push through to score points. Although we were completely out of breath we had lots of fun. We were proud to pass on our leadership role to Maxwell and Annie and got to see their wonderful talents. Finally, we ended the day off with a nightly meeting that allowed us to spread love and experiences from today’s adventures!