Hello dear friends and family:
We have had our first full day in Ecuador. Wohoooo! We finally got to see our new home for the next 15 days “Riobamba” and on our way there we got to see the beautiful landscapes from the Andes mountains and we had the chance to spot at least three volcanoes. We arrived at Riobamba around noon and after we unloaded the suitcases from the bus, we got to explore Hotel Tren Dorado, which has beautiful common areas and very welcoming staff. After a quick break to freshen up, we went to Roma Santa Restaurant where we ate delicious traditional Ecuadorian food. Isabel, who is the owner of the restaurant, was nice and her son Nelson immediately bonded with some of our Glimpsers.
After lunch we went over the Welcome and Leader of the Day Seminar. Both were pretty interesting, and we got to meet each other better. At 4pm we went outside, and we ran into a big surprise. We had a SUPER FUN dancing class. We learned about typical Ecuadorian dances and we had the chance to wear typical costumes. We had a blast with all the dancers from “Renovación” Dance group. They were very polite and we were able to simulate an Inti Raymi (Sun Party) Celebration. We all made a big circle, held hands and got our first taste of Ecuador’s dancing culture.
After so much fun we went back to the Hotel, had a break of 30 minutes and had the chance to buy some snacks. At 6pm we got all together again, so we could meet the owner and the staff of our hotel. We also had our “First Impressions” reflection session, where we could express ourselves and we discussed our feelings and thoughts.
We finally went back to Roma Santa for dinner and had our first nightly meeting. We shared our “Big Loves” and we ended the day with a Unity Clap.
Everyone is feeling pretty excited and we are ready to see new places and meet more people. Tomorrow we will have a city tour where we will discuss history and culture.
Today, we all learned about flexibility, we met new friends, travelled to a completely new country, moved hotel rooms, and tried our first Ecuadorian meal. We are all very proud of how positive each and every one of us remains, despite the long travels and little sleep we were able to get last night. The student LDD will be posting on this blog every night to keep all our loved ones up to date with our adventures! Please post comments on this blog, as we will be sharing them with the students each night!
Hasta pronto,
Ana y Jerry
Shreysi, what an unbelievable first day! I can’t even imagine doing so many things in a week. You look so great in that orange skirt or dress! We miss your smile here at home but sure that you are making new friends and learning new things. Thank you GG counselors for posting blogs!
Hi Kai. Is that you in a hat and green covering? Aiden’s team won the championship. He pitched 3 innings no runs. Next kid came in and 4 runs scored. Kent pitched last 2 innings no runs scored. Aiden had a triple and single and 1 pop up. They won 6-4. Mom keeps looking for you in your room and I keep wanting to make you dinner. Pancake breakfast today. Sounds like you guys are having fun and are being fed well. Aiden’s graduation was fun. I smoked ribs and chicken. Made Kayla vegan potstickers. Take care we miss you. Love and aloha. Mom,dad, Kayla and Aiden.
P.S. Aiden slept over Ryan’s
Thank you for the descriptive post! What a great start. Everybody is looking happy and cheerful ?. The traditional dresses are so beautiful. I hope everyone enjoyed the authentic local food. Shreysi, i’m so proud of you, you are looking so beautiful with all the friends. Keep exploring new things. Today, Monica came for a cup of tea, I had a fun day with friend. Shrey did his water polo, had sun burn, but doing ok! Tomorrow is the 4th Warrior game ? . Don’t forget to look for souvenirs – love mom
Muchas gracias, Ana y Jerry, for your detailed posts. It looks like to be there with you all!
Luisa, you seem very happy of your first day in Ecuador. Hope to see you dancing la cumbia soon! Big kisses
Ooh nice dance moves Kevin, better show me them when you get back! Glad to see that you’re havin’ a blast:) Stay warm!
shreysi and luisa – that sounds like so much fun! I can’t wait for both of you to show me the dance when you get back. I love you and miss you both!
So happy to see everyone’s nice smiles.
Thanks for wonderful post.
Luisa- We are feeling so empty without your smile and your voice at home but we are sure you are having a great time there with your wonderful group. I left some photos at your small camera if you miss us someday(hopefully ?) . Love you -mom
Thank you very much for a very descriptive blogs, Ana y Jerry.
Albert, I hope my old camera (actually its batteries) doesn’t let you down. I can’t wait to make a photo book of your first trip abroad…by yourself. We all miss you at home but don’t worry much about us; have fun with your new friends and adventures.
Hello,
Wishing the happiest of birthdays to my friend Ben. Have a great time in Ecuador!
~Sydney
What a great first day! So happy to see so many smiles and can’t wait to see those dance moves at home 🙂 Skyler-we love you and miss you, but so excited for the aventures before you! ❤️ Keep having fun and creating amazing memories!
Sounds like an AMAZING first full day with of lots of learning, dancing, and great food! ?
Can’t wait to read more!!.
Jeremy, we miss you already!
Mom & dad
Warriors are NBA champions!!!
I saw your picture and it looks so fun Nancy! We all love you and miss you a lot!!
Hope you are feeling healthy and safe!
Hey, Zack! We are excited to see all parts of your adventure, but we do miss you! Can’t wait to see those dances!
I’m so happy you are all getting to have such an amazing experience. You are such a great looking group and getting a chance to experience different foods, traditions, and most of all people is something that you will always treasure. I’m looking forward to you daily posts and learning about Riobamba.
Hi Shreysi!
I miss you so much but i’m so sure your having an awesome time. It’s awkward having an empty room next door but my ears can have some rest 😉 Just kidding I LOVE YOU SHREYSI you are an awesome sister and I hope you have the literal time of your life. Enjoy and say hi to Ecuador for me.
p.s. you better get me a souvenir
Hi Alyssa! sounds like you are having fun. Sorry we both missed your calls. remember to take lots of pics and live in the moments. Enjoy every minute of your awesome adventure! love Mom