Greetings from Ecuador!! The group just completed a whirlwind tour of “El Oriente”…a
big loop from Quito - Baños - Puyo - Runa Huasi - Susie’s cabin and back to Quito!

Our group is exhausted yet happy after several early morning wake-ups to cram in all the
amazing activities we’ve been up to in the jungle! We’ve all got bug bites on our legs but
smiles on our faces after stepping outside our comfort zones and surviving the elements
during the most “rustic” portion of our journey!

First on the agenda was a summit (to the first refuge at least – 15,744 ft.) of Cotopaxi, a
19,347 foot tall active volcano! We really had to bundle up for this one…a few members
of our group saw snow for the first time (that’s you, Alyssa!) and it was definitely the
first time any of us experienced snow flurries on the fourth of July!!! We warmed up later
that night in the natural hot springs in the mineral pools in Baños. Any day where you
start in a winter hat, and end in a bathing suit is a memorable one indeed!!

Onward to the lush extreme sports capital of Ecuador, Banos, and the lure of a mysterious
activity: Canyoning! After being outfitted with wetsuits and harnesses, we were whisked
away to a nearby verdant canyon. With visions of waterfalls dancing in our heads, we
plodded our way up along a muddy path—remind me to never hike in a wetsuit again!
Suddenly we found ourselves in a Jurassic Park-ish enclosure, our ears filled with the
sound of rushing water, and our hearts pounding with anticipation. Only one way down
from here! Why yes, of course, it’s time to rappel down a few waterfalls. Everyone
ended this day completely soaked and with a huge sense of accomplishment.

After eating local meals the whole trip, upon arriving in Puyo the group was treated
to a delicious meal of….pizza! We spent the next morning catching up on our
basic “Maslow’s” needs (food, shelter) so we slept in and had a nice breakfast before
taking off to the Runa Huasi jungle lodges! Once we arrived in Tena, we packed all our
bags in a motorized canoe and headed down the Napo river to our new home, deep in the
jungle! There was no electricity (candles everywhere!) and very few comforts of home.
Our students especially had to get used to sharing their living space with a myriad of
friendly critters!

In the jungle, the mighty jungle we were up early to visit a local zoo/animal re-
habilitation center. Then we went to a local family’s plantation where we toured the
grounds and observed a Chicha-making demonstration. In the afternoon, we were tasked
with building a balsa raft and using it to float down the river! Our nights at Runa Huasi
were restful—after of course we made peace with all the creepy crawlies around.

And now for what we were all waiting for: whitewater rafting! We were greeted with a
cool, misty morning, and it was hard to believe we’d soon be running the rapids. After
an extensive safety talk, we were out on the water, gleefully anticipating the first rush of
adrenaline. We were not disappointed! Whitewater in Ecuador is no joke, and there was
soon not a dry person among us. The guides fed us an incredible lunch, and the heavens
finally opened up, giving us relief from the cold—it was a gloriously sunny day!

After a full day of rafting, we headed towards the cloud forests of Baeza, and were
thankful to be welcomed so kindly into beautiful cabins owned by friends of our in-
country contact, Sarah. Susanna and her family were amazing hosts---they fed us well
and gave us an informative lesson on Ecuadorian culture/customs and learned some
helpful Spanish phrases to prepare our students for their upcoming homestays!

Niall and Julia took turns on the guitar and we sang ourselves to sleep, eagerly
anticipating the transition to the friendship camp/homestay portion of our program. This
group has bonded especially well---what an open, inclusive bunch! It will be hard to be
separate for a few nights (what will we do without knowing everyone’s highs and lows of
the day!?!?) but all are excited to practice/learn some Spanish and immerse themselves in
the family dynamic in their homestays.

On Monday the group had one final planning session with the Liceo de Valle teenagers
we’ll be working with for our Friendship camp at the Inez Gonzotena Elementary
School! The four departments: art, sports, music/dance and languages worked feverishly
to finalize their lesson plans for the week! After a “mock-day” of sorts, both groups felt
comfortable with the plan for Day 1! Soon after, we split up into Homestay groups....and
the Windsor Mountain students got to know their new Ecuadorian brother or sister a
bit better before heading “home” to meet the rest of the family and settle in…students
are excited to be in the same place for four nights---quite a treat after moving around so
much during our epic jungle tour!!

Yesterday morning the Liceo de Valle and Windsor Mountain “counselors” arrived at
the school for our first day of camp! What a successful first day it was!! Local youth
enjoyed playing soccer, basketball, myachi, dancing, finger painting, making bracelets
and learning some new English words! We were incredibly impressesed with how the
group handled themselves. At lunch, all departments took time to plan the next day and
then spent the rest of the afternoon teaching eachother some Ecuadorian/US card games!!

Everyone is excited to call home this afternoon! Be expecting to here from your world
traveler between 2-5pm (EST) this very afternoon!

Amor y Paz,
Dave + 3 and Kate + 8