Today was definitely an emotional roller coaster. From walking an exhausting hike to saying goodbye to our amazing kids, our raw emotions were exposed today. This morning we started our day with a hike to the Ingapirca Ruins that took about 3 hours. Even though the walk was grueling, it was fulfilling to get to the top of the mountain and soak in the the beautiful, rolling hills of Ecuador. I realized that while most of our group was complaining about the steep hills and the long walk, the children were crazily giggling as they ran up the hill or picking pretty flowers on the side of the road. They didn't mention the incredibly exhausting, time-consuming walk. They made the best out of this hike that could've been a grueling excursion. When we got back to the school, I was struck by an epiphany. North Americans have a tendency to complain whenever something is difficult or different from what they're used to. However, we have so much to grateful for. We have shelter, food, clothes, the chance to receive an education and so many other opportunities that many of the Huatuc-loma students do not have access to. After working with the students for the past five days and hearing their stories, I am truly appreciative for their positive attitude. They are living a difficult lifestyle that I can probably never relate to, but their giggles and smiles successfully suppress their daily struggles. As a result, saying our goodbyes to them today was difficult because there were so many loose ends that weren't tied together. Cutting our English lessons short, we felt like we were leaving our kids stranded. However, I know that they will continue practicing their English because they are beautiful, diligent students that are genuinely interested in learning this new language.
Ultimately, I am so glad that I volunteered at the Huatuc-loma community with an amazing group of people because I learned more about myself (my passions, my struggles, etc.) and the Ecuadorean culture. All in all, this opportunity has given me the privilege to teach enthusiastic children a new language, interact with the local teachers, embrace the generosity of my host family and the local people, engage in the invigorating city life, and practice a new language.
-Kalala Pines
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Last day at the community. It seems like I have prepared for this day a while ago. It was not hard for me to say goodbyes to the students at the community, like i knew this day would come. One thing I found the most frustrating and rewarding was the hike up to the ruins, which is an hour walk from the school. The way up to the site wasn't as hard as I expected, but the way back to school was the death of me. I hate to say that I'm out of shape, but the hike did take my breath away. However, the scenery along the walk actually made it up to me. It was incredible to see what mother nature can offer to us human beings. Even though the hike was long and rough, I actually did not regret doing it. Also, another thing I appreciate is the walk with other students who I had not had the chance to interact with and communicate. They were a couple of 10th graders that walked beside me and Lauren. We had a pleasant talk about such random things like english-spanish words, girlfriends/boyfriends, etc. The hike was a good opportunity to engage with our students and leave them with a great impression of us volunteers
-Sophia Vo
The hike was beautiful!
Another beautiful view from the hike
After our hike, the school director and some teachers showed us around a nearby town called Nabón, where there is an orchid place.
There are more than 4,000 documents species of orchids native to Ecuador! Ecuador boasts the highest orchid diversity of any country in the world
Some of the older students were eager to have their original poems translated to English
Some sheep we passed during our hike
Jori and Haley walk hand in hand with some young girls during the hike
After reaching our destination, Jori tries an edible plant!
Playing around the ruins (our final destination of our hike)
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