Machu PicchuThe day I have been waiting for has finally come! Today I fulfilled a dream that I have had since high school, which was to visit Machu Picchu, one of the 7 Wonders of the World. And let me tell you, this site did not disappoint. I was absolutely awe-struck when I saw it, almost in disbelief. It is seriously one of the most beautiful and incredible places I have ever visited, and everything about the trip went perfectly. Our group woke up very early to get on the first bus to go up the mountain, which took about 30 minutes, plus waiting in line for about another 20 minutes at 5 in the morning. When everyone gets off, people usually immediately start hiking up the mountain to get a view of the sunrise over it. Our tour guide, however, decided to go on a different path to start off, which allowed us to get a view right in the heart of this fortress built into the side of the mountain with literally nobody else there with us. Our small group got to experience the beauty of this place without a single other soul there with us. It was unbelievable!! Here is our group posing with a llama! Fun fact: llamas have longer faces with banana-shaped ears, while alpacas have straight, pointed ears with a more smushed in face. Also, alpacas look fluffier and have much more fur (which is the soft wool that is used for sweaters, blankets, and more). So if you have trouble telling the difference just know that alpaca are much fluffier and have a shorter face! After looking at Machu Picchu and getting the tour close up, we hiked up "Montaña Machupicchu" (or Machu Picchu Mountain). It is a 1.25 mile hike, but all ascending straight up so it gets pretty difficult. The elevation gain is about 2,000 ft, and the approximate walking time is 3 and 1/2 hours round trip. It was a demanding hike, but absolutely worth it once you get to the top! Here is a picture of some of us once we reached the top!
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Tonight, after a really long all-nighter the night before at the airport in Quito (in order to avoid the violent protests of the Paro Nacional that have broken out in various cities due to the lack of oil subsidies), along with a long day of connecting flights from Quito to Guayaquil, then to Lima, I finally landed in Cusco, Perú! It was a crazy 24 hours and I was exhausted when I finally landed. Of course, once I got to the hotel, there was no Wi-Fi, and my mom had been waiting for me to tell her that I made it safely. When she did not hear from me for hours, she got really worried and contacted the study abroad advisor from my school. It wasn't until the next morning that the Wi-Fi was working again, and I woke up to at least 5 missed calls from my mom, along with emails from my advisor checking in on me, haha! But after that, things calmed down. I can honestly say fell in love with this incredible city the second I saw it. It is full of beautiful architecture, incredible archaeological sites, unbelievable mountainous regions and lakes, and is very peaceful (which is a really nice break from the constant hustle and bustle of Quito). I seriously could move here right now and be so content. Our first day we visited various incredible archaeological sites in Cusco. This image is of a site called Tambomachay, and the exact function of this site is not known. It is believed to have possibly been a site used for Incan ceremonies, as a spa, or as a military outpost. The architecture is quite impressive, with trapezoidal niches built into the retaining walls. The whole site was also built on top of a natural spring, which is why this very likely could have been used as a spa for the Incan ruler, and has an alternate name of "El baño del Inca" or "The Bath of the Inca". It is also very likely that it had more than just one use. The two images above are from another archaeological site in Northern Cusco, called Sacsayhuaman. This name means "place where the hawk is satiated" in Quechua. It is a fortress of sacred buildings such as towers, aqueducts, and shrines. The walls are tremendously impressive, with some of the stones beings as large as 5 meters (15 ft) high and 2.5 meters (8 ft) wide, and weighing up to 125 tons. Aside from the incredible size of the stones, this site is so impressive because the workers carefully cut each and every stone to fit perfectly on top of one another without using any mortar to hold them together. This cyclopian architecture certainly makes one wonder how they were able to create such a complex fortress so many years ago without the modern-day equipment we have now. There was even this incredible natural slide at the Rodadero, where Incan children used to play, in the northeastern Suchuna sector. It is a smooth, diorite rock that you can actually slide down. (But don't worry, we slid down feet first, not face first. That was just us posing for the picture).
This weekend a group of friends and I went to a city called Mindo, located in a cloud forest that is home to a large variety of different birds, reptiles, and exotic butterflies. This picture is from our hike through the cloud forest to reach the various "cascadas" (or waterfalls) that can be found along the trails. It is definitely a good idea to wear a swimsuit and a pair of sturdy sandals such as Chacos so that you can hike and get into the water without having to switch clothing again and again. Swimming in the water near the fountains feels absolutely amazing. The group of friends I went with made sure to keep hiking along the trail to see all of the waterfalls in the sanctuary because they are definitely worth the view! One of the fountains at the end was especially beautiful, and the water was crystal-clear. P.S. There is a restaurant called "Arepera" that has the best arepa I have ever had in my entire life, and to be honest one of the best things I have ever eaten. This place is a must if you ever visit Mindo.
This lagoon is located in a volcano in the Andes mountains of the Cotopaxi Province. It was formed by the volcano erupting in the year 1280 (over 700 years ago), and is now filled with beautiful turquoise rainwater that falls off the downward slopes towards the crater. I fell in absolute love with this beautiful place, so much so that I decided to come back the next week with a different group and hike it all again, this time on a different path. The hike back up does get pretty tiring, but once you get more used to the high elevation it gets less difficult! It's incredible to see how the lagoon actually changes colors throughout the day from the shadows that the clouds cast over it. It truly is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited in my life. The first time I visited Quilotoa, our group stopped at the Saquisilí market on the way. It was cool to see all the fresh produce, art, jewelry, and clothing. I even got to meet this adorable little alpaca on the hike! :) Here is a picture of the second group I went with. Most of them were Ecuadorians that we met at USFQ, which was great because we were able to carpool with them rather than worry about the bus schedules. Plus, it was so much more fun to go with a small group of friends because we were able to goof around and do everything on our own time! This was one of my favorite trips my entire time in Ecuador and a great way to start off the semester!
Today I visited El Panecillo with my host family to celebrate my host mom's 65th birthday. El Panecillo translates to "small piece of bread," because it resembles a small piece of bread sticking up from the ground. We took a taxi to the top of the hill, which has spectacular views and the Virgen del Panecillo, as seen in the picture above. Made of 7,000 pieces of aluminum in a mosaic pattern, she stands on top of a globe, has a crown of stars on top of her head, and a snake beneath her feet. This Virgin María of Quito is also the only winged Madonna in the world, and represents the "Woman of the Apocalypse" in the Book of Revelation. Here is a picture of all of us being silly and posing as the Virgen of the Panecillo. Overall it was a really cool trip and bonding experience with my host family! So far everything with my host family is going great and I'm happy with where I'm living. I finished my first week of classes at the University San Francisco de Quito (USFQ), and it also went really well. The only drawback so far has been living so far away from campus. It takes me two buses and over an hour to get to Cumbayá (where the campus is) everyday, which means I spend over 2 hours every day traveling by bus. Aside from that, I've met some really cool people and I'm excited to go on my very first trip to Quilotoa with a group of other exchange students!
"Mitad del Mundo" is a popular tourist attraction that means "the Middle of the World". This site, however, is not the real location of the equator, which is actually at the Museo Intiñan, another 250 meters away from the monument. Nevertheless, it is a cool place to visit and explore the different museums located within it! The 30-meter monument a trapezoidal monument with a brass globe on top that has a viewing platform. It was fun to take pictures between the "northern and southern hemispheres" with Sarah, a friend I made from Germany who is also studying abroad here. :)
Quito is the world's second highest capital city, at 3,000 meters (or 9,000 feet). You can travel 3,600 feet higher if you visit el teleférico that takes you up in a gondola along the Pichincha Volcano! I went today with a group of friends and it is definitely worth visiting this beautiful site. Just be sure to hold your ticket, because you will need it to get back down! There is even a "columpio en las nubes" (or a swing in the clouds) that you can swing on once you get to the top! It makes for a spectacular view of the entire city of Quito and some amazing photos!
La Basílica del Voto Nacional This is a beautiful church in the heart of Quito, and is in fact the largest neo-Gothic basilica in all of South America! My host sisters (Belén and Camila) brought me to see the historic center. We also walked around downtown and saw indigenous groups performing traditional dances, artisans selling beautiful jewelry, clothes, and other objects, and much more!
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Ashley KoboldMy amazing experience studying abroad in Ecuador. ¡Qué chévere! Archives
December 2019
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