Daily Report from Quito - Equador
Fourth and last day:
Today was our last day. We finished packing our bags the night before and when we arrived for breakfast we were already checked out. We got into the bus, which would take us to the host school, with all of our bags. Once we got there, we had a space reserved for us, so we could leave our heavy luggage there.
Although we were sad that it was our very last day, I'd say it was one of the best ones. The first Keynote speaker of the last day was my favorite out of all others at the conference. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who liked him best, since he received a standing ovation after his speech. Our last day was short, but worth it. As soon as we had finished our last Global Village meeting, and our teachers had also concluded their last "Meeting of the Minds", we went straight to the auditorium, got our bags, and left the school straight for the airport, together with several other schools. Our first flight was a bit late, since a passenger needed medical aid before the take off. Luckily, she was fine, and everyone continued their trip. Our only worry was the connection, which ended up waiting for us and another group, causing everything to turn out fine. The flight to Rio was a lot better, and before we knew it we were almost landing.
We bought some more presents, and as soon as everyone was with their families, we knew our whole trip had been 100% successful, and that every single thing was worth it. We hope next time will be even better.
Isabela Lopes (´18)
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Third day:
Our team was feeling a lot more relaxed since the time we woke up. Our presentation was done, and all we needed to do was fully enjoy the conference now. Our day consisted of watching very nice presentations, but the moment we were anticipating all day long was definitely the trip to the Equator line, or as Ecuadorians call it, the "Mitad del Mundo". But before I get to that, I'll tell you a bit about the conference itself.
In all, 26 schools from 12 different nations participated, and that resulted in more than 300 participants. Throughout the conference, we saw seven Keynote speakers, which are people invited by the GIN to speak about global issues. We also had five meetings with our Global Village groups. While we were with our groups, our teachers weren't resting. For every Global Village meeting their students had, teachers had something called "Meeting of the Minds", where they gave suggestions and talked about the conference. Not only that, but we had five different student workshops, with nine presentations each. But the conference wasn't completely professional. For entertainment, usually at night and in the late afternoon, we had a "Battle of the Bands", where students performed, an "Arts and Crafts Fair" and also a "Global Fair". During this time we also had one field trip. That was the trip to the "Mitad del Mundo". We had lots of fun there, and enjoyed ourselves taking pictures where half our bodies were on the Southern Hemisphere, and the other half was on the Northern Hemisphere. We also visited many small shops, and didn't hesitate in buying souvenirs. The only thing that could've been different was the time of the trip, since we went at night, and it would've been even better if we had gone during the day. Although it was pretty cold at night, and a bit of fog surrounded us in the end, it was all worth it.
We just can't believe it is our last night here, and that it will soon be over. But we also look forward to returning home, and sharing our experiences with all of you.
Isabela Lopes (´18)
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Second day:
Today was definitely different from yesterday. We were taking turns worrying about our presentation - which was AWESOME and lots of fun by the way - and having fun. We had a very warm welcome right from the start, since we left our bus and stepped into the school. We saw lots of great presentations, and some were truly amazing.
Another thing that changed throughout the day was the weather. When we got to the school, it was a bit cold, but not too much. By lunch time, though, the sun was SO strong we could barely see our food. By the time of our presentation, the sky became heavy with clouds - and the next thing we knew it was pouring rain. Since it started raining, the temperature changed again, and it got very cold. After that, we had a small snack, watched another presentation in the main auditorium, and then joined our Global Village group, which are groups we were put into on the very first day we arrived, with the purpose of discussing current global issues. We left our groups to have dinner, and our first day at the GIN Conference finished with a "Battle of the Bands", performed by the students of The American School of Quito, the host school.
Going back to our presentation: today is definitely a day for celebrating! The team was really prepared and performed very well. What surprised us the most during our presentation was the fact that the audience truly liked it, and were extremely cooperative. In fact, we interacted with lots of people, including students and teachers. We already have plans for the future!! Waking up so early in the morning was worth it.
Isabela Lopes (´18)
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Our first day in Quito was, in my opinion, a great surprise. After a wonderful breakfast, we met our guide, Luiz, and left the hotel at 8:30. The sight-seeing began as soon as we got into the bus. We saw two volcanoes, even if it was from afar. The first real stop was at a basilica. The architecture was absolutely beautiful. We didn't go inside, but the stop was worth it; one of the best features was actually a little Ecuadorian boy named Justin, and a puppy. After that, we went to a Church, which was built by the Jesuits. It was one of the most beautiful churches I had ever seen. Inside, all was covered in gold, but in a way we had never seen. The walls and ceiling shined, probably due to the amount of light coming in. After leaving the church, we continued our trip by foot.
We walked around the city, while our guide pointed out typical foods and some other interesting things. After walking a bit, we visited another church- which was completely different from the other one. This one was built by the Franciscan order. This church was also covered in gold, but it was much simpler than the other one. We saw lots of very simple people around the church, and later our guide told us that they were poor or people who had lost their families. The Order gives them food everyday to help them. Right beside the church, there was a small store, which provided us with a chance to do some shopping.
Our next stop was the "Street of Romance". According to Luiz, our guide, it is the most romantic place in Quito. One of the things that we saw ALL the time throughout the trip was the statue of the Virgin Mary. Located on a hill, it's probably the biggest statue we had ever seen. We had lunch at an amazing restaurant, with an incredible dessert. To get there, we had to cross a plaza, which was CROWDED, since the Ecuadorian president was there to welcome the country's official soccer team, which had just qualified for the World Cup next year in Brazil. Our very last stop was a cultural fair. We had our backpacks full when we left. We bought backpacks, shoulder bags, and presents for relatives: caps, souvenirs, and even Sucres, which used to be the official currency in Ecuador. We then concluded our tour and went back to our hotel. But we wouldn't really rest, though, since the GIN Conference would begin on the next day, and our presentation was scheduled for 4:30 in the afternoon.
Isabela Lopes (´18)
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