The following post features student writing.

Hi! It´s Jess, Zoe, Haley, and Anna! We chose the Putney program because we wanted to feel like travelers, not tourists. We wanted to immerse ourselves into the Ecuadorian culture and learn about the people who live here. This past Friday, we went to visit Pati and Rumi. Pati and Rumi have hosted Putney groups before, and were kind enough to invite us into their home to make bread from scratch and have lunch. While there, we saw animals including chickens, bunnies and dogs.

After that, we had the privilege of experiencing an Incan indigenous celebration called Inti-Raymi. Inti-Raymi means “sun celebration” in Quechua and honors the summer solstice. At Inti-Raymi, we danced in the streets alongside locals, ate traditional foods and Jonah even got to blow the conch shell in the parade! We ended the day with a nice home cooked meal at our host, Alfonso’s, house.

The next morning we woke up really early to go on a four hour hike around Lago de Cuicocha which is a crater lake. Although the hike took a long time, it was worth it in the end because of the beautiful views and amazing food at the restaurant at the end. We got to see some cows, too! At the end of the hike, there was a small market where we bought bracelets, alpaca sweaters, headbands and harmonicas.

From there, we drove two hours through the mountains and clouds to Intag Valley where we swam in the hot spring fed pools, ate dinner, and danced with the locals! After that, we toured a local coffee farm called Finca Soledad and learned about the entire process of cultivating coffee beans, picking the beans, separating the fruity flesh from the bean and drying them in preparation for exporting to be roasted. The owner, José Jijón, was really awesome and inspirational. He has summited all seven of the highest mountains on each continent (including a solo trip up Mt. Everest — the first person in Latin America to do so!) and he was really passionate about his farm, planting trees and living in harmony with nature. We enjoyed touring his farm and tasting his delicious coffee!

We are so excited to start our service project in Chilcapamba on Monday. We will keep you updated!