Monday started off bright and early, 5:28 a.m. to be exact. My host parents dropped me off at La Tribuna de Shyris where I hopped on the bus to go on our very first excursion to the Páramo Highlands near Chimborazo Volcano. I wasn’t sure what to expect for this excursion. I knew that it could be very cold (we were going to about 15,000 feet) and that we were going to see some super cool plants. Besides that, I was just going with the flow.

It was a good thing that I entered this excursion with a flexible attitude, because things definitely did not go as planned. After several hours we drove through Riobamba on our way to Chimborazo, the tallest volcano in Ecuador. However, there was a large parade celebrating Carnaval, the streets were closed, and our bus couldn’t make it through the city. Carnaval is a celebration that occurs right before Ash Wednesday and Lent. My host family “plays” Carnaval by sneaking around the house and dumping water on each other. Other people celebrate Carnaval by having giant egg/flour/water/foam fights. Instead of sitting on the bus, we got out to watch the parade. However, things quickly escalated. Everybody watching the parade got sprayed with foam, covered in colorful powders, or shot with water guns. As a group of 21 gringos, we were an easy target. Determined not to give up too easily, many of my classmates quickly purchased their own spray foam bottles and colored powder. We all had so much fun spraying each other and the locals with foam and water. By the time the parade was over and we could continue on our drive, we were all covered in soap and looked like sopping wet purple aliens. After a quick water-bottle bath, we continued on to Chimborazo.

We arrived at Casa Condor, an eco-tourism lodge run by the local Puruhua people. We spent the afternoon exploring the Páramo, an absolutely fascinating habitat, and learning about various plant adaptations. Those of you who know the plant nerd side of me know that plants in the Lupinus genus are my absolute favorite. I love the color of their flowers, the shape of their leaves, and their fascinating seed dispersal method. Lupines have seedpods that dry as they mature. Once the pods are totally dry they spring open and the seeds are flung into the surrounding environment. We had our first field class on plant adaptations next to a herd of vicuñas, a wild cousin of alpacas and llamas, and a gorgeous view of Chimborazo.

The next activity of the day was a complete surprise- alpaca herding! Several years ago the Puruhua community switched from raising sheep to raising alpacas. Alpacas are more valuable than sheep and only nibble the leaves of plants, instead of eating down to the root like sheep, thus making them a better option for environmentally friendly grazing. The women of the Puruhua community also use the alpaca fibers to make gorgeous hats, gloves, scarves, ponchos, etc. The alpacas were beautiful and I had so much fun walking through the highlands, herding alpacas, and learning about the Puruhua.

The fun didn’t end on Monday. Tuesday we traversed part of Chimborazo to a sacred temple. Before we started the hike, a local guide led us through a prayer in Quechua. I knew from that moment that this hike was going to be a spiritual experience for me. We hiked through the fog, ice pellets, and rain for several hours. The entire hike was through beautiful terrain, barren rock landscapes, and bizarre plants. We started hiking at an elevation of 4,800 meters (15,000 feet) and I was constantly out of breath. We eventually reached Templo Machai, a temple located in a large cave. The Puruhua call the cave “la oreja del Chimborazo” (the ear of Chimborazo) because from the inside it looks like you are in a giant ear. Additionally, when the winds blows you hear a distinct sound. As we were resting from the hike, our guide told us about the history of the temple. He said that people used to come to Chimborazo with two kinds of energy: positive and negative. In the temple away from the hustle, bustle, and technology of daily life, the mountain absorbed their negative energy.

In this moment I took a deep breath and I thought about my motivations for studying in Ecuador. I wanted to study Spanish and Ecology, but I also wanted to experience a different way of life. A way of life not focused on grades, but rather on learning and forming relationships with people in my life. I let go of all the stresses that I brought with me to Chimborazo: language barriers, different food, and new people. I decided to leave my worries and negative energies on the mountain and to focus on the opportunities that I am so fortunate to have.