This last week was Carnaval break, and we had a whole week to relax and participate in various festivities. Carnaval happens in many countries around the world and each place has its unique traditions.
In Ecuador specifically, there are various cities that attract a ton of Ecuadorians due to their different ways of celebrating. In almost all the cities, people go out on the street and throw water and foam at their family, friends, and even strangers. I personally went to the Ecuadorian coast with another American girl and our Ecuadorian friends. We traveled 5 hours from Quito and finally arrived at the beach. The area we stayed at was full of college students or young adults from Quito. For the next few days, we spent our time swimming in the ocean, dancing, and drinking coconut smoothies. It was super relaxing and fun to be able to meet other students and forget about school for a bit. After this trip, I had exactly 24 hours to go home and wash my clothes and pack my bags for the trip I would be taking to Galapagos.
The trip to Galapagos was organized through a tour guide recommended from San Francisco who arranges trips to several locations solely for international students. We started the trip by flying to Baltra and taking a small boat to the biggest Island Puerto Ayora. While on this island, we went to the Charles Darwin Research station. Here we had the opportunity to learn about Darwin’s life, his theories and see a ton of tortoises. From here, we explored the island and went to Tortuga Bay which is considered the most beautiful beach in Galapagos. The next few days we spent time on several beaches where we snorkeled with sharks, turtles, sea lions, and several beautiful fish. It was amazing how close you could be to sea lions, iguanas, and birds wherever you went.
One of the most surprising things to me was how small and local the islands felt. Big companies aren’t allowed to go in so everything feels very authentic.
Overall, I loved spending my break on the beach, and although both locations were very different in terms of activities, both were unforgettable and amazing.
Un abrazo,
Salma Galvan
