Whilst in Ecuador I experienced many amazing experiences but to me the most stand out moment of the trip was our time spent at the homestay in the rainforest in Tena. We spent almost a week in this place and really bonded as a group during this time, and although I really enjoyed and cherished the memories I made whilst doing the service project there, it was the time I spent learning about the culture and my new friends that I feel made me grow the most during this trip.
My time in Ecuador
Written by Lucy Barnard, 2018 LaSERIO participant
My favourite thing was the mornings when we got up a bit earlier than necessary to help in the kitchen, we helped to prepare food for lunch and dinner and to cook breakfast. It made me really appreciate the food we had there because you could experience first-hand all the love and care that had gone into making it, it also allowed me to learn new ways of cooking and to try foods that I didn’t even know existed. And even if we didn’t always know quite what we were making or doing we all got to know the family and bonded with each other as we tried not to break the egg yolks while frying eggs. I expected to enjoy the food, but was amazed by how much I liked it (and how much I’ve missed it since I’ve been back!).
I am so grateful I was able to immerse myself so completely in their culture and that I made so many good friends in the process that supported me and provided many laughs throughout my time in Ecuador.
Find out more about travelling abroad with LaSER.