Ecuador journal 3-18-20



Depart Jacksonville Friday morning to Miami for a four hour flight to Guayquil Ecuador. This trip would my first time traveling outside of North America. I had to get passport for the first time. The only other country I’ve been to is Mexico b/c I still have family there. When I arriving in Ecuador I did feel much of a culture shock or even the feeling of being somewhere I haven’t been before. It actually reminded me a lot of being in Mexico. Of course there were some little differences, but the whole Spanish culture seemed about the same. On past trips to Mexico I had never gone to any vacation spots there. Mainly Guadalajara, and some other small villages out in the country or some small dirt town out in the middle of nowhere where I have aunts or cousins that live there. I had not been to Mexico for sometime, and it was interesting to relive that but really go somewhere new and experience a different culture. I was really looking forward to trying the local food, something odd and not very common. The buses drivers are just as crazy driving as in any latin American country are I’m sure. Along with the rest of the drivers. When arriving at the hotel I found the service to me quite nice. Don’t think ive been to a place before where the bellhop actually carried my baggage. It was interesting being in what im assuming is an asian themed hotel in Ecuador. I was a little upset about only getting one key to split between my two other roommates because I knew there would be times when we’d get back at later times. Later after most of us had settled in and probably changed clothes, most had met in the downstairs lobby to go out and find something fun to do for the rest of the evening. It was probably around 930 maybe ten when the majority of the group headed out. Most of everything around was closed. A great majority of the night was spent wondering around exploring what is around us. Most every body started heading in to the hotel around midnight. Most where tired from a whole day of traveling. We didn’t know at the time that the night life really kicks of around midnight, but that would be for another time.