Extraordinary Experiences in Ecuador
Joshua Johnson '11 - Before leaving on Sunday May 10th, I remember being asked, “How do you feel about going to Ecuador?” I responded by saying I felt happy, sad, excited, and nervous all at the same time – happy to be getting away from Indiana for a good portion of the summer, sad to be leaving my mother on Mother’s day, excited to be leaving the USA for the first time in my life, and nervous because I had no idea what to expect.
Saturday, May 16th, was a day of firsts for me. To start the day off, the group planned a trip to the "Telaferica," which is an air lift that takes us near the top of Pichincha, the tallest peak in South America. By the way, did I mention it was an active volcano peak as well? For most people, this would be a great experience; however, for someone who is afraid of heights, being some 13km above land is a tad bit frightening. But after a few minutes of intense praying and few words of encouragement, I was able to overcome this phobia. While on the mountain, I along with a handful of my peers decided to go horseback riding. This was the first time I had ever ridden a horse in my life, and I was doing it on top of a mountain. Needless to say, this was definitely an eye-opening experience.
Since the peak of Pichincha is so tall, it sits amidst the clouds; therefore, we wanted to try and hike to the top of the mountain so we could take a picture with our hands in the clouds. Unfortunately, after about an extra 45 minutes of hiking, we realized we were about a good 10-20 miles away from the top of the mountain. Thus we decided to take the loss and head back down the mountain. Later in the day the same handful decided to see Ecuador's professional soccer team, "La Liga" play. Before that game, I had only been to a couple of my best friend’s soccer games (in high school) and I definitely wasn't a big fan of soccer. The game was great and the experience was mind-blowing. I quickly found out that Ecuadorians are crazy about their soccer team. The score was tied 0-0 at halftime and was somewhat boring. However that quickly changed. I along with 3 other students from the program watched a "protest/demonstration" by some fans in one of the balconies in the stands. There were flares burning, chanting, and dancing, but unfortunately I was unable to make out what the cause of the rally was. After halftime I the action on the field picked up. "La Liga" scored a goal only to have it taken off the board because of an "offside’s" penalty. I noticed that when the team scored, everybody in the stands rushed towards the field and jumped on the fence that separated the audience from the field and started shaking it vigorously. Needless to say, I couldn't wait for my chance. It came about five minutes later when "La Liga" scored the first of 4 exciting goals. I, along with my “amigos,” rushed the fence and started shaking as hard as we could, while simultaneously trying to hold on for dear life.
Climbing an active volcano, horseback riding, and attending my first professional soccer game, all outside of the United States – needless to say, Saturday was a great day.