It is safe to say that Ecuador is quite different from the United States in so many ways such as food, language, and just the simple ways of living. When we first got there and out of the airport, it was actually much cooler than I thought it was going to be as the temperature back in Athens had been around the 90’s while in Ecuador, the temp stayed around 40’s to 60’s. It was so surprising to me since we were quite literally on the equator. I also noticed that the buildings were pretty different as most looked aged and worn down. The city of Quito was so beautiful as the architecture reminded me of the times I was in Italy and the local people seemed to be living a fast paced lifestyle. Outside of this city though, it was completely different.

The way the locals lived outside the city was much more peaceful and relaxed as they had a much more simple life. Their houses were different from ours here in the US because they were mostly made out of bamboo or wood and were more centered around living “with” the forest. Their main goal in Ecuador is conservation of the forests and animals that live within them. The place we stayed at is called Maquipacuna and their whole focus is to create a safe environment for the plants and creatures that live around them.

The Galapagos Islands were not much different from the main land as their main goal was to also preserve their wildlife and land. The Galapagos was definitely my favorite because of the water and all of the sea creatures we were able to see when we went snorkeling.