South America

Hola penguins!

On our way to Quito, we learned it pays to talk to strangers as we befriended a man named Josh who got us into the ~fancy~ airport lounge. We looked a little out of place with all three of us carrying massive backpacks amongst everyone in suits. We ate 5 helpings of dinner from the free buffet and headed to Quito with one our first full meals in a while under our belts. Our first day in Quito we did a walking tour, chocolate tasting, and went to a market to get $1 fresh juices (we learned from Cusco and did not eat actual food). In the evening we tried hanging out at our hostel to make friends and we’re slightly unsuccessful. Not ready to give up on the night we decided to grab a drink outside the hostel. About 300 ft from our hostel we stumbled upon an Italian restaurant owned by a Colombian man. He conned us into his restaurant where we proceeded to drink a few glasses of wine. After a few glasses of wine, our new Colombian friend agreed to show us the local bar scene. 7 minutes later he had a suit on and we were in a taxi, on our way to the discoteca district. Turns out our friend used to be a manger at one of the clubs and knew every single person on the street. We absolutely danced our hearts out. However the night came to an abrupt end when we got into the taxi home and Audrey realized her phone was gone. In a matter of minutes, while standing outside the bar waiting for the taxi, we were one phone down :(Read more

Hola penguins!

We woke up early with one less phone and put ourselves on a bus to Cotopaxi, the second tallest active volcano in the world. While we tried to sleep on the bus, our monotoned tour guide proceeded to talk the entire way while giving us no useful facts about Cotopaxi or what we were getting ourselves into. Turns out we were wildly unprepared for the hike. The moment we got off the bus at Cotopaxi we were pelted with wind, rain, and sleet. Aud and I both questioned why we had paid to do this. However, not willing to say we didn’t get to the top, we put our heads down and miserably walked (I might have kinda run) up countless switchbacks until we got to base camp. At base camp we talked to others who were also a little surprised that THIS was Cotopaxi. Apparently some days it’s beautiful? Unfortunately, we were not granted one of those days. After regaining the feeling in my fingers, we headed back down. Once back at the bus, we proceeded to get on bikes ride to a lagoon. While slightly more enjoyable than the hike, it was a questionable experience. Once we got back on the bus, we drove to lunch, fed some llamas, and headed back to Quito. After a quick nap and little bit of shared TikTok time we went up to the hostel bar to prepare for the party bus we had signed up for. At 11 we got on the party bus. (Think less like a party bus and more like the Seattle Ride the Duck situation, with no seats, free unlimited alcohol, and stripper poles). After and hour on the bus riding around Quito, we arrived at the bar were once again we danced our hearts out. However… once again the night came to an abrupt end when I realized my phone was gone. Down two phones in two days.Read more