Our little village is nestled in the hills north of Quito. We are surrounded by beautiful mountains, fresh air, and spectacular views.

We arrived in Chilcapamba on the last day of Inti Raymi. Luckily we made it down to the nearest town of Cotacachi to experience some of the local dances and everyone participated!

We were welcomed by our community as they had prepared a bienvenida for our group. For this event, they decorated with balloons, invited many of the people from the village to our home, and cooked us a delicious meal of chicken, rice and frejol (Ecuadorian bean). We engaged with members of the community, heard some words from Alfonso about the indigenous community we will be living in, and heard from different community members about their role in the village. We are looking forward to a good night’s sleep and heading to our work site early in the morning to learn more about our project!

More soon!

— Adrienne & Sam