01/23/2018
As the semester has started for some and is close to starting for others, here’s what one of our fantastic scholars did during break: My name is Sofia Vergara and I am part of Smith College Cohort 2. This winter break I visited my family in Ecuador. Being an international student can be rough, but these special moments near my culture and my roots always energize me for another semester. In this first picture my mom and I are standing near one of the 45 volcanoes in Ecuador. Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 19,347 ft, and it is one of the world's highest volcanoes.
Picture 2.- One of my many adventures in Ecuador was to visit the major touristic center of the country, Baños. There are many adrenaline adventures to be part of and as you can see in this picture my sister and I decided to cross a suspension bridge that was 0.7 miles above ground. It was a very scary and breathtaking experience but it was worth all the time and energy.
Picture 3.- My sister and I also decided to go on a zip line at 80 miles and hour, right after we crossed the bridge!!! This activity is called canopy in Ecuador and is the most famous among tourists.
Picture 4.- There are also relaxing activities in Baños and this is one of them; a 2 hour horse ride around Tungurahua volcano. The scenery was precious and the weather that day was perfect.
Picture 5.- Later that day I had the chance to be part of an Ecuadorean tradition called "La diablada pillareña". In colonial times the indigenous people disguised themselves as devils to show their repudiation to catholic preaching and to the physical, psychological, economic and moral mistreatment they received from the Spaniards. Nowadays, this tradition is full of parades, dances and music to celebrate the liberation from the rigid norms of the Catholic Church.
Picture 6.- This last picture is from my beloved city Quito which I will miss immensely.
