On our last day in Ecuador, my group and I took a trip to the beach to soak in some of the sun! It was so exciting because we were going to be in the Pacific Ocean besides the Atlantic, which I would say is a pretty big deal! Also, everyone that I had talked to at Escuela Semillita kept telling me that the beach is beautiful and the water is blue and warm. I was more than excited to be lounging around on the sand and soaking in some sun and the Pacific Ocean in January (where in Virginia, my family was dealing with rain and some snow and below 10degree weather). Heading to the beach was the perfect way to end our weeklong experience in Ecuador.
Las Playas was beautiful! The beach was about an hour drive outside of Guayaquil, Ecuador. It was warm and the sand was so hot it burned our feet! The Pacific Ocean was also very impressive; because we were so close to the equator the water was instantly warm when we jumped in and the waves were calming. Our group set up our towels and relaxed on the sand sunbathing, reading, and overall enjoying each others company and reflecting about our trip and the memories we created. We indulged in ice cream from a vendor who walked up and down the beach, and I even bought an actual coconut! It was $1.50 for a whole coconut and the vendor chopped off the top so I could drink fresh coconut juice and later eat the coconut. An entire coconut, for $1.50! What a deal (:
After spending ample time at the beach, we made a pit stop at a local seafood restaurant and I bought ceviche. Ceviche is a seafood dish that is popular in Central and South America. It is usually made with fresh or raw seafood cured in citrus juices (either lemon or lime) and spiced with chili peppers. There are other additional ingredients such as diced tomatoes, diced onions and cilantro. It is one of my favorite dishes to eat during the summer. It’s fresh and light and is definitely delicious if it is done right (: I bought one ceviche to share with the rest of my group since most of them have never had the dish. It was $8 for a small bowl, but it was packed with a lot of flavor and different seafood such as fish, clams, oysters and shrimp. Arriving back at Escuela Semillita, we recuperated and prepared to pack for our journey back home.
