We left Quito and its bustling streets and various tourist traps for the promise of a remote rural banana farm. We took three buses that first took us out of Quito, down the Ecuadorian mountains, and finally through the city of Santo Domingo to the town of Las Delicias through a winding back road to the banana farm.
Upon arriving at the banana farm, we ate a delicious lunch of fried plantains and rice and were shown to our cabins. One of the first things emphasized to us was that the farm and the larger town of Las Delicias was quite the opposite of Quito. We would not be seeing any tourists with maps or backpacks. This would be our most authentic Ecuadorian yet.
On Tuesday we spent the entire day helping the family that had welcomed us to the farm that was also their home with their weekly task of picking and packing bananas to sell to the Dole distributor. It was slightly disheartening to learn that all of the family{s hard work resulted in such a small profit.
Over the next couple of days, we had Spanish lessons in the morning followed by various activities in the afternoon. The lessons were much needed and it was great to see how much of a difference a few days in a Spanish community could make in my understanding and retention of the language.
On Wednesday and Thursday, we had the opportunity to learn a bit more about the environment and land on the farm. We explored a small portion of a preserved jungle environment in the middle of the farm and learned how to pick and make chocolate from cacao.
Finally, on Friday we went out into the town of Las Delicias and helped the community paint the town center. This was another way in which we got to see more of the authentic Ecuadorian experience. In Las Delicias, we were clearly the only tourists. Overall, I hope we get to repeat other aspects of this week later on during the trip.