Mitad del Mundo Part II and Bellavista

This is the second time I've visited Mitad del Mundo and both times have been completely worth it. This time we got to see the actual Mitad del Mundo that was discovered later with GPS. We did all sorts of activities with the equator. It was fascinating. We did the water experiment where the water literally fell straight down the drain on the equatorial line and to the right and left when we walked 5ft either direction North or South. Absolutely amazing to see this is real life. Who knew what I learned in school was true. I think if we took field trips to the equator when we learned about things like the Coriolis effect it would stick in our minds easier. We also did the egg balanced on a nail activity. I can't believe that we live in such a complex and cool world. I got a certificate for being able to balance the egg on the nail. I also got my passport stamped. Neat.


Afterward we all piled back into our bus and headed to Bellavista. This place is exactly a it's names literal definition, a beautiful view. This place is also known as 'the could forest'. The moment we all stepped out of our van we were all shocked at the mystical beauty of the place. The entire are is covered in clouds. This was by far the most magical place we have yet to visit. You just feel calmer here. The hustle and bustle of Quito drifts away. I think this was a well needed excursion for me. I really needed to connect back to nature, as hippie as that sounds, and this was just the place to do it. I forgot how much I have missed my home in the woods. Today was the first day I got homesick for the red. I'm not sure if it was me being in nature again or skyping in for Emily's baby shower and actually seeing all my girls. I was talking to Alycia while we stated off into the foggy abyss about how much my girls friends mean to me and how lucky I am to have such wonderful and dedicated friends. I don't know how I got so lucky. I found out the other day that Hayley will be living at the red for the fall. I can't express how happy this made me. I miss having my girls around so much.

It was nice to just sit in beauty and empty my brain. Nearly everyone in our group is a fan of hearing themselves talk, so it was nice to have a one on one conversation while everyone else went ziplining. Everything is so green and there are humming birds everywhere. I have seen humming birds before in Costa Rica, but not like this. They literally humm with their wings and it's actually a little scary when they fly close to your head.

Bellavista is one of those places that you feel like you should be whispering all the time. The place just feels magical. With the clouds, green, and moss covering everything you can't help by feel overwhelmed in the best way possible. I needed that before this very stressful upcoming week.

1 oral exam
1 final presentation
1 final exam




Proper relaxation was much needed.