What inspired you to go abroad?
A few years prior to this trip, I went to Peru with my family. Ever since that trip, I knew I wanted to visit the Amazon again, but I didn't think it would happen so soon afterward.
I decided to go on this trip after coming across an ad for it on LinkedIn, doing more research into the credibility of Beyond Travels, and then applying to the program.
View of the mountains from Archidona.
Why did you choose Beyond Travels?
I was looking for a summer internship relating to chemistry and/or food science because I'm working toward my Bachelor's degree in chemistry with a minor in food science at university and want a future job as a food chemist.
When I came across this program on LinkedIn, I realized it directly correlated with my food science minor, and it was my dream to visit the Amazon again. After doing some research, I found that Beyond Travels was a good, credible organization, so I stuck with this program.
What was your favorite part about Ecuador?
I liked how friendly and relaxing the Napo Province of Ecuador was. I felt super safe there, safer than I would back home in some parts of the United States. Even though the region felt relaxing and not crazy fast-paced, you could clearly see all of the hard work and effort the locals put into everything they do.
I loved the feeling of the region, especially the people there, like my host family.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
The best part about my experience abroad was how much I learned. I crave knowledge about everything, so it was amazing to learn about everything through the lens of a local person here. I learned about the local foods, plant medicine, my family's chakra, how to navigate the bus system, and so much more.
The trip was also an amazing experience to practice all of the Spanish I've learned in school.
Chocolate making at Wayta.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
Megan Knox was the best! She was always there either in person or on WhatsApp whenever I needed something and was super friendly and easy to talk to.
Andy Gavilanes was also very fun and energetic to talk with and was also there whenever I needed anything.
Everyone who worked with Beyond Travels was friendly and helpful. They also treated me like family, especially when I got sick during my trip. Everyone was super supportive.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?
I wouldn't want to change any of the activities I participated in. However, I probably could have done more exploring or tried more new experiences during my free time on the weekends.
Maybe I should have gone to the doctor a bit earlier for the ear infection I had at the beginning of the trip so that it could have been treated even earlier on.
Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.
On a typical day, I woke up and ate a fresh, home-cooked meal with guayusa tea from my host family. Plans for the day were never set in stone and could change depending on the weather.
At the beginning of each week, I typically took the bus from my host family's house in San Luis to Archidona and from there, walked to Canopy Bridge to work there for the day and eat lunch with my coworkers.
At Canopy Bridge, I got to experiment with different ingredients, like morete, chonta, macambo, or yuca, from the chakras of the locals. On those days, I returned to my host family's house just before dinner and had another home-cooked meal.
Other days, I ate and then went to the chakra with the family and the other intern, Marlies. In the chakra, we learned about the plants, harvested some, and planted others. I either ate fruits in the chakra for lunch or returned to the house for lunch. After lunch, sometimes I went to Archidona or Tena to explore or stayed at the house and learned to make a shigra. Dinner was almost always eaten with the family, and just about every meal was served with different teas.
One day a week, the other intern, Marlies, and I went on excursions with Megan. Every day was different and full of new things to learn.
Tilapia, heart of palm, macambo, plantain, fiddlehead fern, and citrus.
What did you enjoy doing during your free time abroad?
When I had free time, I worked on making a shigra, a traditional bag made from a plant called pita. I also hung out with the other intern, Marlies, a lot since she was awesome. Sometimes I explored Archidona or Tena and bought new foods to try. Other times, I went to events with my host family.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I got to stay with a host family, Clemente and Elena. There was another intern who lived there as well, Marlies. We each got our own rooms and shared a bathroom.
My favorite part of living there was interacting with my host family because they treated me as part of the family too. Everyone was close to each other, and everyone helped everyone.
When I got sick, everyone, the host family, Marlies, took good care of me and helped me recover.
What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?
What I think is a Mesosemia loruhama butterfly.
Bring good mosquito repellent, plenty of long-sleeve shirts, and plenty of pants. Make sure every fabric dries fast because mold is common since the humidity is so high. It's also important to have an open mind and try everything you can, even the chontacuros at least once.
For the greatest immersion experience, it's also important to know some Spanish. You don't need to be fluent; I'm not, but I know enough to get by. You will learn more Spanish throughout the trip by practicing communication with everyone.
It's also super important that you let people around you know how you're feeling emotionally and physically because everyone is there to support you and they might have things or know people that can help.
Most importantly, make the most of your trip by having fun and learning as much as you can.
Would you recommend Amazonian Forest Foods & Culinary Arts Internship in Ecuador to others? Why?
I would recommend this program to people with open minds who care about nature and the indigenous people of Ecuador. The program is perfect if you want to learn as much as you can about Kichwa culture, local food, and medicinal plants through complete immersion into the culture.
Unlike most other programs, this one brings you close to the people in charge since they're always there to help and do weekly check-ins with each intern. You will also become part of your host family if you choose to participate. This program is an amazing experience if you choose to do it, and you will have so much fun!
What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?
Amazon parrot.
I think the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is that you get to learn so much about the culture and eat so many new, different foods. There are so many things that you don't even know exist until you're immersed in the culture, and I think it's important to see how other people live compared to you.
The food is also fantastic, except for the chocolate.
Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life?
I now see the world differently and appreciate the little things more. It has also made me realize that wherever you live, there are different pros and cons that you might not even think about.
I also want to return to the Amazon and visit my host family and some other people again since they were and still are such a big part of my life.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
I think that for travel to be meaningful, learning should be the goal, especially learning about the local culture. I like to learn about all of the similarities and differences of places that I travel to, whether it be cultural or from nature.
Meaningful travel also needs to include good local food.
