Quest Overseas - Gap Year Travel

Day one in Villa Maria was welcomed with a blitz tidy for what is going to be our home for the next 31 days. Litres of bleach, sweat and tears ensured that the beers consumed with Ola's spiccccy sausage pasta in the evening were well deserved. Impressions of Villa Maria were great, with all the long term project members letting us know that pranks would be taking place on a daily basis.

Friday was our first fully packed day, involving a trip to one of the communities located at the top of the shanty town. Football as always featured heavily as well as skipping ropes, ring toss and memory games to the excitement of us as much as the children. Then it was our first introduction to the mayhem that is the swimming pool. Copious numbers of children togged up in swimming gear followed the Quest team down to the local pool where for an hour, we were used as what can only be described as human climbing frames and rocket launchers ‘Gringo, gringo carga me'...

Final update from the team's language phase, thanks to Jaiya!

As we entered our final week in Quito, Jimmy and Pete decided to spring upon us a set of group tasks that would challenge our knowledge on the local culture, language and history - as well as make us look absolutely ridiculous! After a long day of running around the city, consisting of human bullfighting in the Plaza del Toros, Charlie's Angels pouts with the policia and Titanic poses atop the Basilica (big church), the three teams tottered in, naturally shattered and immensely pleased to find the cook team creating a well-deserved pizza feast. The evening ended with what we were led to believe was a chick flick, yet only ended up being the most depressing and boring end to an eventful day... Thank you for the recommendation Alex.

So the Villa Maria team fly down to Lima to start their project work in Villa Maria this evening, but we're sure their time in Ecuador won't be quickly forgotten. Thanks to the sterling efforts of leader Jimmy 'Spielberg' McSparron - the 3 weeks of Spanish lessons, trekking, beaches and fun has been captured on film. Well done to the team - a great start to their 3 months in South America!

Think this look like a great way to start your Gap Year? Why not apply to join the 2013 Villa Maria Gap Year team departing in January!

The Villa Maria lot are gearing up to start their project tomorrow, here's what they got up to last week and the weekend before last. Thanks to Alex for blog number 2 and good luck for the start of the project!

Last weekend saw the Villa Maria team once again leaving the confines of Quito, this time for the beautiful Ecuadorian cloud forest. Ever the adventurers the intrepid lot set out on an 8 1/2 hour trek from the village of Yunguilla to visit Quest's old friends at Santa Lucia. Take a look at the Google Earth version of their route above!

And the reward for their hard work? Time to chill in a hammock with a stunning view, listening to the sounds of the forest and watching the world go by. Lucky them!