Ecuador
On January 14th, 2018, I made my first research trip to Ecuador for my PhD. I had been putting this post off for a while because I couldn't find the right words to describe just how much I enjoyed this trip! It started off with a pretty long journey from Amsterdam, stopping in Philadelphia and then Miami, finally arriving in Quito the next day. I travelled with Sarah, who is currently doing a Post Doc in our lab having just finished her PhD. Although I was quite jet lagged and groggy from the flight, my excitement persisted, taking everything in like a sponge. We spent the first few days in Cumbayá, which was just outside of Quito close to Universidad de San Fransisco de Quito. We had the pleasure of visiting the university as well and, I was jealous. A lovely, green and spacious campus, with excellent facilities. They had a large pond in the middle of their campus! I was very excited about that. After spending two days in Cumbaya, it was time to make the long trip dow