Since being stationed in the town of Mindo for my service portion of SST, I’ve noticed a big cultural difference between U.S. Mennonites and Ecuadorian “Mindo-nites” – pun intended 🙂 approaches to life. There’s a palpable sense of serenity and...
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Our First Full Day in Aibonito – May 7
May 11 2025
Today was our first full day in Aibonito, and we had the opportunity to explore the town through a scavenger hunt activity. We started our morning at Casa Museo Federico Degetau, where we learned about one of Puerto Rico’s commissioners and lawyers. Our tour guide showed us many artifacts, such as an antique barber chair and a ballroom record player from the 50’s. After this, we wandered into Aibonito’s plaza, exploring the Catholic church and theater. At the plaza, our group had our first conversation with a local. We asked him what his favorite part of living in Aibonito was, and he spoke of the tranquility present in the community, along with many activities and festivals offered in the town.
As we continued our scavenger hunt, I was surprised by the warm greetings we received from many of the locals. Many welcomed us, recommending us places to eat and visit. After completing our scavenger hunt, we visited a bubble tea shop where we ordered drinks and food. The employee working the store was incredibly kind to us, thanking us for our business as we left the store. We visited Pink Bunny down the street to get a sweet treat. I got vanilla froyo with boba:)
We also had the incredible opportunity of meeting our host families today. We instantly connected with Gaby, one of our friends’ host sisters. We laughed over jokes, shared pictures of pets, and shared facts about one another. Overall, it was a good day, and I’m excited for our next adventure tomorrow morning!
by Angélica
