This summer my family and I went to Ecuador for a month. It was so much fun being able to run around free at the beach or in town on the gringo cycle with my brothers. We met many new friends, including Maria Del Carmin and Rudolfio -  they were very nice and we had most of our meals at their house. We had a great time with them!

I learned many things while I was there, like: Surfing, Spanish, the culture, and how to ride a three wheeled bike. After a while we started to get homesick but I'm happy I went to Ecuador...it was an experience of a lifetime!

Take a look:

surfing: I learned to surf. Despite getting stung by two jellyfish.

Maria Del Carmin and Rudolfio: We became great friends with Maria and Rudolfio over the trip. They were neighbors from heaven.

The dogs: Maria Del Carmin had three amazing dogs. The two in this picture always followed us to the beach.

Elma: This is Maria Del Carmin's third dog. She is very quiet but we still love her!

All of our friends and us had lunch at Maria Del Carmin's house, on the day our grandpa was leaving.

Acrobatic rope: At Maria Del Carmin's house we helped host a puppet show for the orphans. Maria Del Carmin's friends came and set up this rope up. We climbed on it all day.

Luis going to Argentina: Sadly Luis had to leave and continue traveling.

The gringo cycle: This is a three wheeled bike that our friend Stevie and I rode all over town. We borrowed it from a construction worker. And of course Fita had to come along.

Parada del nino: The first day in Ecuador there was a parade of kids that the school put on.

Wild Pig: This was what we saw when we went to the laundria. Pretty scary, right!?

I love beetles and there were more in Ecuador then i had ever seen before!

Cuenca: There were beautiful churches and temples in Cuenca. This is one in the town square.

While in Cuenca, I noticed this awesome graffiti.

In the Andes: On our way to Cuenca we went through Andes. It was so foggy you couldn't see anything!

On our trip i went zip lining. It happened to be the longest zip line in the world! And it was ten minutes from our house!

Coke on the beach is always the best: Every time we went to the beach we grabbed a nice cold Coke from one of the huts on the beach.

Sandy hole: My brothers and our friend Luis dug a hole for me to be buried in.

Playing in the sand: They wouldn't let me go.

Sutton's hole: Then we got Sutton and buried him!

Tucker O'Neill is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program.

All photos courtesy and copyright Tucker O'Neill