Learning about another country was the primary motive for Daniel Loaiza becoming a Rotary Exchange student following his graduation from Tomas Moro high school in Quito, Ecuador.

A lack of a clear career goal was a secondary motive. Torn between civil engineering and automotive repair, Daniel admitted, "I didn't know what to study. But I didn't want to waste time sleeping. I had a chance to go with Rotary, and I think it's great to visit another country."

Having arrived on Saturday, September 5, the eighteen-year-old has not had a great deal of time to assess Bermuda, but initial impressions are quite good. "The Island's cool," Daniel observed. "There are lots of beautiful beaches. The people are gentle and the kids at school nice." Checking out prices in the supermarket and shoe stores, though, he came quickly to the conclusion that "everything's really expensive."

And though Quito is only approximately 15 miles (25km) south of the Equator, it's at an elevation of 9,350 feet (2,850 km) and so "not so hot and not so humid" as Bermuda.

Though obviously looking forward to lots of new experiences, Daniel did admit he would miss his family, his two older brothers in particular, his friends, and the music. Though his Bermudian acquaintances enjoy similar genres, electronic and hip-hop in particular, their favourite artists are not the same as Daniel's.

The other thing he is going to miss is his motocross bike, as while a Rotary Exchange student he is not allowed to participate in extreme sports.

In Quito he followed his elder brothers in adopting the sport, riding a 250cc Suzuki at a track, Los Tres Wuabos, in the Amaguaña Valley on the weekends. Though classes go up to 450cc, Daniel is content with the 250cc class as "450 is too much bike for me." He's been riding since he was 16, and he has participated in a few races, as an individual competitor, not a member of a team. The course is not off-road, but on a track that incorporates jumps and turns. Racing is an expensive sport, he has discovered, as money has to be found for gas and replacement parts, so it has remained a hobby rather than a serious pursuit.

Though not a joker, he enjoys companions who have a sense of humour and enjoy life, and having learned English during an extended visit to an aunt in Houston, Texas when he was 10, there will be no language barrier to him making new friends at Mount Saint Agnes Academy, where he will be studying in Grade 12 for the coming year.