Translation of verter

On the way, there were a lot of beautiful, colored trees. Having arrived in a tiny village called Harvard, we got out of the car and walked through the streets. We were very lucky and I will tell you why.
Nevertheless I think that we need to communicate. All in all, we will learn a lot from each other, mostly by writing, but speaking exercises are also really good for your Spanish skills. Is this OK?
I got up at five in the early morning because I wanted to take pictures of the sunrise. I hoped that there would be some fog, as it would add to the atmosphere and would results in great shots.