Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28, 2021
Hello everyone! We are still waiting for our last student (who missed her flight yesterday), but the group that is here is safe and sound! Stay tuned for more updated from our Galapagos program!
Jenny
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29, 2021
Today we began the two week long journey through Ecuador by starting off with orientation and some fun icebreaker games. Afterwards, we played several rounds of BS and Texas Hold ‘em and had a wonderful lunch in the cafeteria. Once we had finished eating, we traveled throughout old Quito and visited a chocolate shop, where we learned about the process of making chocolate and sampled some. Later, we visited several churches and immersed ourselves in the history of catholicism in Ecuador. Finally, we returned back to our hotel and recharged from our exciting day of adventures.
Written by: Dylan
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
Started off at 3:30 am… not ideal in any way. The flights were short and completely worth it after seeing the beauty of the Galapagos. We had a wonderfully informative tour of the island of Santa Cruz by our guide, Fernando, and listened to a little classic 80s rock on the way into town. We got our rooms and headed back out to the Charles Darwin breeding center, and we were able to see some tortoises up close and personal. We then had free time to explore some of the nearby stores and see a stunning sunset from the shore. We ended the day with
a meal from the fabulous cooks at Arena Negra, and we are ready to go for tomorrow!
Written by: Jaden
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
Today we started our service project. We got to the site, El Chato, and had the greatest lemongrass tea and coffee. Then we got to work cutting down invasive trees, digging holes for endemic trees we’ll be planting later on, and gathering rocks to protect the new trees after planting. For lunch we ate at the on-site restaurant, and most of us agreed that it was the best lunch yet. After lunch, we had a stretch and got back to work. Finally, at 5, we finished up and drove to two sinkholes – Los Gemelos. We learned how they were made and hiked around them. It was such a pretty view, especially as the sun was in the early stages of setting.
Written by: Cayden
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Howdy everyone tuning into the GLA blogpost! My name is Kayden Hutchings from bentonville Arkansas and I was the team leader for today. And Wow!!! We have had a wonderful day. From swimming in the collapsed lava tube to doing service high in the hills, all the way till the end of the day when we watched sharks feed and played soccer with the locals. Definitely one for the books.
First off, Just let me say it was wonderful finally dipping in the water here. Though a little chilly everyone had a blast and many of us got some great underwater footage on our action cameras. We saw a nice amount of fish for being an inland saltwater lake, and many of us even caught glimpses of a parrotfish.
After the adventure in the natural pool we had another wonderful lunch with the amazing hosts at the hostel. And ran off to do some more service in the mountains. During which we saw courtship behaviors in the giant Galapagos tortoises. Unfortunately there was no copulation but it was amazing to see such a display in person. We even were able to start planting some of the Escalasia trees.
The final hurrah of the day happened after dinner; We went to the harbor to watch black tip reef sharks feed. Again there was some great footage on the underwater cameras and it was fascinating to watch these apex predators eviscerating their prey in the clear water. As an added bonus a sea turtle stopped in to say hello to the group. As many of us got bored of watching fish we wandered and found some locals playing soccer in the waterfront, and of course we joined in! And even though most of us had a language barrier It was great to be interacting with people in the universal communication of sports.
Overall today was just amazing. Wonderful experiences between the group coupled with the near perfect wildlife of the islands. Although our day was amazing the majority of us are missing the wonderful people back home. So I am shouting out to all of those who miss us! We feel the same way. I’m also making a shoutout to my wonderful family and girlfriend! I miss you tons!
Thanks for reading tonight, But we need our rest for another big day tomorrow! Adios!
Written by: Kayden
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Woke up early to breakfast from our amazing hostel family, then it was off to Tortuga Bay where we swam in a crystal blue ocean in the midst of an abundance of wildlife.
We re-energized with lunch and headed off to our worksite where we did our last day of service clearing brush and planting trees. We wrapped up our day with a tour of lava tunnels and another great dinner. Next stop – San Cristóbal!
Written by: Allie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Today we all went to the restaurant at 7:30 am for breakfast. After breakfast we walked to were we were going swimming for the day. On the way there we stopped by a museum to talk about the history of the Galapagos. After that we all went swimming , we saw countless numbers of fish, played with sea lions and turtles. After swimming we walked back towards the hotel to get our laundry from yesterday, then went to lunch.
After lunch we walked back to the hotel to take showers , after we had free time for two hours before we talked to this women who converted trash into art. We all make necklaces and others made earrings. We all walked back to the hotel and sat on the roof top for about an hour to watch the last seconds of the sunset. We had dinner at 7:00 pm. Then we did a little karaoke at 8:30 pm with the other GLA group that we intersected with in the middle of the trip.
Written by: Thomas
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Today we ate breakfast and headed to the docks. We boated over to an island where we took a hike around. We saw Blue-footed boobies And Frigatebirds. We learned about their different mating behaviors and the different species on the island.
Then we went snorkeling along the coast and swam on the beach. We ate snacks on the boat prepared by the crew before heading back to San Cristóbal for lunch. We had some free time to shop before dinner and then played a game of soccer against the locals. We ended the night with pizza and dessert.
Written by: Vivian
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Today we had breakfast at 8:00 am. After breakfast we went back to the hotel to get all of our stuff because we had to leave by 9:00 am. We then walked around for a bit and did our last shopping until 10:40 am. We all met back up and walked to the airport. Our first flight was to Guayaquil, then our final flight to Quito. Finally we took a bus to the hotel we first stayed at in the beginning of the trip( Hotel Rincon Escandinavo). We arrived and went straight to dinner around 8:00 pm. We played a game together and then went to bed early.
Written by: Patrick
