Time Capsule Letter

My GLA Ghana was…
Liberating
New
Eye opening
Adventurous
Emotional
Unexplainable
Extraordinary
Exciting
Exploration
Discovery
Wow!

Two weeks of sweating in the sun, lifting bricks, and trying your hand at mastering plastering…what a great way to start the summer.

Your enthusiasm and hard work helped build two sexy toilets for the residents of Dtiza. The time you spent building and the efforts made connecting with the kids of the community made a huge impact.

We hope you remember Justine’s amazing food, Elvis and Leon’s attentive service, and the hours spent getting to know Jasper and Balo at the work site.

Now that life is back to normal, don’t forget to continue to reflect on the many lessons you learned on program. From eliminating single use plastics in your life to remembering to be more compassionate and willing to engage with others, keep challenging yourself to step up as the everyday leaders you are. And sometimes don’t forget to ask yourself “are your sure?”

Thanks for an amazing two weeks in Ghana!

-Abby and Suzannah

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Tuesday July 9, 2019

Everyone made it to the start of their two weeks on the Building Healthy Villages program in Ghana. Although tired, the group is excited for all the awaits them in the next few weeks.

After a tasty first dinner, we did a round of quick introductions and got to know the two GLA leaders a bit more. After a long day (or more) of travel everyone was in bed and lights out early hoping to start catching up on some much deserved sleep.

-Suzannah – GLA International Director

Day 2: Orientation and Village Tour

By: Emma Ramboer & Alyssa Utochkin

Wednesday July 10, 2019

Today was our first full day! We spent time playing ”get to know you” games, learning basic rules and touring the village.

In the morning, we started by creating a map in the sand and standing where we’re from, where we want to go, the origin country of our favorite food, and our favorite place we’ve view. To review health and safety on program, we played a game where we matched symptoms to illnesses, then decided how we would react in that situation to, for example, feeling dehydrated.

Then we met the staff! We were introduced to the people who work in the lodge and for the non-profit. We played a name game involved whacking each other with pool noodles if you didn’t think of a name fast enough. It was so much fun! They also taught us several cultural expectations, such as that it is considered rude to smell your food.

In the afternoon, we took a tour of the local village. Boots, one of our local directors, explained the different local crops, and showed us a variety of local plants, such as cassava. We met a local woman, who showed us an example of the type of composting toilet that we will start building tomorrow!

We also got to see the local school and it was interesting to learn that each grade has a separate room, and classes could be comprised of as many as 80 students. We waved with our right hands (another culturally appropriate observation) to a bunch of the kids there, because it is encouraged that you greet everybody in Ghana.

Thursday July 11, 2019

Today was the first day of service. We were split into work groups and each went to our building site and started working. We got to meet the family that would be using the toilets and we got to meet new people that lived in the same area. As we worked children would come play and chat to us. The goal today was to add a whole new layer of bricks to the toilets and do finishing work on the inside chambers of the toilets. We learned how to make mortar with cement with sand and water and then finished the day by plastering our work.

Later that afternoon the local chief came to talk to us and answer some questions. The chief oversees culturally significant happenings in the Keta region. He’s greatly respected by his people. He talked to us about Ghanian culture including, the importance of marriage, and how he became chief.

Later that night we had the opportunity to learn some of the local language, ewe. We now feel better prepared to greet and interact with the village.

-by Caroline Meeschaert and Ava Warga

Friday July 12, 2019

Today’s service included carrying water, mixing heavy cement by hand, and setting the floor for the toilet. We ended a bit early because we had to let the concrete dry overnight before laying bricks. As a result, we had a lot of free time to play with the local children and play volleyball with the staff. The children were more open to us and a less shy than the previous day.

We had the chance to use what we had learned from our Ewe lesson we got the night before. Though today’s workload was short, it was just as tiring. Carrying bricks and mixing cement was not only an handful (lol) but more difficult due to our sore muscles. We felt very accomplished.

After lunch, a local nurse named Rose came to talk to us. Rose answered all of our questions about Ghanas general health. We learned that women’s health tends to be more difficult here due to the traditional culture. As we delved deeper into this topic we found that Rose was extremely progressive.

Rose is studying to be a midwife and promotes sexual health education in schools and amongst her patients. She explained the hardships women here in Ghana face in terms of pregnancy and receiving medical attention.

Today was also Ellie’s (one of our group members) birthday. There was a big happy birthday banner and we all signed a card for her. Happy Birthday Ellie!

-by Jackson Popper and Lea Schneider

Saturday July 13, 2019

Today’s main focus at service was building the first layers of the toilet walls. We added four full layers of brick to the structure. The process was much harder than usual, as we had to carry a ton of bricks, lay them, and continuously mix mortar. The little local kids were very happy to see us today and tried to jump in and help with our work.

Another big part, and highlight of today, was participating in a beach clean up. We were all given big bags and gloves and headed to a beach spot just in front of our home-base. We noticed that the majority of the plastic was the small black plastic bags. They were mostly spread around in smaller pieces, and buried in the sand, which made it really difficult to pick up.

-by Sannah Javaheri and Anya Smit

Sunday July 14, 2019

Happy Birthday Emma! Today we celebrated another birthday on program. Last night we shared cake and sang happy birthday to both Ellie (birthday two days ago) and Emma.

Today we also participated in a Batik making workshop. We had leader named TT and his students at a nearby vocational school that guided us through the process of batik making. The batikking process started by using stamps and brushes to apply hot wax to a white fabric.

After the wax dried we were given a wide variety of colors to chose to dye our fabric. After 10 minutes of mixing the dye it fully absorbed into the fabric except where the wax was. The final step was to dip the fabric into boiling water and allow to dry. The final results were beautiful and artistic batik fabrics.

-by Clara Chapman & Ellie Voss

Monday July 15, 2019

After breakfast both groups headed to their service sites to finish plastering the outsides of the toilets and putting the steps in place. It was a particularly long day leading to a late lunch, but like always, very fulfilling.

Shortly after lunch, we got into the car for an afternoon outing and a tour of a slave fort. Learning about the fort and slave trade was a very intense, heart breaking experience. We also stopped to visit a historic lighthouse and got a very cool view. The light house stands 120 feet tall, made of metal, and is powered by solar energy. It was first built around the same time the fort was used and guided slave ships to the west African coast.

On the way back to home base we stopped at a local bead shop and bought handmade jewelry for our friends and family back home.

Dinner was ready by the time we returned. The entertainment continued after dinner as we sat down to watch a cultural performance of drumming and dancing. This performance concluded with everyone’s participation, as the dancers got everyone on their feet to join in and dance.

-by Avery Best and Felix Sorenson

Wednesday July 17, 2019

This morning, instead of doing service at the compost toilets as we usually do, we headed out to Sahara park (community soccer, volleyball, and netball field area) to help Dom, an intern with Dream Big Ghana, set up the workout section. The work was a bit more intense just because there was no shade and a lot of digging in wet clay. We put up a swing set, a balance beam and dug moat around the park where a wall will later be constructed.

In the afternoon, we went to a local market in a nearby community. There was a list given by the kitchen of items that we needed to buy. It was like a scavenger hunt; we even had to use our limited knowledge of Ewe. Watermelon were the hardest thing to find for some reason. There was a woman selling slices for a low price, but charging too much for the whole watermelon. We had to search the whole market for someone else selling it, but couldn’t find anyone!

In the end, we had to pay the higher price. Meanwhile, we were carrying five sticks of six-foot tall sugar cane on our shoulders. Once we completed our hunt, we went to a fabric stand and bought some of the coolest fabric to bring to local seamstresses, where they are going to make us the clothes we want. There were the cutest baby goats ever there!

By: Alyssa Utochkin and Emma Ramboer

Thursday July 18, 2019

Today the last group of four students went to the clinic in the morning. They followed the nurses around the local village and saw how they tended to the babies, giving vitamins and malaria vaccine shots.

The rest of the group went to service as usual. We finished plastering the walls and steps and are now ready to make the finishing touches in these last exciting couple days.

We had nice time to rest and swim in the lagoon after lunch before going to Sahara Park for another sports day.

We enjoyed our evening with the locals and kids playing soccer and just getting to know them.

Yet to come we will be attending a bonfire on the beach with the staff. It should be fun.

-by Lea Schneider and Jackson Popper

Saturday July 20, 2019

Today was the final day of service; the compost toilets are completed and ready to be used. There was a great sense of accomplishment to see our hard work come together and have the chance to put our names on display. We also went to Gershon’s (one of the carpenters with Dream Big Ghana) farm where he taught us how to plant tomatoes. It was interesting to experiences a new method of farming that doesn’t use the technology readily availed in the US.

This afternoon we had lesson in traditional drumming, dancing and singing. It was surprisingly difficult to match the rhythm of the drums with the beat of the bell. Despite the difficulties of drumming, we still gained a lot of information about the history of the local dance we’ve seen many times previously. After our lesson, the staff surprised us with a delicious going away dinner with the entire crew and staff. This was the first time we were able to eat a meal with the staff and it added a great sense of community to the dinner. Overall, it was a great day.

-by Ellie Voss & Clara Campbell

Sunday July 21, 2019

Sadly, it is our last official day on our two week service project. Today began with our “toilet ceremony”, where we introduced ourselves in the local ewe language and proudly showed off our newly built, composting toilet. During the ceremony the proper way to use the toilet was explained and demonstrated as well as the importance of sanitization (washing hands) afterwards. Following pictures we headed back to home base to prepare for our afternoon excursion.

To start our afternoon, we boarded a traditional fishing boat and started down the Volta river. We arrived at the beach and ate a very tasty lunch of coconut rice and chicken. Then, we got to relax, play volleyball, and enjoy the sun. This being our last day we took lots of group pictures and made our last impressions on the lovely staff. Thank you for this amazing experience Ghana and we will be back soon!

-by Felix Sorenson and Avery Best

Monday July 22, 2019

Two weeks, two compost toilets built, and countless smiles and hugs from the kids…

Thank you for your incredible contribution to the Dream Big Ghana sanitation project. We truly appreciate your hard work the past two weeks.

From all of us here on the ground, have a great rest of your summer.

Time Capsule Letter

My GLA Ghana was…
Fulfilling
Inspiring
About memories
Fun
Breath taking
Gbo na (beautiful)
Unforgettable
Cultural
Eye opening
A chapter

Two weeks of sweating in the sun, lifting bricks, and trying your hand at mastering plastering…what a great way to start the summer.

Your enthusiasm and hard work helped build three sexy toilets for the residents of Dtiza. The time you spent building and the efforts made connecting with the kids of the community made a huge impact.

We hope you remember Justine’s amazing food, Elvis and Leon’s attentive service, and the hours spent getting to know Bernard, Jasper, and Balo at the work site.

Now that life is back to normal, don’t forget to continue to reflect on the many lessons you learned on program. From eliminating single use plastics in your life to remembering to be more compassionate and willing to engage with others, keep challenging yourself to step up as the everyday leaders you are.

Thanks for an amazing two weeks in Ghana!

-Abby and Suzannah

 

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Saturday June 22, 2019

On this first day of arrivals, we welcomed two lovely ladies to Ghana!

They are both happy to be here and will have a chance to settle in tonight before meeting the rest of the group members who are unfortunately delayed.

We are looking forward to having full group soon and then the fun and hard work can fully start!

Stay tuned for more updates!

-Suzannah Crandall – International Director

Sunday June 23, 2019

What a day! Our 13 students who were delayed in New York finally arrived and were total and complete troopers as we got things rolling. After a few hours in the morning to catch our breath, and a wonderful lunch of traditional Ghanaian food, we were off and running. Students and local staff got to know each other and shared cultural norms. These are important things to remember, like never wave or greet someone with your left hand and never smell food that is given to you, as we’re developing the service projects and interacting with our community. We also got to know our host foundation, Meet Me There and Dream Big Ghana, better and why our service project is part of such an important initiative.

Local staff led us on a tour of the town, through the cassava (yucca), okra, and tomato fields, the school that serves 600 students, and finally to a house compound with a finished compost toilet, the exact same as we will be building. We finished to tour with a round the lagoon/beach tour. It was great to get to know all the participants of our Building Healthy Village program and start building a solid team. Now, finally, it’s time to catch up on some sleep!

Monday June 24, 2019

Today was our first real day immersing ourselves into the culture of Ghana. After well needed sleep, we started building the EcoSan toilets. Over the next two weeks, three groups will fully complete three toilets. We attempted to carry water buckets on our head, placed a few layers of bricks, and cement plastered the walls. The weather was hot but we’re off to a great start.

Later in the day, the chief of a village just down the road came to speak with us. He explained what life is like here and answered all of our questions for a few hours. After giving us all his knowledge and some life advice, we were off to a volleyball game with local kids. There were no rules, but there was lots of laughter. This was the perfect day to start off, and we’re so excited to see what the next two weeks bring.

By Annika Throne and Laurel Whidden

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Today was the third full day of the trip. In the morning one of the groups shadowed a local health nurse while the other two groups continued their work on the compost toilets. The group went to the health center with the nurse where they learned about various diseases in more detail such as the true interactions of malaria, the transmission of typhoid, and local planned parenthood.

The other two groups filled the base of the toilets with a mix of sand, concrete, water, gravel, and dirt, requiring strong teamwork and perseverance and determination. After lunch, the head nurse visited home base and held a discussion about local and public health, sharing experiences, goals, an comparisons in global health. After a group reflection, the students bonded during a long free time before eating another delicious meal and a travel discussion. The rain cooled off the; heat but did not stop us from having another amazing day.

By Jihun Han and Sophia Christoff

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Hello! Kicking off our day with building compost toilets we came back to the homebase filthy, sweaty and tired. However, despite our want to just jump in the shower, we did not have before our Ghanian lunch (rice and red red). After eating, we all cleaned up and readied ourselves for our afternoon adventure.

The afternoon was spent exploring the local weekly market and were challenged to buy items like brooms, tomatoes, and ginger. Following this, we visited the fabric booths and purchased various unique patterns and designs. After an eventful day, we hung out and ate dinner.

-by Elliot Lee and Kennedy Allen

Thursday June 27, 2019

Today all the groups except for group 1 went to work on the compost toilets. Group 1 went to the Anyanui health center to learn how they work. The group members tried different things, such as checking the pregnant ladies’ baby’s heartbeat and registering the medication given to the patients. The groups that were building the compost toilets were able to build the base of the stairs and complete the walls.

During the afternoon, we did a beach clean up. Each person had a 4Ocean bag to collect plastic and we had a mini competition amongst each other to see who could collect more trash. Everyone was able to collect at least half a bag of trash, although Loic collected a full bag and won a prize.

After a sweating afternoon, all of the girls and Kyle went to the lagoon to relax. The lagoon water was warm and so we swam and took a lot of pictures.

-by Francisca Nabais and Kieran Johnson

Friday June 28, 2019

Today marks a week since, our GLA family headed to the airport, met each other for the first time, and shared a memory filled, 2 day adventure in the New York Airport. However it feels so much longer! We all feel as though we have known each other for weeks!

All of us finished another successful day of building the composting toilets. I think by now, all three groups have the foundation of the toilet. However, there is sooo much more to do. After meeting back at Meet Me There lodge for lunch, we all hopped in the van for an hour to the Keta Slave Fort. We toured there for about 30 minutes, and then hopped in the van and drove to the Lighthouse! After a steep climb to the top of the lighthouse, we headed over to a local bead shop and bought Ghanaian bracelets and necklaces. There were so many options and so little time!

But we all left satisfied. After a calm night drive filled with the amazing smells of the locals cooking, we arrived back at the lodge and ate dinner. As usual, we laughed and shared our stories. The excitement continued with a cultural dance that was the cherry on top of the sundae. I feel as though we all bonded with the staff and locals more than we have the whole trip. So amazing.

Overall, we had another great day. Can’t wait for tomorrow!

By Kyle Christoff

Saturday June 29, 2019

This morning we went to our work sites like usual. Most groups continued to plaster the outside walls and lay the steps down for the bathroom. It was our hottest day in Ghana so far, and we were all craving some ice cream. After, we had lunch then rested after the hard morning of work. Everyone then headed to the recreational field.

Upon arrival, we noticed that this field was unlike any other field we’ve seen. It was a barren plot of land with a few soccer nets, basketball hoops, and a volleyball net. First, the GLA girls played against the local girls team. Unfortunately, they lost 0-1 but didn’t humiliate themselves too much. The boys then played against the GLA staff and community boys’ team.

They got absolutely demolished with a score of 0-3. We all moved on to play a tiring game of volleyball where we lost the first two but won the last. Our fun and busy day of activities ended with a beautiful sunset walk back to our transportation. We ended our night with a healthy dinner then some free-time games before bed. In all, today was a fun and adventurous day that brought us all even closer together.

– by Rohan and Marley

Sunday June 30, 2019

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Today was an absolute scorcher and a day full of a variety of activities. Usually after breakfast split up into three groups and all go to our separate sites. Today, however Ms. Suzannah (our program leader) told us that we would be collaborating and working on the Sahara site. The morning consisted of shoveling and carrying pans of clay while playing fun games with the local children of Dzita.

Later in the afternoon, we went to a Batik workshop. Batik is a form of fabric making where you use hot wax to make patterns. We had loads of fun (played a few rounds of Heads Up) and made some really cool patterns and pieces of art.

In the evening, we watched and analyzed a TED talk given by the most amazing Nigerian author Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie called Danger of a Single Story. Today was a very fulfilling day and the hard work at the Sahara payed off by the relaxing and fun Batik workshop and it was all capped off by the amazing TED talk.

Til next time,

Loic Plunier and Inadum Monale Sira-Wiwa

Monday July 1, 2019

Sports Day!!!

We woke up this morning fairly exhausted from our intense work day yesterday but we powered up on pancakes and went to work on our compost toilets. At the sites, we built the stairs, the roof, and finished the floor of our toilets. When we returned from the sites to the lodge, we got to relax and swim in the lagoon.

After enjoying a relaxing afternoon, we went to the local school to check out the compost toilet systems there. They were a great example for us and motivated us to work harder on our toilets. We then went to the soccer fields to play a couple of games of soccer and volleyball and interacted with the children. We made lots of friendships and bonds with the locals.

We had an amazing day and we’re sad our trip is coming to an end.

-by Eduardo Herrera and Sophia Shahin

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Today was a fun and relaxing day. After another great breakfast, we headed to work where we sanded and painted the walls of our toilets. The light work gave us time to bond with each other and the locals as we put finishing touches on the toilets. We are often joined by local kids at the worksites who want to join us and share hugs and high fives. After lunch, Days For Girls a non-profit organization focused on public health and female hygiene, came to educate us on the work that they do in partnership with Meet Me There.

We then enjoyed the rest of afternoon free time taking some alone time, sleeping by the lagoon, and playing ping-pong with the staff. The lagoon was very peaceful and calm while the ping-pong matches were intense.

Later in mentor groups, we reflected on our experience thus far, personal growth, and goals for the last few days. Many of the goals were centered around the group because of how close we have become in our short time in Ghana.

After a relaxing day we look forward to our last few days here making more memories and sharing more amazing experiences.

-by Laurel Whidden and Sophie Christoff

Wednesday July 3, 2019

Today was our last official work day. We all went to our work sites and wrote our names on the wall of our compost toilets. It was very satisfying to see our final product.

Most of the groups used extra work time on the site to rehearse for our talent show tomorrow. After lunch, we all went to the seamstress to check out the clothes we ordered and try them on. Everyone was very happy with what they received. In the afternoon we also had music and dance lessons taught by some of the members of the local band, including Ballo (one of our masons) and our lifeguard. We learned how to play the drums and sing a popular local song. We also learned how to dance.

After dinner, we had a bonfire on the beach, a nice and cozy way to enjoy one of our last nights here at Meet Me There Lodge. Everyone came down to the beach, including the staff and we all shared stories and just relaxed.

We are all very sad to leave this beautiful country and are going to miss each other and the staff very much.

-by Francisca Nabais and Kennedy Allen

Thursday July 4, 2019

Today was a good last full day in Dzita. We started this day the usual way and then went to the Kalala Latrine to celebrate the opening of our freshly built compost latrines. At the ceremony we met many of the people that will be using the latrine. The toilets turned out wonderfully. That was followed by a boat trip and a fun lunch with some activities at Pap’s restaurant. We finished the fun day out by playing some jeopardy and modified Pictionary to help reflect some on our experiences in Ghana.

The past two weeks have been an awesome experience for all of us. We are so happy with how the latrines turned out and all the new things we’ve learned: ewe language, public health, life of a chief and many more. We have really bonded as a team and we are sad to leave. Today was a day where we closed off this program and enjoyed everyone’s company. We said our initial goodbyes and ended the trip with everyone together.

Good night Ghana!

By: Inadum Monale Sira-Wiwa

Friday July 5, 2019

Two weeks, three compost toilets built, and countless smiles and hugs from the kids…

To our whole group, thank you for your incredible contribution to the Dream Big Ghana sanitation project. We truly appreciate your enthusiasm and hard work the past two weeks.

From all of us here on the ground, have a great rest of your summer and remember to keep dreaming big.

Time Capsule Letter

Wow! Time does fly doesn’t it! You must all be back at your desks and perhaps day-dreaming about those sunny island days last summer. In some ways it still feels like yesterday that we met in the airport in Quito, ready to embark on an action-packed two weeks in the Galápagos Islands. We will always remember those 18 weary faces staring at us, fraught with anticipation and excitement to be there. It takes real courage to step into the unknown and I applaud you for taking that step on the GLA Galapagos programme.

We are sure that the whole experience has now had a chance to really sink in. The time that we spent together will definitely be significant to everyone for different reasons. For some we know that the chance to spend time and interact with the many rare and unique animals on the islands will have left a lasting impression on you.

Snorkeling with baby sea lions, rays and turtles, working alongside giant tortoises, watching blue footed boobies feed and side stepping marine iguanas are only a few examples of the amazing encounters we had. It was a privilege to stay on the three different islands of Isabella, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal because the ecosystems were quite different and we really got a taste of the archipelago as a whole.

For others it will be the friendships that were formed on this trip, everyone seemed to get on so well and I’m sure you have made some life-long connections through your shared experiences together. For some it might have been the cultural immersion itself, delving into Ecuadorian cuisine (I’m sure you haven’t forgotten those soups) , exploring the well preserved churches, markets and dancing the salsa!

The contribution that everyone made to clear the introduced trees at El Chato, dig holes, plant natives and cart stones to protect them, will always be appreciated by the people and tortoises on Santa Cruz. Restoring the land to its native self provides a better environment for the tortoises to thrive and with some species particularly threatened, this is an important job.

It was hard and wet sometimes but it was with great team work and perseverance that we managed to plant many trees! Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without hard work and you should all be proud that you stuck with it until the end. Not to mention all the sanding and painting you managed to finish on the basketball court at the local school in San Cristobal, it really will help the kids have a sense of pride in their school!

We did pack a lot of activities into those two weeks and we shared some great laughs. Some moments we won’t forget are;

When Austin ate a whole raw cacao bean at the chocolate shop, those facials were hilarious🤣

The amazing karaoke sessions on the bus back from El Chato, especially Nash’s singing 😊

Getting soaked on the bumpy boat rides between islands, sorry Julia!

When the mangroves took Julian’s shoes.

Natalie’s unique talent of baby lamb bleating.

The amazing sunsets we witnessed from the beach and the hostel rooftops.

When snorkelling got abit more adventurous and Ari and Camie collided with sea urchins.

Learning about Jose’s napping philosophy and seeing it work.

The amount of clumsy fails we had; Sofia’s coffee spillage at the airport, Charlie’s shelf demolition in the honey shop, Maddy’s hard time with stairs and Lily’s collision with the letterbox in old town.

Spotting a string ray while snorkelling at La Lobería beach and watching one get chased by a baby sea lion at Tijiretas.

Watching sea turtles feed up close with Jesse.

How much Jackson could eat!

Surviving a turbulent landing back into Quito.

Watching Keita use his colourful poy’s.

The creative tactics used during the soccer game on Isabella.

Learning about the human history of Isabella Island at the Wall of Tears.

The group’s amazing salsa dancing skills.

Rock gang at El Chato, you really rocked it!

Eating delicious ice cream on Santa Cruz.

When we left Kay, Sidney and Sofia in the loo.

Cooking a delicious dinner of spaghetti bolognese from scratch with vegetables and garlic bread on our final night in the Galapagos.

It was amazing to be a part of this group. To watch you grow and learn from each other. We hope this trip has enriched your story, challenged your perceptions of what is possible and motivated you to pursue your passions!

We trust you are enjoying school, college and all the other endeavors you are pursuing in life right now. We wonder how the OMG – One Meaningful Goal that we created at the end of the session is going for you? We pledged to help reduce our impact on the planet by making a conscious effort to reduce, reuse and recycle.

For example; buying local/organic food and wasting less of it, having shorter showers, shopping at thrift stores, investing in reusable products instead of plastic, buying shampoo bars, metal water bottles and composting. We also wanted to do more at a community level, for example; making time to join volunteer groups and educating our friends and family on small changes they can make to live more sustainably.

How is this going for you? Have you seen any changes at home or in your community? We hope your projects are trucking along well.

Stay safe, have fun and please be in touch!

Best
Em and Fer

 

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Wednesday July 10, 2019

Hello from Quito Ecuador!

The sun shone bright from the get-go today and after enjoying a wee sleep in (we didn’t arrive until 2am from the airport), the team started orientation on the roof top terrace of the hotel at 9.45pm. There was a lot of content to cover but the time flew by and we enjoyed getting to know each other with name games, and playing poison dart frog! After lunch it was off to explore Old Town Quito, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Everyone really enjoyed our tour with Marcello, he was very knowledgeable and we got to marvel at the Basilica church, La Compañia church, and the plaza before learning about how Ecuadorian chocolate is made from bean to bar, how a local company makes honey products and finally ending the tour with a beautiful panoramic view of the city from the El Panecillo. We were even lucky enough to see the top of the Cotopaxi volcano poking out above the city sky line.

Although many of the students were more interested in the dogs:). Then it was time to stock up on snacks for the Galapagos, have dinner, nightly meeting and get packing to leave for the islands early in the morning. Reflecting on a great day 2, we shared some laughs as we walked though town and the group showed some real kindness, inclusiveness and positive energy! Keep it up 💖

– Emily Wilson, mentor

Friday July 12, 2019

We started the long day at 3 in the morning in order to get to Isabella island. After 2 plane rides, 4 boat rides, 2 buses, several naps and snacks, the whole group was exhausted when we finally arrived at 5 in the evening. During the whole trip, the girls and guys talked more and there wasn’t as much of a gap. The very tight bus ride helped a lot. Everyone got to know each other much better, enough to make fun of each other when we weren’t at our best.

It’s amazing to compare the cultural differences from home as well as Quito. The people are very kind and welcoming, especially towards visitors. The wildlife is also spectacular. Within hours of arriving to the island we saw blue footed boobies, tortoises, crabs, iguanas, sharks, and sea lions. Everyone was ready with cameras and phones in awe of this beautiful place. We’re all very excited for what tomorrow entails.

– Lili, leader of the day

Saturday July 13, 2019

Right after breakfast, the whole group went to the beach and did teamwork and leadership exercises and activities. After that, we all relaxed by the beach, and either got ice cream, or enjoyed the waves. Then, we had lunch, and, soon after, went on a hike to, and around, the wall of tears. We learned about the history if the Galapagos, and saw a number of interesting animals. We then hiked home by the beach, and had dinner.

– Austin and Nash, leaders of the day

Sunday July 14, 2019

Blog Post: Part 1 by Julia, leader of the day.

We had a bit of an early morning to start our very busy and therefore very fun filled day. We visited the turtle breeding center and saw different types of tortoises of all different ages. We saw tons of, to our surprise, very active adults wandering around there beautiful enclosure.

As well as tons of baby tortoises that were only two years old. We were even lucky enough to see two tortoises mating. On our walk back we saw multiple flamingos, as well as many other types of birds, enjoying their afternoon. We all agreed it was awesome to see flamingos in the wild.

We then got the amazing opportunity to play the local soccer team. Though we played our best and worked together taking on their small team with all 18 of us, we still lost by a lot to a little. We did however manage to get two goals, thanks to Julian and Sidney. We may not have won the game, but we certainly all enjoyed running around and having fun.

We ended the day by heading to the beach for our first snorkeling excursion. We walked past tons of iguanas along the paths as well as some very cute sea lions laying on the beach and hogging the space on the public benches. All of us got the chance to snorkel in a lagoon as well as kayak out to a little inlet area and snorkel off of the kayaks.

The group spotted tons of white tipped reef sharks, parrot fish, sea urchins, penguins, blue footed boobies, sea lions, and my personal favorite, green sea turtles. Despite the strong ocean currents and frigid water, we all enjoyed our time snorkeling and including our walk home, it was a wonderful way to end a great day.

Blog Post: part 2 by Cammie, leader of the day

Hola! Today was a very exciting day for GLA. We started off with an early wake up call at 7:00 so we could be ready at 8:00 for the bus to the Tortoise breeding center. There we learned about how the Tortoises almost went extinct and how the breeding center takes care of them.

On our walk back we saw Marine iguanas, Flamingos, and some Ducks. Then we played a game of soccer with the local team (the island champs!) and we defined ‘tried’. We managed to get two goals and only lost by about twenty points.

Then we had a nice lunch of beans, soup, salad, and beef. We then left for snorkeling where we saw white and black roped reef sharks, parrot fish, green sea turtles, pufferfish, sea lions, penguins, and of course more Blue Footed Boobies! While we swam, the sea lions played with us!

We then ended with some beach volleyball and walked back to the hotel for a dinner of soup and sweet potatoes, chicken and some salad. We finished with a nightly meeting where we passed the torch to our new leaders, Sidney and Sophia.

Monday July 15, 2019

Hello,

In the morning a brief stop was made on the way to El Chato in order to buy coffee for some and chocolate bread for others. El Chato is the Galapagos Tortoise sanctuary where we spent most of our day performing service work with a focus on habitat restoration. Lunch at the visitor center would exceed my expectations of both presentation and quality, and the sheltered, outdoor setting was pleasant despite the inconsistent rain.

Our work would resume after a walk through now empty lava tunnels and would include the construction of a foliage wall and planting trees. Throughout the day we would be surrounded by some very indifferent tortoises. After we had completed our tasks we were taken sightseeing and at the end of the day celebrated Nash’s 17th birthday, who would have his face pushed into his cake in celebration.

– Jess, leader of the day

Tuesday July 16, 2019

Today we went on the boat from Isabelle Island to Santa Cruz. It was a 2 hour boat ride and a little rainy. Then we took a bus to the hotel from the harbor and got organized in our rooms. Later, we headed to the tortoise sanctuary and helped clean away land to plant trees by clearing branches. It was fun to give back to the community, but unfortunately there were many biting ants. On our way back from the sanctuary we all had a fun karaoke session on the bus.

– Sidney and Sofia, leaders of the day

Wednesday July 17, 2019

Today was a later start than normal. We had breakfast at 8 and then headed off to Las Grietas, a sink hole. We had a relaxing swim for around an hour before heading back to home base to have lunch and get ready for our final afternoon of work at El Chato. We worked for around 3 hours. After all the hard work it was satisfying to see the end result. We went back on the bus with our favorite part of the day, karaoke. Finally after dinner we headed into town for some free time.

– Katherine and Maddie. Leaders of the day

Thursday July 18, 2019

Day 9 was a little off schedule, because our boat from Santa Cruz to San Cristobal was late. We began our day with a late wake up at 8:00am. After breakfast we did some leadership activities where everyone explained their views on what it means to be a leader. Then we went into town for shopping and at 11:00am we departed from the harbor. We arrived in San Cristobal and ate lunch right away. After lunch we went to the hotel and got dressed for the beach. We walked to the beach where a lot of sea lions lay. A group of people went into the water. After the beach we ate dinner and ended the day with a nightly meeting.

– Jackson, leader of the day

At the start of the day 10 we ate breakfast. After that we took a mile hike to go snorkeling at La Loberia. After about an hour of snorkeling we went to a local school to paint as part of our last community work. After that we ate dinner and had nightly meeting, then we went to bed.

– Julian, leader of the day

Thursday July 19, 2019

Today we woke up early and ready for our walk to the Galapagos natural history center. After a stroll through their informative facilities we began our hike down to Las Tijaretas for a snorkeling session with some playful sea lions and graceful rays. Afterwards we walked to the beach for a bit of relaxation before heading back to base for lunch. From lunch we went to our recycling workshop for an informative lecture on the importance of recycling in the Galapagos.

There we made our own reusable souvenirs, grocery bags made out of recycled t-shirts. Once we got back to base, the team began to cook dinner for ourselves for our last night on the islands. A menu of spaghetti and veggies with desert crepes was served as we all laughed through or last night in the archipelago. It was a tiring day but a magnificent way to end our journey here. We are all very excited for voyage back to the mainland tomorrow.

– Jose and Keita, leaders of the day.

Saturday July 20, 2019

Day 12 started off with an early breakfast before we walked to the airport. From there we left the Galapagos and headed back to Quito, and arrived at our hotel around 4:00. We then had a couple hours of free time before we had dinner and our nightly meeting. Afterwards, we wrapped up our day with some leadership activities.

– Charlie, leader of the day

Sunday July 21, 2019

As the sun rose on our final day in Quito together, we packed our backpacks and headed down to our 7:30 breakfast. From breakfast we hopped on the bus bound literally for the middle of the world. Here we learned about Ecuadorian history and culture as well as the many scientific phenomenons in relation to the equator. Some left with bracelets, others with lama key chains, and a couple with egg master certificates, but we all had a new stamp on our passports, and a better understanding of Ecuador’s past and present.

The next stop was salsa dancing. Here we learned the basics of salsa from well renowned professionals in the area. We had a chance to give each move our best, before watching in awe as the instructors twirled across the floor effortlessly. From the dance class we stopped at a crepe and waffle restaurant. Some of us enjoyed sweet chocolate covered meals, others savory entrees, and a few hurled everything up instead.

Either way, it was a lunch for the books. Finally, we stoped at a local market full of amazing Ecuadorian art, and trinkets. We struggled to bargain with eager sellers to get everything from sunglasses, to sweaters, to dream catchers…. many, many dream catchers. Then we went back to home base to pack before dinner. After dinner we did nightly meeting as usual and finished the day with an appreciation circle where we showed our gratitude for our fellow peers. The night ended bittersweetly as we said final goodbyes to some of our friends, and to the trip as a whole. A trip that not only taught us the beauty of the world around us, but also the beauty in the people whom we are lucky enough to share that world.

– Nathalie and Sophia, leaders of the day

Time Capsule Letter

Wow! Time does fly doesn’t it! You must all be back at your desks and perhaps day-dreaming about those sunny island days last summer. In some ways it still feels like yesterday that we met in the early hours at the airport in Quito, ready to embark on an action-packed two weeks in the Galapagos Islands. We will always remember those 13 weary faces staring at us, fraught with anticipation and excitement to be there. It takes real courage to step into the unknown and I applaud you for taking that step on the GLA Galapagos programme.

We are sure that the whole experience has now had a chance to really sink in. The time that we spent together will definitely be significant to everyone for different reasons. For some we know that the chance to spend time and interact with the many rare and unique animals on the islands will have left a lasting impression on you.

Snorkeling with baby sea lions, rays and turtles, working alongside giant tortoises, watching blue footed boobies feed and side-stepping marine iguanas are only afew examples of the amazing encounters we had. It was also really neat to stay on the three different islands of Isabella, Santa Cruz and San Cristobal because the ecosystems were quite different!

For others it will be the friendships that were formed on this trip, everyone seemed to get on so well and I’m sure you have made some life-long connections through your shared experiences.
For some it might have been the cultural immersion itself, delving into Ecuadorian cuisine (I’m sure you haven’t forgotten those soups) , exploring the well preserved churches, markets and practising your Spanish with the local children.

The contribution that everyone made to clear the introduced trees at El Chato, dig holes, plant natives and cart stones to protect them, will always be appreciated by the people and tortoises on Santa Cruz. Restoring the land to its native self provides a better environment for the tortoises to thrive and with some species particularly threatened, this is an important job.

It was hard and hot sometimes but it was with great team work and perseverance that we managed to plant 70 trees! Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without hard work and you should all be proud that you stuck with it until the end. Not to mention the two coats of paint you managed to finish on the basketball court at the local school in San Cristobal, it really will help the kids have a sense of pride in their school!

We did pack a lot of activities into those two weeks and we shared some great laughs, so we would like to make some shout outs to;

Akshay, aka hop-along, lucky we didn’t forget him on the bus on the first day and his knee recovered because who else would have entertained us with such dramatic stories!

Maddy, the real soldier of the trip, despite being sick for several days she never once complained! What a great attitude.

Reed, who could never sit still for long and was our chief tortoise spotter (even if they were elusive), those on the viewing platform near the Wall of Tears will know what we mean 😂

What about Ella, the work horse, if anyone needs some stones moved she’s on to it!

Eliot, our wheelbarrow man, he put those big guns to use for a good cause at El Chato.

Ceci, our resident mermaid got to play with baby sea lions and turtles! She also bossed those boys on the surf roller, you go girl!

Maital, she has the best boot, despite playing a whole game in sweat pants she was a force to be reckoned with on the football field.

Walter, if there was a prize for breaking glasses it might go to him! Some bad luck there but he never lost that smile 😊

Cassidy, has a unique skill set and if you ever need to film a baby commercial she has you covered.

Caneel, our kinder queen and day dreamer.

Kai, our birthday boy on the trip, although we don’t know if he was awake for our midnight celebrations 🥳 everyone enjoyed our ‘little brother’.

Josh, takes the prize for all-round nice guy, bag carrier and polar plunger.

And who could forget Abby, the best at driving a bargain!

It was amazing to be a part of this group. To watch you grow and learn from each other. We hope this trip has enriched your story, challenged your perceptions of what is possible and motivated you to pursue your passions!

We trust you are enjoying school, college and all the other endeavors you are pursuing in life right now. We wonder how the OMG – One Meaningful Goal that we created at the end of the session is going for you?

We pledged to help reduce our impact on the planet by making changes at both an individual level; like buying local foods, having shorter showers, shopping at thrift stores, buying in bulk, investing in reusable products and recycling, and at a community level; initiating beach clean ups, food drives and educating the public. How is this going for you? Have you seen any changes at home or in your community? We do hope you are making progress and that your projects are trucking along well.

Stay safe, have fun and please be in touch!

Best
Em and Fer

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Friday June 21, 2019

We are so exited to welcome our students to the Galapagos program! Despite the late arrivals, every one is in good spirit and happy to be in Ecuador. Have a good night everybody and get ready to have an amazing journey with us!

-Fernanda and Emily

Saturday June 22, 2019

Hello from Quito, Ecuador!

Today was our first full day in the country. We got to sleep in a bit because of the late arrivals. After breakfast we had our orientation seminar where we reviewed the code of conduct, leadership activities, schedule, and many more topics that will make our trip safe and meaningful.

In the afternoon we visited different landmarks of Quito such as The Basilica Church, El Panecillo where we had amazing views of the city, Plaza Grande, San Francisco Church and enjoyed a walk in old town which is a UNESCO Heritage site. One of the most interesting activities was learning about the process of making chocolate from the cacao fruit to the bar. Ecuador has the best quality of cacao and it taste delicious!

The day ended with our nightly meeting where students expressed how grateful they are for this opportunity and how excited they are to finally be in the Galapagos tomorrow.

– Galapagos B team

Sunday June 23, 2019

Hello from the Galapagos!

Today got off to a bit of a rough start, but in the end turned out to be an incredible day and bonding experience. We woke up at 5 in the morning to get on a plane to travel from Quito to Isabella Island in the Galapagos. However, our plane was delayed for over three hours, but we kept our hopes up and took the opportunity to get to know each other better by playing games and having large group discussions, which turned out to be a really fun and meaningful experience. When we arrived in the Galapagos in Santa Cruz, we boarded a speedboat to sail to Isabella island.

On the boat, we shared stories to get closer together. Although we were all a little frustrated with the delays, as it turns out, our plane delay was truly a blessing. Even though we got to a late start, the timing of it meant that we were able to experience a beautiful sunset together on this boat, the sky full of unbelievable reds and yellows, and we got to look up to the stars together sailing over the pacific.

– Joshua Parness, leader of the day.

Monday June 24, 2019

Today was Day 4 of our Galápagos trip, and so far it was the most demanding. We woke up at around 7:30, and ate breakfast at 8:00. We got together at 8:30 for leadership activities, and bonded over fun games. After the group was exhausted from the fun and games, we bonded again over deep and meaningful events that we each went through in our lives. After this we went back to the Home Base and ate lunch. The most demanding part began after the delicious lunch that was served at the Home Base: an 8.2 mile hike.

However, we kept our spirits up on the hike by playing music and having expansive conversations, covering topics all the way from geopolitics to music festivals. We saw a small part of a huge biosphere on the hike, with wildlife of all different shapes and sizes around us. We saw tortoises, iguanas, blue footed boobies feeding, pelikans. When we walked on the beach on our way back, we soaked in the beautiful Latin architecture and culture that was present all around us, and we also enjoyed a beautiful sun that set on the waves, sending vibrant colors splashing through the sky.

Many of us snapped pictures, but none of them were able to capture the beauty of seeing it in person. We returned to a special Galápagoan dinner prepared especially for us, which was a plate of noodles, a sort of Ecuadorian lo mein. After dinner, we had our nightly meeting, where we went over our favorite parts of the day, our least favorite parts, and what we were most excited for. After the nightly meeting, we went on a night walk, where we bought ice cream and played games in the night. Today was another day of bonding and connecting, and we in the Galapagos are eagerly waiting to tackle the challenges tomorrow might bring.

– Akshay Jha, leader of the day

 

Tuesday June 25, 2019

Hola this morning we went to a tortoise breeding center. When we got to the center we saw saddleback tortoises and flat-shell tortoises. We walked around the center looking at the different stages the tortoises were in. We saw two different pairs of tortoises mating.

After the center we walked back to to home base. We walked on a trail which is to some lagoons. In the lagoon we saw pink flamingos, some of them were sleeping. The way they were sleeping was so cool they had one foot up in their body and their heads were twisted and laying their head on their body.

When we got back to home base we got ready for snorkeling and kayaking. In the kayaks we had to buddy up. We kayaked out to a spot called Tintoreras. After we jumped right in ready to see some ocean life. While snorkeling we saw some parrot fish, rainbow fish, and sea cucumbers. The best part was seeing the sea turtles, the white tipped reef shark, and the stingray. When we kayaked back to shore we were able to snorkel in a little lagoon. Some of us went and some stayed at the beach.

The lagoon was so nice to swim in because we got to see the fish much closer because the lagoon wasn’t that deep. There was this little channel we swam though were we saw pufferfish and a bunch of crabs. When we walked back to the beach there we Sea Lion pups blocking our way so we had to be really careful not to step on them.

We drove back to home base ate lunch and had so free time. We did an activity were two people had to draw a picture and then one person looked at in and had to tell the next what it looked like. Then the two people at the end had to draw the same picture from what people told them.

After that we went to play soccer with some local kids at the field. We weren’t very good but Josh scored us 3 points and Reed got us 1. The other kids had so many points we lost count. Playing with them was so fun. The kids were super nice when we played with them. We went back to the home base, had dinner and our regular nightly meeting and we had some time to pack before we went to bed. Today was our last day at Isabela. We are heading to Santa Cruz Island tomorrow early.

– by Abigail, leader of the day.

Wednesday June 26, 2019

Hello GLA family and friends!

Today we had a very long but rewarding day because we started working on our service project today! We began the day bright and early at 6:30 AM and took a boat from Isabela island to Santa Cruz. While we were waiting on the dock for the boat, we saw sea lions and penguins swimming though the clear turquoise water while blue footed boobies were diving. During our 2.5 hour boat ride, we all tried to catch up on sleep we’d been missing out on. On the bus from the hotel to the service site, we talked about which famous person we would want to have a meal with and we talked about how large and incredible the universe is. Once we arrived at the service site, we split up into two groups.

One group cleared branches and pushed them to the side and another group moved rocks in a wheelbarrow from further up the ranch to the service site to prepare for planting trees tomorrow. While we were working we had lots of interesting conversations to keep us all entertained. We also took breaks to eat delicious freshly picked passion fruit, guava, and mandarins. We all agreed at our nightly meeting that all the progress we made in our first four hours of service today was definitely rewarding!

-Madeleine (Maddie), leader of the day

Thursday June 27, 2019

To start off the day, we visited a site called Los Gemelos (the twin craters), where we saw huge pits full of wildlife. After visiting this jaw dropping location, we then hopped on our travel bus to go to the tortoise ranch and started our day of service. During approximately eight hours of service work we found rocks to support trees and started the tree planting process. Meanwhile, the tortoises spent their time hissing at us as we got too close and followed us everywhere we went. Finally, after a full day of work, we all headed back to our hostel and cleaned up for dinner. When dinner concluded, we went out for a nice walk in the town, got some ice cream, then headed down to the pier. At the pier, sharks and sea lions rose above the surface of the lit-up water. Everyone was exhausted from the non-stop journey, and called it a night as soon as we made it back to the hostel.

– Eliot & Kai, leaders of the day

Friday June 28, 2019

Hello everyone! This morning at 12:01 AM we all woke up to surprise Kai for his 14th birthday. We all got to sleep in an extra hour before heading off to Las Grietas for a quick hike and a swim in the ravine. The water was pretty chilly but we enjoyed the experience anyways. Later, we hopped on a bus to El Chato Ranch to finish up our last day of service work on the island of Santa Cruz.

Some of us planted around 70 trees and watered tons of them (which is a lot harder than it sounds). The other group built a structure to use as a nursery for trees. Finally we had to say goodbye to the tortoises and go back to home base. After dinner we walked around the town and watched street dancing. Some of us even joined in. Overall our last full day on Santa Cruz island was a good one!

– Caneel, leader of the day.

Saturday June 29, 2019

Today was a great day. We got to sleep in till 7:30. After breakfast we had the chance to walk around town and get a last taste of Santa Cruz. After hanging out on the playground by the harbor we set off on a boat ride to the new island, San Cristobal.

San Cristobal is very beautiful with a stunning landscape. We went on a short hike to a breathtaking snorkeling cove with clear blue water. We saw many fish and even some sea turtles! We were lucky enough to swim with some goony sea lions. They played and swam around with us, it was an incredible experience.

On the hike back we stopped at a small beach and watched the sun disappear underneath the blue sea. Their were many sea lions on the beach that we were able to see waddle in the sand.

We ended the day with some dinner and a stop at the local corner store for some dessert. Over all it was a day for the record books!

– Cece and Maital, leaders of the day.

Monday July 1, 2019

Today we had an early start to a great day! After our early wake up, we set off to breakfast and then straight to La Lobería beach. Even though it was quite misty at the beach some of us were brave enough to jump in the water and some even snorkel! We saw turtles, an eagle ray and many colorful fish. After, we headed back to the hotel to have some down time and clean up from our morning at the beach.

Later, we set off to the restaurant for lunch. Once we were finished, we stopped by the hotel to grab some paint and ventured to a local school to repaint a basketball court. After our relaxing afternoon of painting, we had a short stop at the hotel to clean up and then ran over to a local pizza shop to grab a slice. We then headed back to the hotel and had our usual nightly meeting and wrapped up our last night on the islands!

– Maital and Cece, leaders of the day

Tuesday July 2, 2019

Hola!

Day 13 was filled with a lot of activities and fun. We started out our morning waking up and eating our scrumptious food in the cafeteria. After, we got our belongings and headed to the Inti Nan Museum to visit the equator line and take part in some activities. Later, we took a bus to central Quito to learn salsa with 2 professional dancers, which was really exciting. Our bus then took us to a restaurant called, Crepes & Waffles. Everyone got tasty food and after, enjoyed ice cream.

Then we walked to the local market in downtown Quito, where we split into groups and we walked around the market to buy gifts for our friends and families! Then we walked back to our hostel where we completed our ending evaluations. Some of our group then walked to the SuperMaxi to buy last minute snacks for our long travel day tomorrow. When we got back from the store we had our last meal in Ecuador and then we had our nightly meeting.

After our meeting we had our closing activity where we all sat in a circle with our eyes closed and we anonymously nominated our peers for funny, kind, and loving superlatives that relate to our time together! We are all upset and very emotional to be leaving each other after spending an amazing 2 weeks together filled with roses, buds, thorns and a whole lotta laughs! It is safe to say that we can all call each other family and we will all miss each other dearly!

-Ella and Cassidy 💙 leaders of the day

Wednesday July 3, 2019

Today was another exciting and thrilling day on the islands! Today was our second day on San Cristobal. We woke up at the crack of dawn for a delicious and filling breakfast with freshly squeezed juice and fresh fruit. After that, we took a hike and went to a beach, where we relaxed, swam, and played in the sunshine. We even got to swim next to sea lions! This beach trip was not just for relaxation, though – we also collected trash to help the environment. We went back to the hotel for a bit, then we got a tasty, authentic lunch.

After that, we went to a workshop about the effects of plastic on the local ecosystem and what people do to fight the effects of pollution. The woman that we met does something really cool with the trash – she turns it into beautiful art! In addition, we got to make glasses from discarded trash, which was fun and interesting. Overall, today was a relaxing day, but also a day in which we contributed to improving the islands and the environment.

– Walter, leader of the day

Time Capsule

Can you believe how fast the time has flown since we parted ways back in the summer?! What an emotional goodbye after a whirlwind of a trip to the Galapagos. From the bustling streets of Quito, to lazy days chilling with sea lions on the beach, we hope you remember our two weeks together and all the memories we created together!

Below are some of the best moments from our time together:

Orientation on the roof (when we all were strangers)
Our tour of Quito – especially the chocolate tasting (that 100% cocoa bar)!
Lots of time on planes and boats – extra time on the way to Santa Cruz!
The amazing veggie pizza the first day in the Galapagos
Kayaking and snorkeling with sharks and ray on Isabela Island
Hanging out in the hammocks at our home bases
Working alongside giant tortoises and that amazing lunch at el Chato
Cooking dinner together – pasta, sauces, garlic bread, and salad!
Free time exploring the downtown areas – and that artisanal ice cream
Making reusable T-shirt bags at the recycling center (are you using it instead of plastic??)
Swimming with sea lions at las Tijiretas –in the brisk water
The wonderfully relaxing beach days – at Punta Carola and La Loberia
Our Salsa Class!
The Quito market – all those colorful souvenirs
Our delicious last lunch at Crepes and Waffles!
The last goodbye, watching the slideshow of our trip together!

We hope you have continued to reflect on your GLA trip – especially on the ways you can continue to be an ambassador for the environment and a leader in your home community. A group OMG goal was to use less plastic, specifically “don’t prioritize convenience, prioritize the environment”.

“You will never be completely at home again. Because part of you heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place”.

Much love,

Allie, Lexi, Hakan, Wilson, and Fernando

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Saturday August 3, 2019

Its arrival day, it’s arrival dayyyy! We’re so excited everyone has arrived safe and sound! We have 2 students who arrived earlier this morning, enjoyed a beautiful Quito sunset and 2 more who are being picked up by our all star local director at 2am! The other 12 arrived in great spirits, ate an empanada, and we’re headed to homebase!

Sunday August 4, 2019

What a great first day in Quito! We all started the day with a traditional Ecuadorean breakfast and instant coffee! Orientation was held on the terraza and students learned more about their surrounding environments,
important GLA info and rules, and played a few name games to get to learn all 16 students!

Lunch was served at noon, with soup to start! After everyone was full and happy we headed out for a city tour, stopping first at the Panecillo, the angel on top of the hill before seeing the Golden Cathedral, walking the colonial streets of Quito, visiting a local bee shop, and my personal favorite, the chocolate tour where we all had passion fruit and blackberry truffles!

Back to homebase for supper before packing and introducing mentor groups -our leadership activities! Headed to the Galapagos first thing tomorrow morning!!!

Lexi
GLA Mentor

Monday August 5, 2019

Today we made the 600 mile and 12 hour journey from Quito to Isabel Island. At 6 am, we left our hotel and drove to the airport. Across mountain passages overlooking sheer cliffs, we finally made it with all the luggage in tow. Our flight was beautiful-seeing Quito sprawled in its cozy valley was absolutely stunning, and so were the islands from above. We landed on Baltra smoothly around noon where our luggage was tagged and our veggies were certified as clear to enter.

We went from bus, to boat, to another bus, to a smaller boat, before finally arriving at the speedboat that took us across from Santa Cruz to Isabel. Along the way we saw pufferfish, sea lions, and many types of finches. Tired, hungry, and a little unkempt, we arrived at our final destination: the hotel. After a great dinner and some group meeting time, we headed to bed in order to prepare for tomorrow!

-by Jess N.

Tuesday August 6, 2019

As the leader of Day 3, it was very fun describing and planning out the day for my mates. In the beginning of the day, I felt like a true leader when others would ask me about the structure of the day. The first activity was taking an 8 mile hike in a beautiful trail near the ocean. We began on the beach and walked toward the center of the island. We learned a lot about endemic animals and plants that grew in the island, as well as very entertaining stories about how the islands reached their independence.

During the hike, our guide decided to let us go up a mountain to see the island from a bird’s eye view. It was astonishing how amazing the view was; other islands and the unique terrain was very nice and rewarding after hiking so much. After experiencing other landmarks, we began to head back to the hotel.

After some free time, that I decided to take a nap during, we had a delicious lunch consisting of soup and fish. Following lunch, a very fun activity was organized by our mentors discussing how to solve the problem with invasive species in the Galápagos Islands. We spent an hour on this activity debating the priorities of saving native species over invasive animals that were sent here by humans, without consent.

The second to last activity was definitely the most fun activity that I experienced the last few days. A soccer game between a local team and us was held during that evening. It was very enjoyable playing with a good team, even though we didn’t give them much competition. Everyone played their hardest and our team managed to score at least 7 goals against the locals.

The last activity of the day was very exciting, it was a speed name game against each other. After a lot of laughs and excitement towards our friends’ forgetfulness when under pressure, we were soon dismissed; and got ready to sleep.

Leader of the day: Marcelo

Wednesday August 7, 2019

What an adventure we had today! Today we went to a tortoise sanctuary and headed out to the shore to snorkel and kayak. At the tortoise sanctuary we learned about tortoises, saw baby ones and lots of grown ones. Plus it was feeding day!! Then, while we were snorkeling we saw sharks, different types of rays, lots of fish, and tons of sea turtles! Overall it was an amazing day with lots of new experiences.

– by Madison

Thursday August 8, 2019

Bright and early this morning, several of us headed down to the beach for yoga. This relaxing session of morning beach yoga prepared us for the busy day ahead. Following breakfast, we departed Isabela Island at 10:00 AM and headed for Santa Cruz. Just when we thought the 2 hour boat ride was almost over, we ran out of gasoline and the boat came to a stop. The combination of the rocking boat and the smelly gasoline made many people feel nauseous.

Eventually, a taxi boat came to the rescue with a full load of gasoline, and we carried on to Santa Cruz. Luckily, none of us had gotten too sick. Upon arrival to the island (1:45 PM), we took a quick bus ride to our hostel. As soon as we got to the hostel, we had lunch and got ready to go to the service site, El Chato. It was a quick 30 minute bus ride to El Chato. Once we got there, we all enjoyed some free Galapaguean coffee and tea under the pavilion before heading off to work. For the service work, our goal is to cut down invasive tree species and replace them with endemic tree species.

While we were working along side the giant tortoises, not many of us had much time to notice as we were either collecting rocks to surround the new trees with, or cutting and removing the invasive trees. We worked at El Chato for about 3 hours before heading back to the hostel. The fun ride back was full of music and singing. As we were all very dirty and sweaty from working hard, many of us took showers before it was dinner time (7:00 PM).

Following dinner, we previewed our schedule for the next day and took a little survey on how we feel about everything so far. Then, a majority of the group decided to go into the town to shop and eat ice cream. Bed time was as soon as we got back from town as we have a full day of service work tomorrow!

– by Anna

Friday August 9, 2019

Full service day!!!

After our brief (but delicious) mini-pancake breakfast, the group headed out to the reserve. We continued the bush clearing and rock moving work we started the day before. It was hard work, but the difference we were making felt good. After the delicious lunch, we toured the expansive lava tunnels snaking beneath the ranch.

After that, back to work. A planting group moved behind the clearing group, filling the area with local saplings. Finally, when the service day was done, the group visited the magnificent twin sinkholes. Everyone is tired, dirty, and covered in bites, so we’ll need to rest well for the final day tomorrow.

With love,
Tyler

Saturday August 10, 2019

Today we started with a bit more rest than usual due to a long days work yesterday and a late wake up today. After wake up, we headed to a beautiful swim spot, los grietas, and swam around for an hour before we had to sadly leave due to national park regulations. We also visited an açaí café where we enjoyed rest and games. After lunch, we headed to do our final day of service in the island of Santa Cruz. By the end of the day, we ended up planting eighty endemic plants. After dinner we went back into town where we enjoyed our last night in Santa Cruz and a scavenger hunt to celebrate one of our fellow service members birthday. Happy birthday Andrei.

Written by Alex and Caroline

Sunday August 11, 2019

Today, we woke up bright and early for our boat trip from Santa Cruz Island to our last island, San Cristobal. We then settled into our home base and enjoyed snacks and lunch with our beautiful new view. After lunch, we hiked to the interpretive center where we learned about the history of the Galápagos Islands. Our hike then continued to a beautiful snorkel spot where we saw sea lions, sea turtles, a sting ray, sea cucumbers, and other fascinating marine life. Following our hike back, we watched the beautiful sunset from the roof of our new home base, and then enjoyed dinner. After dinner, we planned what we are going to bake tomorrow night and enjoyed a family game night. What a fantastic day!

Written by Jessica Cohen and Alfonzo Almaraz