GALAPAGOS – Preserving Nature’s Wonders – July 1

Headed Home

All students are on their way home from the Galapagos Islands!

Wrapping Up

Yesterday we sadly had to leave the Galapagos. We spent the morning in town buying last minute souvenirs before we walked to the airport. We landed in Quito and returned to the hotel around 7pm local time.

Today we took a tour of old Quito and it was absolutely beautiful! We saw the virgin statue that protects the city from sins, the central square which was filled with street performers and alive with cultural, as well as some old city streets with artisan shops lining both sides.

This afternoon we are going to a market near the hotel to buy more souvenirs. There we can buy a variety of a hand woven products like ponchos, scarfs, and bracelets as well as some Ecuadorian treats like coffee and chocolate. Hopefully after we can catch the final of the World Cup and enjoy the last night of our journey together!

-Irene

-Melanie and Liam
On Thursday July 10th, we, as a group, woke up at 7am, and went to the worksite. There, we encountered a large field of vegetation, and had to remove it all. Machetes in hand, we cleaned the landscape. Removing thorn-filled raspberry plants, trimming the branches of banana and orange trees. And even bringing down an entire tree with just a machete. From there we went to the beach, and snorkeled with: sea-turtles, sea-lions, and ample schools of fish.

As we migrated back to home base we ate dinner. Afterwards, one of our guides, Fabricio, took us up to a vantage point for sight seeing. We arrive and see that this, “vantage point” is a run-down coffee shop, it looks as though it has been uninhabited for decades, and has a single candle flickering inside. We, as a group, are instructed to turn off our headlamps/flashlights, so there, sitting in the pitch black. We are told a story by our guide Fabricio about the coffee shop we were sitting in front of.

We returned from the story telling and sight seeing, for an activity to get to know our group just a little bit better, and then we went to sleep.

Group leaders: Emily, and Nathan

On the morning of Friday July 11th, we woke, and went to a different worksite. Here we removed invasive species (via machete), after the work was finished we walked through a tortoise breeding center which housed tortoises ranging in age of 10 days to 10 decades. We loaded the bus and headed to the beach for a cookout. We: swam, sun-bathed, and even saw a pair of a blue-footed boobies. We returned, and commenced the cookout. A lunch consisting of chicken, guacamole, yucca (a potato-like vegetable), and grilled plantains. We finished this off with some s’mores. From there we returned to home base and packed for our return to Quito tomorrow.

-Nathan

Goodbye Isabela Island

Today was our last day at the beautiful Isabela Island. We woke up early for breakfast, consisting of croissants and our homemade marmalade from our last day of work on Isabela Island the previous day. We then left for Floreana Island, early (in hopes of avoiding rougher waves with the early departure) and about two hours long. Once we arrived at this smaller island we took a bus to the highlands to explore the pirates caves and see a subspecies of the Giant Tortoise. It was raining and pretty cold because we were so high up. The area where the tortoises hung out was very open with feeding trays full of banana leaves and other tortoise food. People are not allowed to step on the feeding platforms so we kept our distance and watched them eat slowly. Next we made our way up to the top of the mountain to see the caves that early colonists lived in (with legends of ghosts and disappearances from our guide Fabricio) and what would have been a nice panoramic view of the island and ocean on a clearer day. After making our way back down, ending the short circle hike, a bus brought us back to the small town near the shore for lunch. Beans, rice, fish, cabbage slaw, popcorn, and exotic fruit juice made for a filling lunch, but next we picked up ice cream for desert before heading to Floreana’s beautiful black sand beach.

Alex and I organized a variation of charades as our group activity on the beach. After the game was over we waded into the water. The blue footed boobies were diving in the water like Olympians with hardly any splash and fish as a reward. A sea turtle was then spotted close to the shore, and soon after we saw three others along with two sea lions. The sea turtles were very big and we could see their tails sticking up as they were hunting. Their heads were about the size of two fists. After watching these animals swimming gracefully in the water we made our way back over to the dock where the boat was. There was a huge male sea lion rolling around in the sand, a mother sea lion nursing her young, and two baby marine iguanas.

Sea lions are starting to seem to be as common as squirrels in the U.S. but we could still have watched them all day. We loaded onto the boat and luckily I got a seat up top with Leah, Hannah and Josh. The top boat view was beautiful and a little less rough on the stomach, although very wet. The boat ride was really long and we arrived at San Cristobal around golden hour and sunset, making for a beautiful arrival to the biggest/most developed town we’ve seen on the Galápagos Islands so far. We had about an hour to get coffee and hot chocolate, attempt to connect to wifi, and stock up on groceries before leaving the beachside shopping area for the wilderness to settle into our San Cristobal hotel.

-Isabelle

Service

Hey guys! On day four we had our first day of volunteering at Campo Duro Eco Lodge. At this location live twelve native giant tortoises of whom we got to feed freshly picked oranges and restore their habitats. Our activities included the removal of the invasive plants, such as the guava plants, digging a lagoon, and collecting rocks for the lagoon. We then proceeded to play soccer with the whole group and our local guides, Tamara and Fabricio. After lunch we visited some important local landmarks. Our stops included The Wall of Tears, La Playa de Amor, and the Marine Iguana beach. After that, we walked to the beach for some team bonding activities. We enjoyed the free time by playing in the ocean and walking around town.

On day five we went back to the tortoise habitat and continued our work there. After that we went down to the harbor to snorkel and kayak. While snorkeling, we swam with the Galapagos penguins, sea turtles, squids, and sea lions. We also saw the blue-footed boobies and baby sea lions while kayaking. Both of these days included important work that benefitted the natural habitats here in the Galapagos. Not only were these activities beneficial to the environment, but they also have had positive effects on all of the GLA participants.

Photos from the Last Few Days:

Service & Visit to Wall of Tears and Humedales

First Days

Coming into Ecuador, many seemed shy and timid. A long plane ride in addition to meeting strangers can be taxing on a traveler in an unfamiliar place. As time progressed, strangers became acquaintances and new friendships began to form. After this long journey and a late night meal all of the GLA travelers headed off to bed. Although exhausted, a restless sleep came over some of these adventurers who were eager to begin a life changing journey in Quito, Ecuador. After a light breakfast these young travelers embarked on a mission to a local location which features the exact spot where the equator is located in Ecuador. This location is referred to as “La Mitad del Mundo” or the “middle of the earth”. A woman indigenous to Ecuador assisted these GLA members to understand the different cultures that are present in areas such as the Highlands and the Amazon.

At this same destination many attempted to walk on the equator with eyes closed (which is difficult considering the different forces affecting those attempting to walk) and also tried to balance an egg on a nail (which is much more difficult than it seems). After leaving this location all of the travelers then proceeded to a shopping area which consisted of restaurants and also had many different souvenirs that are specific to this area. The group then proceeded to a restaurant where traditional empanadas (meat pies) and other Ecuadorian cuisine specific to this area were served to all of the GLA members. Once everyone finished eating GLA participants were able to walk around this area, socialize, and buy any last minutes souvenirs. After a long day of exploring part of Quito the entire group came back to the hotel and cohesively played games to further enhance the bonds which were formed during the time spent together throughout the day. All in all, the first full day in Quito was one that immersed GLA participants into Ecuadorian culture and fostered stable friendships that will last not only throughout the trip but for many years to follow.

Written by Liam