PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
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
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BLOG POST FOR JULY 17
Dear GLA Galápagos: Preserving Nature’s Wonders Families,
We are so glad most of the students have arrived! We are currently in our lovely hotel by the airport going over our busy schedule and orientation, then headed to the equator for the afternoon.
Soon we fly on to the amazing Galápagos. First up is the island of Santa Cruz. There we will hike through a pristine landscape of endemic flora and fauna at Tortuga Bay, explore huge lava tunnels, work alongside giant Galápagos tortoises, enjoy homemade Ecuadorian ice cream, play sports with local kids, and swim in the famous Las Grietas (a volcanic fissure on the sea). Then we take the several hour boat ride over to San Cristóbal. There we will snorkel with sea lions, visit Isla Lobo with its colonies of blue footed boobies, frigatebirds, and sea lions, explore the quaint town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno that seems to have more sea lions than people, more snorkeling in several different natural preserves, and maybe some soccer with the locals. We will also have a recycling workshop one afternoon, visit and work at a local school, and of course be doing a number of leadership activities in the evenings. We will also have two full time local guides with us on all activities teaching us about the biology and geology of the Galápagos.
Student leaders of the day will be writing a blog post every one to two days to keep you updated about all the great things they have been up to. Remember that our location is remote and our schedule packed so for the days on the islands there won’t be frequent communication. We truly hope the students enjoy a break from their phones and immerse themselves for several weeks in the fascinating and beautiful Galápagos Islands.
We hope to primarily give a window into these weeks through the blog. We arrange access to communication for it and of course have plans for any needed urgent communications at any time. We have four staff directly with the students, plus two full time guides with us (Fernando and Carmen) on all activities, plus the support of our homebase staffs for cooking and cleaning. We also have the 24/7 professional support of the office staff.
This is going to be a wonderful program, and I am excited to be part of it. Keep your eyes open for the first student blog in a day or two and enjoy your summer.
Best,
Clint, Håkan, Ligia, and Rodrigo
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Today was a travel day! Up at 5 am to catch the flight to the Galápagos. We arrived to Baltra Island, then took a ferry across the channel to Santa Cruz, then crossed the island to Puerto Ayora. After lunch we explored the town some, had some local gelato, and then walked to the Charles Darwin Center for a guided tour seeing giant tortoises and learning about their lifecycle and biology. After a dinner of beef sautéed with peppers, potatoes and rice with lentils, we had some time to talk and then broke into mentor groups to discuss our day and journal.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Today was our first service day! we got up early and got some eggs and quesadillas. Then we got on the bus and got to the work site. When we got there we were surrounded by giant tortoises. We quickly got to work moving trees and rocks in order to help the tortoises move around and protect the growing plants. Later, during break our glorious student leaders had us play mafia together and they did a great job setting up! When we got back to work the goal of getting this big boulder out of the ground started. A group of four was determined to move this rock to provide a more suitable habitat for the tortoises.
Afterwards, we stopped for lunch and had amazing pasta and albacore tuna dish and oreo milkshakes for dessert. Then we got back to work and even learned about the fascinating biology of the giant tortoises. We finished work and ate some great empanadas and hopped on the bus home. After heading back we celebrated Gregory’s birthday and nominated our new leaders for tomorrow. Overall it was a very productive and exciting day. Can’t wait for tomorrow!
by Mady Harris and Jac Corriveau
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Today we went swimming at Las Grietas, a big volcanic fissure, and we saw many cool fish. On the way back we stopped by a cool little cafe on the sandy trail and played ping-pong and foosball and tried some local food while we dried off. Then we went back to base and learned how to make and then ate some beautiful marlin ceviche.
After lunch we headed to work at Primicias where we finally dug up the big rock and tried sugar cane. On our break we had an epic game of tug-of-war.
After work we went back to base and ate pasta with chicken and vegetables. To end off the day we played basketball and soccer with some local kids which was really fun. Tomorrow off to see the lava tubes!
Written by Gregory Jachymek and Knox Mills
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
This morning we had an enjoyable later start and got straight on the bus to go visit a local bakery. After some banana bread, we learned about and visited the huge sinkholes called Los Gemelos and the isolated ecosystems in them. After this we went to some lava tunnels and walked through them and got some fascinating insight into their formation. Next we rode back down the mountain to eat lunch and continue our work helping create a better environment for the giant tortoises. Today was the first day that included planting native species to give some shade to the tortoises. Finally we returned home and had a great chow circle and dinner. Then we met up for mentor groups where we all took turns teaching the group about something we know about, like a hobby or sport.
by Noah Carson & Brent Spear
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Today we woke up and had a delicious breakfast consisting of over easy eggs and an Ecuadorian muffin filled with queso. Next we all hiked for 2 miles to a remote beach lined with mangroves. We saw hammerhead and black tipped sharks as well as stingrays, pufferfish, and sea turtles! We played some fun beach games before heading back to the bus.
We had an amazing lunch of wahu fish and beet salad. We then headed to our last day of service at Primicias. There we finished clearing the tree piles, digging the lagoon, and planting endemic plants. We also ate fresh papaya and sugar cane. Then we went to the restaurant and had empanadas and milkshakes as a snack! We took a noisy bus ride back and relaxed before a dinner of chicken soup and and rice with beef. We filled out a feedback form, and then we were on our way to play more soccer and basketball at the local park before shopping and getting ice cream. We then had some phone time and packing, and went to bed ready for the boat trip tomorrow.
Hasta luego,
Piper and Cole
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
This day began with a later start but a great breakfast of eggs and fresh buns. We said goodbye to Santa Cruz and quickly headed over to the dock for our ferry to San Cristobal . Once there we dropped off our laundry, ate a great lunch of albacore tuna, and explored the charming town. Then we had the opportunity to snorkel with sea lions. After dinner we played an eventful game of soccer with the locals and wrapped it up with ice cream for the walk home.
Sedona Dorst & Sawyer Johnston
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
Today we woke up on the island of San Cristóbal; with a buffet of assorted fruits, eggs, and cinnamon bread. After our early start we traveled to Loberia, a beautiful beach off the coast of the island. There, we snorkeled and saw some amazing marine life like sea turtles, stingrays, eels, and many other fish. After drying off, we enjoyed the beach by playing games and watching sea lions.
Traveling back to home base we enjoyed a great lunch of chicken and rice, with a potato and beets side. After lunch we had some free time before we headed to a local elementary school for our service work, decorating and painting a wall of the school with an ocean mural. Some highlights were Cole, Mady, and Knox’s kraken painting, Noah’s king fish painting, and Sophie and Gillian’s scuba diver painting.
We finished off the amazing day with dinner at home base. The chefs concocted spaghetti bolognese with a side of sweet plantain. And finally, we ended off the night with leadership activities. ¡Buenas Noches!
Written by Ava Hatcher and Zach Shuter
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
For today’s adventuring , we split into two groups. The first group went snorkeling and adventuring on an island in the morning while the other group stayed at home base and went into town to do some shopping and explore.
We stopped by several shops including a bakery and a local clothing store, where most everyone got matching “I love boobies” merchandise. Then, we ventured back to home base to prepare for the afternoon snorkeling session.
To get to the snorkeling site, we took a 30 minute boat ride to Isla Lobos, where we saw sea lions, frigate birds, and blue footed boobies. Along that trail, we were lucky to see a newly born sea lion. We then settled down at a nearby yellow sand beach where many sea lions had hauled up along the black volcanic rocks. After that, we returned to the town by boat and met up with the other group who had just finished exploring town. We ended the day with a wonderful dinner of beef stir fry, rice and fries. After dinner, we had a debate about non-native cats and dogs on the island, and how to deal with the threat they pose on endemic species.
Ciao!
Sophie and Gracie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Today we walked over to Tijeretas, a beautiful cove that is a popular snorkeling spot with rocky shores and clear waters, known for its rich marine life. During our time snorkeling, we saw many different animals, including sea lions, sea turtles, crabs, sting rays, and some students even saw an octopus. On our walk back from the cove, we briefly stopped at an outlook that showcased the stunning scenery. We were also given some history from the museum at the location from Carmen, one of our local guides.
After our excursion to the snorkeling destination, we listened to a talk given by one of our mentors, Rodrigo, about his experience with buying land and building his own house to save on living expenses. The story was meant to teach us that we don’t have to have a lot of money to be a home owner, and all you need is dedication and patience.
We then visited and learned about an organization that’s purpose is to recycle and reuse trash to turn it into art, run by the wonderful Kathy C. with the help of her son Alesandro. Kathy is a talented woman who has dedicated herself to help reduce trash pollution on the islands by turning otherwise unwanted items into amazing art. We used old scraps of jeans to make sea star shaped keychains that we get to keep and take home with us.
We had some free time and games before our last day on San Cristóbal tomorrow.
-Ari Bayiates & Ana Wood
BLOG POST FOR JULY 28
Today was awesome! We got to sleep until 8:00. For breakfast we had delicious pancakes and passionfruit juice. After that, we headed out for our last visit to La Playa Mann where we played Empires and hung out with the sea lions. We then headed back to home base where we munched on ceviche and plantain chips. After lunch, we got into mentor groups to discuss our goals and achievements for the trip. We then hung out for a bit before making empanadas from scratch in smaller groups. They were delicious! Once we finished eating, we got a salsa lesson from Ligia and had tons of fun. We finished the night off with a farewell dinner of pizza in town.
Lucy Watts, Milla Humphrey and Gillian Booker
BLOG POST FOR JULY 29-30
Our last days were busy! We got up and finished packing and then walked into town (Baquerizo Moreno) for some last views and shopping. Then we walked to the airport, landing briefly in Guayaquil on the way. When we got to Quito we had dinner and then some last activities together.
The next morning several of us flew out in the morning. The rest of the group went high into the mountains to some hot springs! Then we went to a local trout restaurant by the river, and then finally headed to the airport.
