TIME CAPSULE LETTER
Written by Sophie Auvin
Hello students,
It’s hard to believe that our session in Ecuador has already come to an end. The past two weeks flew by as we explored the Galápagos Islands, learning more about the unique challenges of life on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal and exploring the islands’ natural wonders. Whether it was digging the tortoise habitats in Santa Cruz or working at the local primary school in San Cristóbal, we all worked together to make lifelong memories and a lasting impact on our host community. Even as you settle into a new school year (and maybe even a new school or college), we want to remind you of the impact we made this summer. All the Galápagos staff are still thinking of you and cheering you on as you embark on new journeys.
Our service work started in Santa Cruz, the most populated island in the Galápagos, on a private tortoise habitat in the island’s highlands. While the work was physically demanding, you all pushed through the heat, rain, and ants to get rid of invasive plant species and make an inviting habitat for the tortoises. We were lucky to see the fruits of these efforts when a tortoise set up shop in our service sight on our second to last day of service. After moving to San Cristóbal, we shifted gears and worked on restoring a local primary school. As we painted the basketball court, we were able to interact with the students and learn some common physical education games for elementary schoolers. Your hard work left our host communities better than when we arrived. Just as you learned from our local guides, Fernando and Carmen, and our host communities, our host communities benefited from your work and knowledge. This is the power of reciprocal and responsible exchange! Throughout our program, you embodied GLA’s values of personal growth, respect, cooperation, and compassion. Hopefully, you have continued to practice these values in your home communities.
Beyond our service, we spent time getting to know each other and the beauty of the Galápagos through excursions to various sites in Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal. One of my personal favorites and one of yours was our trip to Las Islas Lobos where we saw Blue Footed Boobies, sea lions, and one of the most awe-inspiring beaches. It honestly didn’t seem real as we snorkeled alongside sea lions in crystal blue water. We also learned more about Ecuadorian culture through our salsa class in Quito where we practiced our dance moves on our last day together.
We shared so many great memories as we learned more about Ecuador and the Galápagos. Whether it was listening to you sing your hearts out to Taylor Swift during karaoke, seeing you practice your Spanish with our host communities, or watching you play soccer against the local team in San Cristóbal, it was always exciting with you on the program. However, for me and the rest of the staff, the most rewarding part of the program was seeing you all grow as individuals and as leaders.
Before you left for home, we made our OMG—One Meaningful Goal—to be more independent. You all took huge steps forward to becoming more independent on program. We would love to know how it’s going! What changes have you made in your life at home to continue working towards this goal? Have you accomplished what you listed in the exit surveys?
Please share your personal goals and what steps you are taking with GLA! Even though our program has ended, we are all invested in your growth as leaders and want to know how you are bringing what you learned on program to your home communities.
Thank you for all of your work and growth during program! It would not have been the same without each one of you. Keep working towards your OMG!
Cheers,
Sophie Auvin
Program Mentor
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
Cell Phone Policy: The GLA cell phone policy is currently in place this summer to help foster meaningful connections between students. This means your student’s phone will be collected every day and returned to them after activities are completed to have with them through the night. Actual tech times and regularity will vary greatly by program location and time zones. During designated ‘tech time’, your student may use their phones as they wish. Please note that your student may not always choose to use this time to get a hold of their parents. If you are not hearing directly from your student each day, you can assume that no news is good news! We strongly recommend you follow the blog to follow your students’ experience without talking to them every day. If you are a parent and would like to get in touch with your student directly, you can call us at +1-619-758-3031 and we can set up a formal time for you to connect with your student.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent posts!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 12
Hola!
This is your crew from Galapagos Preserving Nature’s wonders! And we are excited to start session A1 of summer 2023!
Today is arrival day, everything is ready for our students to arrive and start experiencing Ecuador. We have quiet a bit of late arrivals so we will send an update with a group photo tomorrow. This morning we picked up our first 4 students from the Quito airport and they had opportunity to hang out and rest after a long journey to the middle of the world! We played cards, had local food and played heads up. In the evening we picked up another group of 5 students. Later tonight we will be picking up 8 more students and we will make our way to home base late at night, stay tuned for updates tomorrow!
All of the students shared that a long day/night of traveling tired them, but they are all super enthusiastic and looking forward to the adventure and service days to come!
We can’t wait for the week of service learning , lifelong memories, and deep friendships that await.
We hope that you will enjoy using this blog as a way to experience this journey with us!
From the excited Galapagos team,
Mag (International director)
Hakan(Local director)
Matt (Mentor)
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13
Written by Claire & Jacobo
Buenas noches desde Quito, Ecuador!
Everyone arrived to Home Base late at night so the unification of the GLA group was completed in the morning. Breakfast this morning was cooked by the locals, and it was absolutely amazing. Breakfast was then followed by an entertaining introduction/orientation by our leaders Mag, Matt and Hakan. Amusement filled the air as we played icebreakers, met the whole crew and had a blast.
After orientation, we made a voyage to the heart of Quito (Center of the World), where we were treated to a wonderful lunch, which consisted of chicken, rice and chorizo wrapped in a plantain leaf. We then made our way to the equator where we were taught about Ecuadorian indigenous culture and interesting facts about the Equator. We also got to do a lot of fun experiments such as trying to balance an egg, attempting to walk in a straight line on the Equator line gand seeing a real-life demonstration of the Coriolis Effect.
At night, we traveled back to Home Base and feasted upon local Ecuadorian dishes, including fried fish and baked chicken served with a side of vegetable salad, rice, and homemade fries. Finally, to end the night, we are discussing our travel plans to the Galapagos tomorrow, along with packing and getting a restful night’s sleep.
See you tomorrow in the Galapagos!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14
Written by: Frankie Tatiana
Bienvenidos a Los Galápagos!
This morning the group woke up bright and early at 4:30am. We had our last breakfast in Quito and headed for the airport to fly to the Galapagos. We took a plane ride and after a pitstop and hour delay, we arrived at the first ecological airport (the airport is within an ecological zone that is protected by the government and is carbon neutral). Shortly after landing we were surrounded by the lushous land of the Galapagos and found a land iguana.
We then had a short bus and ferry ride from the first island to Santa Cruz. We had a 45min bus ride to Puerto Ayora, where home base is. Here we got settled and had a lunch consisting of chicken and rice. After lunch, the group then contributed to the community agreement.
The group then went to the Charles Darwin Breeding Center where we could learn about the turtles and their different stages of life. There, we also saw the last giant tortoise of his kind: George the lonesome turtle. Fun fact: sex of the turtles is based on the temperature the eggs are incubated in. Females incubate at a higher heat (29.5 C) and males at a lower heat (28 C). The group concluded the tour by having some refreshing ice cream to combat the newfound humidity of the island.
After the Breeding Center, the group went on an hour-long walk, exploring what downtown had to offer. There was a marching band and parade. They threw candy out and played festive music on the streets. We stopped for gelato and crepes during this time and got to bond more with everyone. We came back to the hostel and reflected on the day. We concluded our day with dinner which was fish served with a salad, rice, and plantains.
Buenas Noches!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 15
Written by Willa H. & Jacob G.
Starting our Service!
We started the day with breakfast at 7am and then got our work clothes on to combat the difficulties we would face in Las Primicias (a Galapagos turtle habitat), our place of service work for the week. We hopped on the bus for a 30 minute ride to Las Primicias and even saw some tortoises as we arrived. We put on boots and then were introduced to the work that we would be doing today.
We were instructed to pull out introduced (and harmful) plants that grew around native species planted by previous groups. We also had to remove the rocks placed by said groups to protect the plants from tortoises so that we could reach the weeds and remove them. After the weeding, we progressed onto chopping and removing branches and logs from introduced trees to designated spots for future decomposition
We stopped for lunch and had our choice of pasta with pesto or pomodoro sauce, chicken, or fish. Some people also had the opportunity to buy a shake or smoothie with their meal. After lunch break, we continued service by moving more branches into piles. We then set up a chain of command to speed up the process.
After we finished around 4:30pm, we waited for our bus to come pick us up and even had time to visit the local gift shop. Back at home base, everyone showered after a long day’s work and met up for daily reflection. After handing out shoutouts, we ate dinner with the group consisting of beef, rice, lentils, and plantains. We ended the night with a group activity and finally went to bed after a long day of work.
Buenas noches!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16
Written by James S. & Bella A.
Hey guys!
Today was definitely one of the more fun days that we have had so far. It started off amazing with an exquisite breakfast (as per usual), and it just got better from there. The highlight of our day today was most definitely going to Las Grietas, which was a beautiful crack in the volcanic rock. With the deep blue, icy, brackish water in the middle with lava cliffs on the sides, we swam, dove down into the water, saw a bunch of parrot fish and hung out with our peers. We were joined by our most beloved GLA photographer Matt, who took pictures of us as we jumped from the pier. It was so much fun!
On our walk back from Las Grietas, we were entranced by the beautiful wildlife of Puerto Ayora, which included the adorable sea lions bathing in sunlight. We then had an amazing time shopping in the downtown area of Puerto Ayora, where some of us ate nachos and bought handmade souvenirs.
Back at the hostel, we had lunch before our rigorous service ahead. At service, we set up our tools at a different location in Las Primicias so that we could clear the overgrown, invasive weeds taking over the small pond. This was important because we needed to rebuild the area to promote endemic species, including tortoises. Tasks included wading through the murky waters or the pond, ripping out the weeds from the roots to prevent further destruction. In addition to this, we cleared through introduced shrubbery/trees that were not native to Santa Cruz Island. Although it was gruesome work, it was fulfilling to know that our work was creating positive change right in front of our eyes.
We traveled back to our hostel tired, dirty, but in high spirits. We came home and feasted on the delicious dinner provided for us, which consisted of creamy pasta, juicy chicken and ice cold papaya juice, which was refreshing after a hard day’s work.
We ended the night on a high note, reflecting on our day (roses, buds and thorns). Everyone had something to be thankful for during our shoutouts. For tonight’s leadership activity, we had an engaging and thoughtful debate on the effects of feral animals (such as dogs and cats) in protected nature areas. It was extremely invigorating to hear the thoughts and opinions of our fellow friends, and was a perfect way to end the night. Finally, we passed on the torch to the next “Leaders of the Day”, who we know will have great success in their future endeavors.
We hope you had a fabulous time reading this blog post. Thank you.
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17
Written by Mila and Natalie
Good evening!
This morning we got to wake up a little later than usual, and started our day with a hearty breakfast! After breakfast we got ready to go to Bella Vista, and got some goods at the bakery. After the delicious pastries we made our way to Los Gemelos. They are called the twins (in Spanish) because they are two sinkholes that are next to each other. After the sinkholes, we embarked on our mission to the worksite with a quick pit stop to the lava tunnels.
Shout out to our amazing guide Wilson for educating us on the intriguing history behind the lava tunnels. After we left the lava tunnels we had a fascinating tour led by our guide Mauricio, we learned about tortoises and a lot of new info we hadn’t known before. Learning about the tortoises is important because it gives meaning to our service by reminding us why we are doing the work we do. After that we had a scrumptious lunch at the work site, and finally began our work for the day.
We worked in the same spot as yesterday, clearing more trees and mucking out the pond. Our hard work paid off, because we managed to finish a lot of work these past few days. We felt very accomplished after a long day of work. After we finished our work day we headed back to home base. Post-reflection on our day, we enjoyed tender beef with french fries and rice. For our evening activity we went to town for ice cream and saw the beautiful harbor at night time.
Hasta Mañana!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18
Written by Karissa and Kyan
We started the last day of service at Rancho Primicias pulling invasive tree stumps to promote the regrowth of endemic plants. We also shoveled mud into the pond in order to keep the pond water from filtering into the ground. We are all proud of our effort over the last few days. To sum up, our service work comprised of clearing weeds that were preventing native plant growth, cutting down invasive trees, and clearing another site for future GLA groups. We ended the work day with delicious smoothies and empanadas. As we headed back to Home Base, we were lucky enough to see tortoises mating, a rare sight.
After that, we ate lunch and headed back out to hike 3.7 km through an Opuntia cactus forest to the beautiful Tortuga Bay to hang out and play games. We were delighted to find huge marine iguanas sunbathing on the beach and a sea turtle swimming among the mangroves. Everyone found ways to relax; some played Frisbee, while others read or played in the water. We ended the day walking into town to explore a bit or have a bite to eat. All in all, today was a nice way to end our time in Santa Cruz island. Tomorrow, we will be journeying to our next island, San Cristobal.
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19
Written by Jamie and Edward
Welcome to San Cristobal!
We started our journey with a delicious pancake breakfast. We then packed up, expressed our farewells to the caring hostel family, and embarked on a new adventure. We started our journey by heading to the harbor to board a boat to the new Island. After a harrowing two and a half hours, we finally reached our destination.
We were greeted by San Cristobal’s friendly sea lions at our dock and met our new guide for the rest of our trip. Upon our arrival, we dropped our dirty laundry off for cleaning and headed to our new homebase. We prepared for the beach and headed for a local restaurant in town. After our filling meal, we departed for the beach for a relaxing and fun time. Everyone was overjoyed and could not contain their excitement. We were able to see a lot of San Cristobal’s sea lions at the beach and had a thrilling experience alongside the sea lions. Our day was relaxing and comforting compared to our previous days and everyone enjoyed themselves.
Our evening started with a plentiful dinner filled with noodles and laughter. After dinner we walked to a local store to refill our supply of local snacks. Our day ended with us returning to home base with a relaxed mind and body. Overall it was a peaceful and restful day.
Hasta la vista!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20
Written by Bella G and Celia
Buenas noches from San Cristobal!
Today started off with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit accompanied by papaya juice (and a cute ginger cat!!). We then decided to extend our morning by thirty minutes, allowing us more time for snorkeling later. Once ready, we walked to the information center where Wilson taught us about the origin of the Galapagos and the animals inhabiting it. After that, we continued walking to Las Tijiretas to snorkel. There, we were greeted by many sea lions and crabs. The snorkeling was amazing and the sea lions were just like little puppies always wanting attention and swimming with us. There were many fish and it was a beautiful experience overall. We were surprised to see sea urchins and we even caught sight of one of the marine iguanas.
After snorkeling we walked to lunch where we had an amazing cauliflower soup with popcorn and fish. We then walked back to the hotel to shower, change, and get ready for community service with Katty from Blue Kraft. Blue Kraft is a small organization set on transforming trash (such as single-use plastics) into artwork and jewelry to both save the environment, and promote recycling. We ended up creating stuffed hammerhead shark keychains with recycled fabric (sewing is harder than it sounds).
To end the night we reflected on the day’s activities at the harbor while the sun was setting before heading to dinner. Dinner was rice and chicken. We had some needed free time and planned out a movie night. We are very excited for our last day of service tomorrow painting at a school!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21
Written by Laya M.
Hola!
Today was our second and last day of service in San Cristobal! We started the day off with breakfast at 8:00 AM (we got to sleep in a little bit more than usual!). Our breakfast consisted of cheese empanadas and some OJ. We then got packed up and ready to go snorkeling at La Loberia, where we saw sea turtles and a little fight between alpha male sea lions. Everyone crowded around the sea turtles as they swam along and got carried away by the current. After, we left and headed back to homebase where we then showered and got ready for lunch and service.
For lunch, we had a shrimp omelet accompanied with some rice. Some people ordered frozen juices, which they all enjoyed and wanted seconds of!! Straight after lunch, we walked to a nearby school and started off by sandpapering the concrete of the school’s basketball court to get it prepared for a new colorful paint job. We wanted to revitalize the basketball court in order to give back to the community of current and future students that go to the school! Everyone enjoyed painting the basketball court and we almost got half of it done. But unfortunately, we ran out of the color green and had to stop service early :(. Afterwards, we stopped by a nearby store and got some snacks! While some went back to homebase to relax and rest, others walked to a nearby soccer field and played soccer against the locals!
To end off the day we all met at dinner and had some spaghetti bolognese and juice. After dinner, some people walked to go see the sea lions while others went back to homebase to rinse off and get to bed early to prepare for an exciting day tomorrow!!
See ya later alligators!!!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22
Written by Jamie
Our final visit to our funny little friends:
On our last day in San Cristobal, we embarked on our final journey to the coast of the island, paying a visit to our funny little friends, the sea lions and the blue footed boobies. We embarked on a boat that brought us to their home island, Isla Lobos, where we landed and marched in search of wildlife. We ventured with admiration through their natural habitat, and with the help of our beloved guides, our curiosity was quickly answered with their insightful facts and stories of these beautiful animals. After our visit on land, we prepared ourselves for a visit in the sea. We were greeted with many different fishes and corals. We were also able to see a few starfish and a sea turtle that seemed interested in us.
Back at the hostel, we had free time to prepare our bags for our departure from San Cristobal. We were also able to spend a relaxing time at the hostel and, thanks to our favorite mentors, we were able to venture into the city for dinner. To end the night, with our stomachs full and our smiles reaching our ears, we had a fun and reflective activity creating a group skit conveying our one meaningful goal (OMG!) that we would like to fulfill after our time here in Ecuador. We had a lot of fun doing so, laughing and smiling together as our final night in San Cristobal came to an end.
Goodnight for the last time, San Cristobal!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23
Written by Bella A. and James S.
Buenas noches from Quito, Ecuador!
This morning, we awoke at 7:45am to eat a magnificent breakfast consisting of a gourmet grilled cheese with delectable ham. From there, we parted ways and traveled into downtown San Cristobal, where we went souvenir shopping and scurried about town. We bought the birthday girl, Celia, a few gifts and wrote her a heartfelt, handmade card. In the process, we also made our wonderful tour guides, Wilson and Angie, thank you cards that each member of the group signed.
Once we finished shopping, we strolled to the San Cristobal airport where we parted with Wilson and Angie, along with our amazing GLA photographer Matthew, in an emotional farewell. After some of our group got snacks at the airport, we were ready to board our flight to Quito. Following our arduous plane ride, we traveled by bus to our glorious hotel.
After settling ourselves in our rooms, we enjoyed a delicious dinner composed of juicy marinated chicken and simmering rice. Once we finished our dinner, we celebrated Celia’s birthday with a fantastic cake as we sang Happy Birthday. We also gave Celia her gifts and her card! Finally, after a tumultuous day of traveling, we went to our rooms to rest for our final day in Quito ahead.
Happy Birthday Celia!!!