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 updates 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 late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- 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 JUNE 13
Dear GLA Galápagos: Preserving Nature’s Wonders Families,
We are so glad most of the students have arrived, and we and the students are eagerly awaiting the last 3 arrivals, Claire, Adrian, and Katie tonight (flight delays). 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 Galapagos 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 three 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. Your children are in great hands. 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, Hakan, and Ligia
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 14 & 15
Hey everyone!
We are very happy Catherine and Adrian finally got here after their flight delays- just in time to join us for the flight to the Galápagos! They are settling in with the group and we all have a big day tomorrow exploring our island and starting service work.
Yesterday we visited the equator and got to know each other on our first full day in Ecuador. During our visit to La Mitad del Mundo (middle of the world) we learned about the various Ecuadorian indigenous cultures and bonded over our shared struggle to balance an egg on a nail. We also brightened every drive with energetic conversations and lots of music. We even culminated the evening with a lively two truths and a lie game with lots of stories.
Now for today, we gathered for breakfast and spent the morning playing games including, football, soccer, and volleyball. We enjoyed a quick lunch and a teary eyed goodbye to our favorite home base cat, Mitchi. Prior to boarding the plane to the Galápagos we met Adrian and Catherine, the final two on our journey and our group was complete.
After landing in the Galápagos on Baltra Island we were greeted by iguanas and it felt as though our trip had finally commenced. The real turning point was the beautiful cliff lined channel between islands with blue footed boobies overhead and a reef shark in the clear water as we boarded the boat between islands. As if it was an entirely different world all eyes were glued to the bus windows as we watched the sunset on the journey to our next home base. We watched the arid terrain filled with palo santo trees turn to the lush green forest and then drove into a foggy mountain cloud as seen below.
Many times groups of entire strangers can take days to mesh and appear as one group of friends; however, this particular group was friends from the beginning. Even other travelers on the plane assumed that we all went to school together. Each day so far has been filled with laughter, smiles and tiny moments of joy that make each day worth living. Especially as we venture into many days of tough service we have no doubt our group will continue to work hard while never taking ourselves too seriously. Throughout bonding with each other we have also connected with the locals at both home bases most of the time in broken Spanish but never failing to try.
With love,
Emma Grasso and Jennifer Ramos
P.S. Especially to my parents who may encounter an animal in their bed when I get home. Love you the most! – Emma
And to my mom and dad, I cannot promise that Katie, Snowflake will not have a new Galapagos Tortoise as an addition to the household. (I think Katie and the Tortoise would get along.) – Jennifer
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16
Today we started our day by waking up at 5:30. Our chefs cooked us a wonderful food which consisted of Ecudaoran yucca with cheese and onion, eggs, cheese, juice, and fruit. After our delicious breakfast we headed off early to the Charles Darwin center to learn more about evolution and the wildlife here on the island. There our guide Fernando showed us around and did a wonderful job sprinkling in his own humor. As he was walking us through his partner Carmen explained to us the importance of adaptation and how it can apply to everyday life.
After a fun trip at the Darwin center we headed on the bus and drove to preserve the wildlife for the Galápagos Tortoise.
We soon got to the work site and saw all the work needed. Chase and Josh spilt up the group into three teams. Chase’s team was collecting rocks and putting them into piles Josh’s team was bringing logs to the pile in the woods the third team was bringing sticks to the pile in the back. After two hours of hard work we headed off lunch. While some got a tasty pesto or bolognese the majority ordered either chicken or local albacore tuna. As dessert menus were handed out smug grins filled the table as there were a variety of interesting and exotic milkshakes and smoothies to try. As lunch finished up the group headed back to the worksite with a new sense of energy. As the day continued we started to finish up ending in a chow circle, where Josh and Chase faced off in a dance battle. After a hard fought battle from both sides Josh prevailed showing off to be the better dancer. After we took the bus home, we ended off the night going into town and trying out the local ice cream, then going to the docks at night and seeing sea lions on the docks and fish swimming through the lighted water.
Josh Brown & Chase Green
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17
Today we woke up before 5:45 to get ready to visit Las Grietas, which is a beautiful pocket of water in a space between two cliffs. We took a 1 mile trail to and from Las Grietas which was definitely worth it. While walking the trail we found a little outdoor place with hammocks, smoothies and table tennis and enjoyed while we dried off and relaxed. When we got back, we had breakfast, which consisted of fruits, eggs, a corn tortilla dish, and some juice. Afterwards, we played soccer at the local park and explored the town. Many of us bought great souvenirs. After some shopping, the group returned to home base for lunch. It was soup, pork chop, baked potatoes, and rice. We left for the Primicias site on our bus to get to work helping the tortoises by moving logs and sticks. We wore gloves and protective boots, as well as sunscreen and bug spray to keep bugs away. We worked in the afternoon getting water breaks and snack breaks around every thirty minutes.
After we finished working, we took the bus to the center of the city. We stopped at a local street food area to get empanadas before dinner. Some people got multiple, while some people split with others as to not get too full before dinner. We looked around the area and enjoyed a place full of locals and families while waiting for others to finish their snacks. At around 6:45 PM, we walked back to home base. At around 7 PM, we had dinner which was chicken, rice and a pasta and veggies salad. We did a quick chow circle, picking the new leaders of the day and giving our daily shoutouts and announcements. We then wrote in our journals about the first days at GLA to reflect on how the trip is going and think about what we want to get out of it. After that, we had some time together to play a few games, get ready for bed and the next day.
-Kenna Schwartz & Taishi Nishimura
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18
We started our day with a breakfast fruit, two delicious cheese empanadas and fresh guava juice. We then left the home base to explore the lava tunnels and see huge Los Gemelos sinkholes, visiting a local bakery on the way. The sinkholes were so big there was even a rainbow in one of them.
Following seeing the spectacular natural sights, we headed to Las Primicias to further investigate the giant tortoises that can be spotted all around us during our service work. We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Las Primicias cafe, talking over plates of either pesto pasta, pomodoro pasta, tuna steak, or chicken, plus milkshakes and juices as wanted.
Once we were back up and energized, we walked down to the service site and continued our hard work lugging sticks and logs to clear a path for the giant tortoises. We regained our breath as we played fun group games and had our nightly Chow Circle check-in in a field of giant tortoises by the restaurant. Finally, we rode the bus back to home base, where we enjoyed steak or soy patties, rice, and beans for dinner. We finished up with mentor groups, the schedule presentation by the leaders of the day and some free time getting ready for bed. Tomorrow we are off to Tortuga Bay, the nearby national park to see the wildlife and swim at the beach for the morning.
By Owen Power and Noa Tsur
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19
Today we woke up and took a nice long walk to Tortuga Bay national park. it was a 2 1/2 mile walk to the beach. we spent the time in a beautiful smooth bay with animals including some black tip reef sharks and lots of fish. Due to some rain we eventually decided to go into Puerto Ayora and stopped for ice cream and crepes and then visited a book store for some gifts.
After some warm showers and lunch we headed to our last day of service at Rancho Primicias. The light misty rain was nice and cooling as we dug with metal bars and pickaxes to plant native trees that will provide shade to the tortoises. We also have to protect them by digging up big volcanic rocks and putting them around each seedling so the giant tortoises don’t run over them. As our services have come to an end on this island so did our rewards of empanadas and milkshakes. We said a teary eyed goodbye to or tortoise friends and the nice people we worked with at Primicias and took the bus back to home base. We had dinner and packed for our upcoming travel day tomorrow. Off by boat to the next island!
-Izzy Rapp & Claire Benckenstein
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20
We started our day with an exciting adventure to our next island, San Cristobal. This excursion consisted of a two hour boat ride in the open ocean. We saw the beautiful blue waters and spectacular views of the islands. Once we got to San Cristobal, we headed over to our hostel and ate lunch which consisted of grilled albacore tuna or chicken.
Once we finished with lunch, we packed up our things and headed over to a gorgeous beach filled with sea lions.
We spent the afternoon swimming and snorkeling, taking in the beautiful sites of the waters. The sea lions were scattered all over the beach, and we got to observe and watch them play and bark at each other. At one point a sea lion came up to explore our towels and stuff! We also enjoyed some really good piña coladas (don’t worry- pineapple with coconut only!), and snacks while at the beach it was super relaxing and amazing.
Once we were done at the beach, we headed over to a shop to rent snorkel gear for activities the following day. Right next door there was a sweet shack so we got a quick little snack. After this, we went back to our hostel and enjoyed a delicious dinner of chicken and rice and potatoes.
Once we were finished with dinner, we broke into groups and talked about leadership and presented our ideas. Then the leaders of the day organized a dance off. The leaders of the day split us up into teams and then we got to choreograph a dance and perform it for everyone. It was super fun to watch all the dances and get to perform.
This day was incredibly fun and we got to do incredibly cool things. There were definitely a lot of ups and downs like a few of us getting seasick, but also seeing hundreds of sea lions and overall it was really fun and amazing. We are so excited to see what the rest of the trip has in store for us.
Erinne McGinnity Schneider & Malia Preston
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 21
Today, we started off the day by eating a breakfast of empanadas at about 8:00. Afterwards, we took a short bus ride followed by a short hike to a local beach called La Lobería. Here we had the privilege of snorkeling. There was lots of native wildlife around, mainly turtles and endemic species of fish, and a ray.
We also go to swim with sea lions who frequently inhabit the beach! Then after snorkeling for a little while, we played duck duck goose, played in the sand and went back to home base. Here we had a lunch of fried chicken and mashed potatoes with salad and passion fruit juice and fruit pudding for dessert. Finally, after some rest, we went to do service at a local school. Unfortunately, the schools in Galapagos are very underfunded, so we assisted them by starting to paint a mural on a wall. This was a mural of ocean animals along with coral and seaweeds decorations. When we finished, we cleaned up and went back to home base where we had chow circle and ate pasta for dinner.
Then, after that, a group of us went out to celebrate the Incan Midsummer festival, Inti Raymi. We walked around town and did some shopping at local stores and pop-up markets. We got ice cream before heading to the town center to enjoy some live music. We all danced and had a very fun time enjoying this cultural celebration. This celebration was used by mountain Inca people to commemorate the summer solstice and the middle of summer!
Catherine Blair & Gia Mullin
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 22
Hi everyone!!
Today was another great day on the island where we had the chance to hike, snorkel, and swim! We were split up into two groups today in order to have enough room on the boat. Both groups did the same activities just at different times of the day.
The activities included a short boat ride over to Isla Lobos. We were also lucky enough to see tons of dolphins swimming and jumping around!!
When we arrived at the Island, we hiked along the trail and got to experience the beauty of the island through seeing the wonderful birds of the island such as the blue footed boobie birds and their chicks, sea lions, and frigate birds. We got back on the boat and we got ready to snorkel. While snorkeling we swam with sea lions, sand dollars, sea urchins, turtles, stingrays, and all other sorts of marine animals. After snorkeling, we enjoyed some fresh fruit and juice on the boat. Our last stop was to the local beach where we saw many sea lions basking in the sun and had a chance to play in the ocean, look at shells, and explore the beach.
Each group had some down time while the other group was at the activities. During this down time, we played soccer and danced with local people. We also enjoyed going through the town and going on a shopping spree.
For dinner tonight we got hotdogs and fries. Finally we took a walk into town where we listened to live music and ate ice cream!
Another day in the Galapágos down and it did not disappoint! Wait until tomorrow when we participate in our last service activity!!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23
We started our morning with a delicious breakfast consisting of cheese empanadas, bananas, and eggs and fresh juice. We then took a short walk to the Centro de Interpretación de San Cristóbal. We learned about the currents of the oceans surrounding the Galápagos Islands, as well as its history and colonization. After the museum we walked a long pretty path through lava rocks and cacti to Tijeretas Beach and went snorkeling. We encountered sea lions, marine iguanas, and sea turtles. Since we were in the water we don’t have photos but we will try to put some from a waterproof camera on a later post.
We then went to drop off our rented snorkeling equipment and stopped for ice cream along the way. For lunch we had delectable butternut squash soup and fish fingers with a side of rice and lentils. We played a game called Helium Pole to exercise our leadership skills and teamwork capabilities. After that we went to the Blue Kraft workshop to make painted cups out of recycled glass bottles. We had chow circle right after to discuss the group debate for our leadership activity. We separated into 5 groups with different numbers of people. Each group represented different interests about protecting the wildlife in the Galápagos. Then we had a burger for dinner. Afterwards we had a debate about the invasive feral cats on the Galápagos Islands where each group had a role to play.
Kenna Schwartz & Owen Power
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25 & 26
After the debate we woke the next day and after breakfast did a salsa class. After a lot of dancing we then made our own empanadas – with either local mozzarella or with bananas and Nutella. They came out really good! We made a lot so spent a lot of time cooking them all. Later we had lunch and then went through town along the water to Playa Man, to spend a last afternoon with the sea lions, swimming and playing games on the beach. Watching the behavior of the sea lion is really interesting, they are really funny with each other. Four baby ones played around some of us a lot.
We also had to get ready to fly back to Quito the next day. Before flying we spent some time in town and then walked to the small airport on San Cristoóbal, and then flew to Quito and got checked into a really cool hotel in the countryside near the airport.
We had a nice dinner, a reflective appreciation circle and group discussion, and had our last night together to play some games and talk. The next morning some started leaving for the airport, but eight students had late flights so we all went to some hot springs high in the Andes for the evening, then dinner in the mountains by a mountain lake and then off to the airport.
