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
Click here to jump down to the most recent post!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30 & JULY 1
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. 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, Patricia, Ligia, and Christy
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
Today was a travel day! Off to the Island of Santa Cruz from our Quito base in Tababela. We got up early and before we knew it we were on the small ferry crossing from the galapagos airport island of Baltra to Santa Cruz. We then had lunch, settled in, and went to explore town. Then we had a guided tour through the Charles Darwin Center, walked back to town for chow circle, dinner, and got to explore town by evening before mentor groups and bed. Tomorrow is our first work day at Primicias, the giant-tortoise preserve, so we tried to get to bed early.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Today we woke up at 6:30 am to get ready for our longest day of work. After about 35 mins we arrived at our work site and began scoping the scenery out. We removed invasive species brush and logs to clear an area for the tortoises. Lunch at the tortoise preserve restaurant was a very rewarding thing after working in the heat. We had pesto, pomodoro, chicken or local albacore tune.
Later we also had the option to try empanadas and fruit smoothies. All of it was very delicious and we all enjoyed it. After lunch we took a tour of the tortoise habitat and got to see them eating, chilling, and laying in the mud. Today was tiring but rewarding, and we completed service that will give us more snorkeling time on the next island. Tomorrow we are up very early to swim in the famous Las Grietas before breakfast.
Hannah Leinberg & Sapphire Yau
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Today we woke up at the break of dawn to visit Las Grietas, or “The Crack” before breakfast. Las grietas is a naturally formed fissure that is full of cool, crystal clear ocean water, and makes a good natural swimming pool. We had to wake up early in the morning due to our reserved time slot. After swimming we headed towards The Grotto Cafe, located near a pretty sizable salt pond. We grabbed empanadas and corviches, which are an interesting but delicious food made from ground yucca and peanut, and stuffed with fish and topped with carrot salsa.
After enjoying a good snack we finished the walk home and had a hearty breakfast. We then rested some, went into town, and then we left for Primicias to continue working with tortoises. Highlights of working included riding in wheelbarrows, playing baseball with sticks and lava rocks, and seeing just how much wood we could load into a single wheelbarrow. Finally, we headed home for a very American dinner of hotdogs. After eating a quick dinner and showering we then all walked into town to have sushi and fruit drinks while watching the Copa America game—Ecuador vs Argentina, which Ecuador sadly lost in the last seconds on the last penalty kick.
Lennon Francis & Jewelea Olsen
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Today we had a tour of Los Gemelos – two huge sinkholes – and then walked though lava tunnels. Afterwards we had lunch at the tortoise preserve and an afternoon of service work. After work we had the chance to visit a local food market in a different part of town where we could try different things like marocho, which is like horchata but made with white corn and served warm, and octopus empanadas, nutella and banana empanadas, and other things.
Later, after dinner we had mentor groups and then some of the group played basketball with the locals, and others played soccer.
Tomorrow is our last day of service at Primicias- we have gotten a lot done!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Today we woke up at around 6:30 on a very sunny day. We had breakfast then went straight to Tortuga Bay, a beautiful and sandy beach where we swam, played games and even saw a baby hammerhead shark. We split into two teams and competed to see who could pass a baton across the widest box without throwing it, stepping in the box or going around. After a couple of hours we headed back home and ate lunch before leaving to complete our last 4 hours of community service for the tortoises. Some ant bites but the end result was well worth it. After showering, packing our bags and having another delicious dinner we went to an ice cream store and did some shopping and went to bed excited for the trip tomorrow to San Cristóbal island!
Gamble Van Cleave
Oliver Abbett
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Today we took a two and a half hour boat ride from Santa Cruz to San Cristóbal. The group reached the port of Baquerizo Moreno around 11:00 in the morning. After we unloaded all the luggage, we headed to the laundromat and then the home base on the island. There was fish, rice, and vegetables for lunch. At 3:00, we arrived at Playa Mann, where we spent a few hours swimming and relaxing on the beach with sea lions. After getting back to home base, we ate dinner and did group activities focusing on leadership and teamwork.
Matthew Jamroz & Porter Hagerman
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Today, when we woke up we were greeted by a breakfast of watermelon, papaya, and eggs at our home base in San Cristóbal. Then we all packed our backpacks and left into town where some of the group made the decision to rent wet suits and other snorkeling gear. After that we took a bus to a natural park and walked along the coast to a beach where we snorkeled. We saw lots of marine life including sea turtles, sting rays, and other colorful schools of fish. On the surface we also saw many hermit crabs and sea lions including a very curious and vocal baby sea lion. After snorkeling we took our voyage back to home base and had some down time before we ate lunch. While we were anticipating our lunch, we managed to kill time by playing a group game of Uno flip. For lunch we enjoyed soup, rice, chicken, and vegetables. After eating lunch we mutually gathered at a local bakery where we all picked out baked goods.
After heading back to home base, we had some time to rest before we left to a recycling workshop where we each got the chance to create some unique jewelry out of recycled products. Toward the end of our jewelry making, some gathered at the local soccer field and started our own short game where we met a sweet, young, local boy who joined us. We then came back where we prepped for a debate of the foreign animals that were invading the Galapagos Islands before dinner. After we ate dinner, we had a very energetic debate where we divided in five groups representing different interests and we came to a common solution to ban the import of non-native animals and try out a TNR (trap, neuter, return) system for the non-native animals that are on the island. After we finished the debate, we were rewarded with lollipops. We then went to sleep anticipating what we had in store tomorrow.
Ivy Wells & Michael Bubeck
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Today we split into two groups for the day, with the first group getting up early and going to Isla Lobos and then time to explore the town in the afternoon and the second group the opposite.
Isla Lobos is an amazing national park where black volcanic rocks and white sandy paths are lined with blue-footed boobies, some doing their mating dance, some with eggs, and some with chicks. There are also frigate birds with big red throats and other birds and wildlife, and sea lions along the shore. After a tour of the island with our guide, we the took a little dingy back to our boat and snorkeled with sea lions swimming around us, and rays, turtles, and other fish, in the clear deep channel between Lobos and Santa Cruz. Everyone also got to do things they wanted in town like try the fresh ceviche or shop for souvenirs.
Then in the evening we all walked across town to a soccer stadium and challenged a local team to a game, was fun! They won because they were a team with lots of practice together, but we had a great time playing and cheering for our side!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Today we had a beautiful walk to a national park area to snorkel in our favorite place yet! On the way we went through the San Cristóbal Interpretation Center, a kind of partly outdoor museum on the history and nature of the Galápagos along the trail. Very interesting. Then we headed along a volcanic stone path to Tijeretas- a kind of rocky bay perfect for snorkeling. We had a hot sunny day great for visibility in the water and warming on the nice deck after we got out. We saw octopus and marine iguana and swam with sea lions and turtles and lots of fish.
After lunch we headed to a local school (pre-k) and painted some colorful scenes on the walls, getting to use our creative side. After a long day we got ready for bed by relaxing with a movie all together on the top of our hotel.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 11
Today is our last day in the islands! So we started with a relaxing morning on Playa Mann with the sea lions. Then after lunch we had a discussion about what we have seen and experienced and how we think it might challenge and inspire us. Then a fun afternoon of making empanadas, salsa dancing, and getting ready for our farewell dinner. In the evening we walked through town and enjoyed a nice evening out with pizza and an ice cream place. We then strolled along the shore at night back to homebase to get ready for our flight in the morning to Quito.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 12
Yesterday we had our flight from San Cristóbal to Quito. In the morning we stoped by a bakery and spent some time in town and then just walked to the airport! We arrived in Quito and had a nice dinner of lasagna together and watched the twinkling lights of hilly Quito from the rooftop. The next day we had fun swimming, sliding on a water slide, and warming up in the hot tub. Then the final packing and off to the airport.
