Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
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.
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 JULY 17
Our GLA students have all successfully touched down in Quito! With spinach and queso empanadas in hand and a full day of orientation and a city tour to look forward tomorrow, we are jumping right into our Ecuador adventures.
-Taylor (GLA Staff)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18
Today we woke up to a Ecuadorian breakfast made by our wonderful hotel chefs. After eating, we played team building games to get to know our peers. We then traveled to a near by supermarket named Supermaxi! After stocking up on snacks for our journey ahead, we ate legume soup with POPCORN! It was delicious. Then rode the bus to the Virgin of El Panecillo, a statue that overlooks all of Quito. We then walked down the cobblestone streets of Quito and entered historical chapels, their walls lined in pure gold. Finally, for the highlight of the day, we learned about the production of chocolate from artisanal Ecuadorian chocolatiers. Que chevere (how cool)!! Now we’re heading back to base camp for dinner to finish off a great first day.
-by Cate
BLOG POST FOR JULY 19
Written by Rachel
Today we woke up bright and early at 5:40 AM to travel to San Cristobal in the Galápagos Islands! The plane trip went by very quickly and was super smooth, and pretty soon we were landing on the island and getting a glimpse of our home for the next few days. After getting through immigration, we quickly arrived at the hotel, settled in, and enjoyed a delicious lunch of chicken and rice at the local restaurant nearby!
Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel and got ready to walk to the beach! Along the way, and after meeting our wonderful guide Wilson, we got our first glimpses of the sea lions, crabs, iguanas, and birds( including herons and blue footed boobies!), which was so exciting and certainly was a highlight of the day! We then enjoyed a wonderful time of swimming in the ocean and playing games on the beach. Then, we arrived back at the hotel, showered, and had a lovely dinner of pasta as a nice and delicious way to end the night( and followed by a little ping pong!) Tomorrow we get to snorkel! Everyone is super excited and cannot wait to explore this island further!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Written by Alex
Today we woke up for breakfast at 830. We then embarked on a long walk filled with many wrong turns. We finally reached our first snorkel spot and the wildlife was breathtaking. The interested sea lions or sea wolfs as the locals call them were excited for company. The sea turtles were also present every way we looked. It was truly an amazing experience and everyone can’t wait to get back in the water tomorrow! After lunch, the group had a lesson on cleaning up trash, keeping the island clean, and repurposing trash. Finally, we finished the day with a soccer game with some of the locals. A great end to an exciting day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Written by Ana Sophia
Today we had breakfast at 8:30. We filled ourselves with delicious fruits and for the coffee drinkers, delicious Ecuadorian coffee. We then went to a new location for snorkeling. This one was at a beach. We saw sea lions lounging and nursing. We got to even take some selfies with them and play games on the beach surrounded by the baby sea lions. When we went into the water we saw turtles, a rainbow fish, and fish with yellow lips that stared us down. Once we got out of the water we played a fun game on the sand. In addition to snorkeling, we did a beach clean up inspired by yesterday’s talk from a local on the importance of reusing and recycling. Later on, after some down time, we played more soccer with locals. We also got home made ice cream from a local business! We ended the day with a pizza dinner and swam in the pool at the restaurant. It was another really fun and full day.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21 (PART TWO)
Boat trip!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
Today we started the day with a very good breakfast. Then we went to Isla Lobos where we hiked around and looked at the birds like the blue footed boobies and lots of sea lions. After that we went to a beach nearby the island and we jumped from the top of the boat and then we swam to the sand and looked at the baby sea lions that were playing by the shore. We went back to San Cristobal, had dinner and then we did some really fun karaoke.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 23
Today was our final day in San Cristobal. We started off with a yummy breakfast full of eggs, toast, and fruit. After breakfast, we boarded our boat for our ride to Santa Cruz Island! After a 2 hour, somewhat bumpy ride (which left a couple of us soaked) we made it to our next Island! After settling into our new hotel and rooms, we sat down to lunch and rested after the long boat ride.
We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening exploring el malecón (the Main Street of the island). Many of us went shopping for souvenirs, discovering new restaurants and talking with friendly locals. We can’t wait to walk el malecón again and explore more, especially our friend at the art gallery, Sarah Darling.
After coming back to the hotel to a yummy dinner, we all got comfy and had a movie night that the amazing hotel staff set up for us. We decided on the Incredibles and it was a great way to end a long day!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Today we had really nice and soft rolls with a small potato patty for breakfast. We went to a ravine filled with water that runs through the entire island of Santa Cruz. We swam there for a bit and saw a few schools of small fish. We then went to a small snack stop to get churros and empanadas which were very good.
We then came back to the hostel to eat a proper lunch to recharge for our first day of service which started at 3 PM. We started collecting rocks to guard the plants from the giant tortoises who would kill the small trees. After about 2 hours of work, we drove back and had dinner, and later went out to the town to get waffles and ice cream.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 25
This Sunday we had a full day of service at the tortoise sanctuary. We dug up a lot of rocks, cleared invasive plants, and planted lots of endemic trees. We also had a great lunch and lots of empanadas. We walked around the sanctuary and got to explore the lava caves that formed there. We finished the day with a great dinner and a trip to a sweet shop in town.
