1 January, 2018
The day finally arrived and I arrived at the Hilton Hotel in Queens, NY. After setting into a room with Abby, Becky, Victoria, Elana, and Laurel, we went to Tait's room to hear Greg and Haley presentation on seismic activity in Ecuador. While we were all there enjoying our pizza, Lester also gave his presentation on some of the birds we might see. It was a late night, and after watching the ball drop we went right to bed to get 2 hours of sleep!The first official day of our trip consisted of waking up bright and early at 2 a.m. to catch the 2:30 shuttle to the airport. We boarded the plane at around 6 a.m. only to sit for 2.5 more hours due to frozen ground equipment. Of course this was not ideal way to start the trip, but we ended up still catching our connecting flight in Bogotoa(which was also delayed) and landing in Guayaquil later than evening. Diego greeted us at the airport, and we loaded into a bus that took us to the Continental Hotel.
Although groggy and tired from the day of travel and getting hardly any sleep, I perked right up on the bus to take everything in. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted with a variety of fruit juices, which we were hesitant to take (but of course Tait said we could), and they were delicious. After settling into our rooms we met with Diego to talk about our next destination- the Galapagos.
Dinner consisted of a small group of us eating at the restaurant attached to the hotel. Ordering in Spanish proved to be somewhat difficult, but it was a good thing they had pictures on the menu to help. After trying everyone’s food from plantain balls to goat stew, we headed over to Iguana park right across the street with our flashlights. The park is closed at night, but from the outside perimeter we could see iguanas asleep in the trees. It was a long day of travelling, and so we hit the sheets relatively early to prepare for the Galapagos!
The day finally arrived and I arrived at the Hilton Hotel in Queens, NY. After setting into a room with Abby, Becky, Victoria, Elana, and Laurel, we went to Tait's room to hear Greg and Haley presentation on seismic activity in Ecuador. While we were all there enjoying our pizza, Lester also gave his presentation on some of the birds we might see. It was a late night, and after watching the ball drop we went right to bed to get 2 hours of sleep!The first official day of our trip consisted of waking up bright and early at 2 a.m. to catch the 2:30 shuttle to the airport. We boarded the plane at around 6 a.m. only to sit for 2.5 more hours due to frozen ground equipment. Of course this was not ideal way to start the trip, but we ended up still catching our connecting flight in Bogotoa(which was also delayed) and landing in Guayaquil later than evening. Diego greeted us at the airport, and we loaded into a bus that took us to the Continental Hotel.
Although groggy and tired from the day of travel and getting hardly any sleep, I perked right up on the bus to take everything in. When we arrived at the hotel, we were greeted with a variety of fruit juices, which we were hesitant to take (but of course Tait said we could), and they were delicious. After settling into our rooms we met with Diego to talk about our next destination- the Galapagos.
Dinner consisted of a small group of us eating at the restaurant attached to the hotel. Ordering in Spanish proved to be somewhat difficult, but it was a good thing they had pictures on the menu to help. After trying everyone’s food from plantain balls to goat stew, we headed over to Iguana park right across the street with our flashlights. The park is closed at night, but from the outside perimeter we could see iguanas asleep in the trees. It was a long day of travelling, and so we hit the sheets relatively early to prepare for the Galapagos!
2 January, 2018
We had a buffet-style breakfast and took taxis to the airport at 7 a.m. The group I was with arrived before Tait or Diego, so we picked what we thought was the correct line only to be moved to the line for the special Galapagos check-in. Since the islands are so unique and fragile, extra precaution is taken and we paid the $20 fee, answered questions about what we were taking on to the islands, and had our bags screened and checked. As we got closer to landing, we watched a cartoon video on the rules of the Galapagos and the flight attendants sprayed something on all of the overhead luggage.
We landed on Baltra, with the only human-presence being a road, wind turbines, and an airport which used to be operated by the U.S. military. We went through some more precautions- stepping on a wet mat to remove seeds, etc. from our shoes, filled out stating if we had any food, seeds, or animals, and waited for dogs to walk over and smell our bags. We next squeezed onto a bus and took the short drive to a water taxi, which took us right to Santa Cruz where we spotted the famous blue-footed boobie!
Our group boarded a bus, which started right away towards the Los Gemelos (twin craters). As we drove I could clearly see the stark differance between the habitat zones from arid to humid.
Diego began discussing right away some problems the island is facing such as overpopulation of goats, invasive such as blackberry, and the use of DEET and how it is affecting the vermillion flycatcher. Los Gemelos was a beautiful crater pits that filled in with vegetation formed from collapsed lava chambers. We continued to drive through the highlands, passing farms and small homes. We arrived at the tortoise reservation called El Chato, where we took a short hike around and witnessed the tortoises up close and personal. We also walked through some lava tubes formed way back when the islands themselves formed. After checking into Hotel Ninfa Puerto Ayora, we took a boat taxi ride to another part of the island where we took a short walk to the swimming hole Las Grietas. We passed a beach, Las Salonitas (a pink salt farm), and many marine iguanas and a couple sea lions just hanging out.
Overall, it was an amazing day with many aspects of the Galapagos I expected, but also many I did not. I never imagined though that I would be seeing a field of cows with giant tortoises mingled in, a harbor filled with boats of all sizes, and paved roads with churches, restaurants, schools, and shops. It was much more developed than what I thought, but considering only 3% of the island is inhabited and the remaining 97% is the National Park, it makes sense. After a short walk back we hungout by the beach as a class before we had dinner. Becky and I finished the night by giving our presentation on biodiversity.
We had a buffet-style breakfast and took taxis to the airport at 7 a.m. The group I was with arrived before Tait or Diego, so we picked what we thought was the correct line only to be moved to the line for the special Galapagos check-in. Since the islands are so unique and fragile, extra precaution is taken and we paid the $20 fee, answered questions about what we were taking on to the islands, and had our bags screened and checked. As we got closer to landing, we watched a cartoon video on the rules of the Galapagos and the flight attendants sprayed something on all of the overhead luggage.
We landed on Baltra, with the only human-presence being a road, wind turbines, and an airport which used to be operated by the U.S. military. We went through some more precautions- stepping on a wet mat to remove seeds, etc. from our shoes, filled out stating if we had any food, seeds, or animals, and waited for dogs to walk over and smell our bags. We next squeezed onto a bus and took the short drive to a water taxi, which took us right to Santa Cruz where we spotted the famous blue-footed boobie!
Our group boarded a bus, which started right away towards the Los Gemelos (twin craters). As we drove I could clearly see the stark differance between the habitat zones from arid to humid.
Diego began discussing right away some problems the island is facing such as overpopulation of goats, invasive such as blackberry, and the use of DEET and how it is affecting the vermillion flycatcher. Los Gemelos was a beautiful crater pits that filled in with vegetation formed from collapsed lava chambers. We continued to drive through the highlands, passing farms and small homes. We arrived at the tortoise reservation called El Chato, where we took a short hike around and witnessed the tortoises up close and personal. We also walked through some lava tubes formed way back when the islands themselves formed. After checking into Hotel Ninfa Puerto Ayora, we took a boat taxi ride to another part of the island where we took a short walk to the swimming hole Las Grietas. We passed a beach, Las Salonitas (a pink salt farm), and many marine iguanas and a couple sea lions just hanging out.
Overall, it was an amazing day with many aspects of the Galapagos I expected, but also many I did not. I never imagined though that I would be seeing a field of cows with giant tortoises mingled in, a harbor filled with boats of all sizes, and paved roads with churches, restaurants, schools, and shops. It was much more developed than what I thought, but considering only 3% of the island is inhabited and the remaining 97% is the National Park, it makes sense. After a short walk back we hungout by the beach as a class before we had dinner. Becky and I finished the night by giving our presentation on biodiversity.
3 January, 2018
A group of us decided to wake up early and explore the island some more before our group activity started. We took the 80 cent taxi across the water back to the beach area and Las Gritas where we looked in some tide pools and spotted some boobies diving with binoculars. We talked to a local guide who told us that they called the sea lion “lobo de mar” or wolf of the sea.
We heard a presentation by Abby, Eleana, and Angelique about ecotourism, a big topic concerning the Galapagos. After a tuna lunch on a dock with a view, we took a 1.5-hour boat ride to Isabela. Upon arrival, we were greeted by some young sea lions playing and marine iguanas casually strolling on the sidewalk. It was a somewhat hectic port, with a long line of tourists waiting. Fortunately for us, we got through quickly and checked into Hotel Cally.
We met our guide for the island, Paula, and took a short bike ride to see the flamingos. The population of flamingos live in an artificial lagoon, created by the past mining for ripio lava rock. The shrimp arrived naturally, and so did the flamingoes. Unfortunately, the number of shrimp decline every year as do the flamingos, but there is no management strategy to keep them. This is just one example of how tourism affects the management strategies and National Parks- people don’t come to see the flamingos, so money is not diverted to that species.
We also passed Isabela’s desalination plant. Paula told us how the membrane is broken and has been for some time now, but the government wont send money to have it fixed. I drank the water on Isabela, and I must say as someone who never drinks bottled water that a sip of water from a bottle was something to look forward too compared to the tap. She touched on how a lot of tourism comes though large ships with wealthy owners, and she is glad we choose to stay on the island and support small businesses and shop owners. Although it is required to have a local guide in the park (why we had Paula), she doesn’t think the mainland government is doing all it could to support the people who live in the Galapagos even though tourists who visit Ecuador are coming for the islands.
That night we headed to the beach for the sunset, walked around the town, visited some shops, and visited a beach bar where we made friends with a black lab. We even got ice-cream and watched the end of a soccer game. Although there were a lot of stray dogs on the island that I couldn’t help but pet, I know that they harm local wildlife and aren’t the best for the natural ecosystem(to no fault of their own-we put them here). I really enjoyed this island and the feel of the town with the dirt roads, small restaurants, and the beach access.
A group of us decided to wake up early and explore the island some more before our group activity started. We took the 80 cent taxi across the water back to the beach area and Las Gritas where we looked in some tide pools and spotted some boobies diving with binoculars. We talked to a local guide who told us that they called the sea lion “lobo de mar” or wolf of the sea.
We heard a presentation by Abby, Eleana, and Angelique about ecotourism, a big topic concerning the Galapagos. After a tuna lunch on a dock with a view, we took a 1.5-hour boat ride to Isabela. Upon arrival, we were greeted by some young sea lions playing and marine iguanas casually strolling on the sidewalk. It was a somewhat hectic port, with a long line of tourists waiting. Fortunately for us, we got through quickly and checked into Hotel Cally.
We met our guide for the island, Paula, and took a short bike ride to see the flamingos. The population of flamingos live in an artificial lagoon, created by the past mining for ripio lava rock. The shrimp arrived naturally, and so did the flamingoes. Unfortunately, the number of shrimp decline every year as do the flamingos, but there is no management strategy to keep them. This is just one example of how tourism affects the management strategies and National Parks- people don’t come to see the flamingos, so money is not diverted to that species.
We also passed Isabela’s desalination plant. Paula told us how the membrane is broken and has been for some time now, but the government wont send money to have it fixed. I drank the water on Isabela, and I must say as someone who never drinks bottled water that a sip of water from a bottle was something to look forward too compared to the tap. She touched on how a lot of tourism comes though large ships with wealthy owners, and she is glad we choose to stay on the island and support small businesses and shop owners. Although it is required to have a local guide in the park (why we had Paula), she doesn’t think the mainland government is doing all it could to support the people who live in the Galapagos even though tourists who visit Ecuador are coming for the islands.
That night we headed to the beach for the sunset, walked around the town, visited some shops, and visited a beach bar where we made friends with a black lab. We even got ice-cream and watched the end of a soccer game. Although there were a lot of stray dogs on the island that I couldn’t help but pet, I know that they harm local wildlife and aren’t the best for the natural ecosystem(to no fault of their own-we put them here). I really enjoyed this island and the feel of the town with the dirt roads, small restaurants, and the beach access.
4 January, 2018
This has got to be my favorite day in the Galapagos since we went snorkeling! I quickly walked over the lava and made my way into the water, avoiding all the sea urchins that seemed to be everywhere. Once I got into the water, I was surrounded by brightly colored fish and large corals. I lost track of time as I swam around taking everything in. I was lucky enough too see a lot of sea turtles and even some black-tip reef sharks. After reluctantly coming out of the water and drying off, we took the boat to Tintoras Island. On the boat ride we saw 3 little penguins swimming in the water between all the boats.
Tintoras Island is a small island, formed in the shape it did because the ocean waves cooled the magma quickly resulting in “ah ah lava”, which is sharp and porous. The salt from the ocean became trapped in the magma as it cooled and resulted in the reddish color of the lava from the iron rusting. We walked along the path too see an iguana nesting ground, some reef sharks lined up in a crevice, and sea lions playing in the shallow water.
After leaving Tintoras, we boarded a bus to take up to Sierra Negra(which erupted last in 2005). Unfortunately, due to the heavy mist and clouds, the hike would be for nothing and end in just a view of fog. We decided as a group to do something else, so Diego and Paula took us to Cue de Sucre instead where we walked though lava caves. This land used to be private, but because of the lava caves and tubes it was voluntarily sold to the NPs for a good lump of money. After leaving the caves we visited a tortoise breeding center where we saw baby tortoises arranged in corrals by age until they are ready to be released at age 8. There are 5 species of tortoise on Isabela island, each one endemic to each volcano that now forms one large island. Due to an eruption, there is only 8 Paloma’s hill tortoises left. They were in a corral together, and I could see the scars made from fire and lava on their shells before they were rescued. Before coming to the islands, I would not have imagined just how managed the giant tortoise population actually is, but considering there is only 11 of the original 15 species, it is important to manage their numbers and ensure no more species are lost. Diego told us how locals used to drink and sell the blood of the tortoises because they believed it was good for them, but Ecuadorian law says that there can be no more commerce with wildlife.
Next, we visited Mirador El Mango, a beautiful lookout where you could see the other islands in the distance. We said our goodbyes to Paula, and she talked about the sacrifices the locals make for the national park and the future of the Galapagos. She learned English and is leaning German, and chose to only have 2 children as population size is threatening the island, even though a large, traditional family is something she always wanted. That night we went back and had a group reflection.
This has got to be my favorite day in the Galapagos since we went snorkeling! I quickly walked over the lava and made my way into the water, avoiding all the sea urchins that seemed to be everywhere. Once I got into the water, I was surrounded by brightly colored fish and large corals. I lost track of time as I swam around taking everything in. I was lucky enough too see a lot of sea turtles and even some black-tip reef sharks. After reluctantly coming out of the water and drying off, we took the boat to Tintoras Island. On the boat ride we saw 3 little penguins swimming in the water between all the boats.
Tintoras Island is a small island, formed in the shape it did because the ocean waves cooled the magma quickly resulting in “ah ah lava”, which is sharp and porous. The salt from the ocean became trapped in the magma as it cooled and resulted in the reddish color of the lava from the iron rusting. We walked along the path too see an iguana nesting ground, some reef sharks lined up in a crevice, and sea lions playing in the shallow water.
After leaving Tintoras, we boarded a bus to take up to Sierra Negra(which erupted last in 2005). Unfortunately, due to the heavy mist and clouds, the hike would be for nothing and end in just a view of fog. We decided as a group to do something else, so Diego and Paula took us to Cue de Sucre instead where we walked though lava caves. This land used to be private, but because of the lava caves and tubes it was voluntarily sold to the NPs for a good lump of money. After leaving the caves we visited a tortoise breeding center where we saw baby tortoises arranged in corrals by age until they are ready to be released at age 8. There are 5 species of tortoise on Isabela island, each one endemic to each volcano that now forms one large island. Due to an eruption, there is only 8 Paloma’s hill tortoises left. They were in a corral together, and I could see the scars made from fire and lava on their shells before they were rescued. Before coming to the islands, I would not have imagined just how managed the giant tortoise population actually is, but considering there is only 11 of the original 15 species, it is important to manage their numbers and ensure no more species are lost. Diego told us how locals used to drink and sell the blood of the tortoises because they believed it was good for them, but Ecuadorian law says that there can be no more commerce with wildlife.
Next, we visited Mirador El Mango, a beautiful lookout where you could see the other islands in the distance. We said our goodbyes to Paula, and she talked about the sacrifices the locals make for the national park and the future of the Galapagos. She learned English and is leaning German, and chose to only have 2 children as population size is threatening the island, even though a large, traditional family is something she always wanted. That night we went back and had a group reflection.
5 January, 2018
We left Hotel Cally around 5 a.m. and took a boat ride back to Santa Cruz. The view of the sun over the water was gorgeous, but most of us use the time as a quick nap (except Abby who threw up a couple times). After arriving and checking into our hotel we took a long walk to Tortuga Bay. Diego pointed out that we were walking through a tropical dry forest, which looks a lot more “tropical” in the rainy season. He also pointed out the Palo Santo tree which translates to “holy stick” and is used as incense.
Tortuga bay was beautiful and we got to see black tipped sharks in the shallows and pelicans diving for food. Rather than walking back, we took a large boat back to the main peer. We shuffled on and it was pretty tight, so the captain called for two of us to head to the top deck. Victoria and I sat up there and had some really nice views of the islands and Nazca boobies we were passing by.
We returned to the hotel and ate ceviche for lunch. I got about half way through it before inspecting the octopus’s tentacles and deciding to just eat the rest of the popcorn (popcorn was served with almost every soup to be sprinkled in). After lunch we took a short ride to the Charles Darwin Station. The tortoises were in corrals very similar to those on Santa Cruz, separated by age. The main attraction of the station has to Lonesome George’s preserved body. Lonesome George was the last surviving Pinta Island tortoise, and after many desperate attempts to get him to breed he died without passing on his genes. Although he is a conservation icon and symbol of the Galapagos, it was strange to see his preserved body in an empty room surrounded by glass.
On the way back we walked in small groups and visited some shops. After ceviche for lunch, a couple of us decided to have dinner at a pizza place down the street. That night we took the time to explore more of the island and take it all in before departing in the morning. It was bittersweet having to leave a place I have always wanted to visit for so long and loved, but I knew we had 10 full more days of exploring Ecuador!
We left Hotel Cally around 5 a.m. and took a boat ride back to Santa Cruz. The view of the sun over the water was gorgeous, but most of us use the time as a quick nap (except Abby who threw up a couple times). After arriving and checking into our hotel we took a long walk to Tortuga Bay. Diego pointed out that we were walking through a tropical dry forest, which looks a lot more “tropical” in the rainy season. He also pointed out the Palo Santo tree which translates to “holy stick” and is used as incense.
Tortuga bay was beautiful and we got to see black tipped sharks in the shallows and pelicans diving for food. Rather than walking back, we took a large boat back to the main peer. We shuffled on and it was pretty tight, so the captain called for two of us to head to the top deck. Victoria and I sat up there and had some really nice views of the islands and Nazca boobies we were passing by.
We returned to the hotel and ate ceviche for lunch. I got about half way through it before inspecting the octopus’s tentacles and deciding to just eat the rest of the popcorn (popcorn was served with almost every soup to be sprinkled in). After lunch we took a short ride to the Charles Darwin Station. The tortoises were in corrals very similar to those on Santa Cruz, separated by age. The main attraction of the station has to Lonesome George’s preserved body. Lonesome George was the last surviving Pinta Island tortoise, and after many desperate attempts to get him to breed he died without passing on his genes. Although he is a conservation icon and symbol of the Galapagos, it was strange to see his preserved body in an empty room surrounded by glass.
On the way back we walked in small groups and visited some shops. After ceviche for lunch, a couple of us decided to have dinner at a pizza place down the street. That night we took the time to explore more of the island and take it all in before departing in the morning. It was bittersweet having to leave a place I have always wanted to visit for so long and loved, but I knew we had 10 full more days of exploring Ecuador!