Support the Theory of Evolution

I´ve just returned from 8 days in the Galapagos Islands and it was absolutely amazing!

On our first day, Katie and I arrived in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island and got on a boat. It was a 16-person Catamaran and we had a really great group of passengers with us. There was a group of German tourists, two British ladies, and three young couples, from Switzerland, Australia, and England, who we spent the most time with. On the first day, we went into town to visit the Introduction Centre, where you hear a brief explanation of the history of the region, evolutionary theory (which was not entirely accurate), and whatnot. We got back on the boat in the evening and, overnight, sailed to Espanola Island.

Friday, we got off the boat at Gardiner Bay, on Espanola, where we saw tons of sea lions just chilling on the beach. You can walk right up to them, although you´re not really supposed to, and they don´t get scared at all. You do have to watch out for the males though, because it´s mating season and they get a little touchy. Since it´s mating season, we got really lucky and saw a sea lion giving birth on the beach! It was very cool and also a little bit gross. The beach itself is also incredible, white sand and clear, torquise water. Next, we went snorkelling off the island and saw fish, sea lions, sting rays...lots of great stuff. Then we went back to the boat and sailed to Punta Suarez, which is also on Espanola. There, we did an amazing hike where we saw the best wildlife. We saw more sea lions, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, nasca boobies, albatrosses...I think that´s it...just incredible and the views were amazing as well because the hike follows a path along cliffs that look out over the ocean. After the hike, we got back on the boat and sailed to Floreana Island.

Saturday morning we arrived at Floreana and got of a Punta Cormorant. We did a short walk to a lagoon and saw tons of flamingos, probably the silliest looking animals. Then we walked to another beach where you can stand ankle-deep in the water and baby sting rays swim all around your feet. Next, we went snorkelling again and saw sea turtles and a sea lion that was so playful, she just swam around with us for awhile. After lunch, we went to another beach on Floreana and swam with sea turtles, sea lions, and penguins. We got back on the boat later in the afternoon and sailed to Santa Cruz. On the way, we saw a few whales and dolphins from the boat.

On Sunday, our last day on the boat, we got to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. We went to a tortoise breeding centre and saw the piece de resistance of the Galapagos, giant tortoises. They are so funny looking and massive, I loved them. We also explored a lava tube and visited the Darwin Research Station, which was a highlight for me. You may know that I have a small obsession with all things Darwinian, so I really loved it. We didn´t get to see Lonesome George (the last remaining tortoise of his species), but we saw more tortoises and land iguanas and learnt a lot about the conservation efforts that take place in the Galapagos.

Monday, Katie and I went to Tortuga Bay, which is an amazing beach outside of Puerto Ayora. It´s secluded by a peninsula, so the water is perfectly calm and clear and there was not a single other person there. After lunch, we took a boat to Puerto Villamil on Isabela Island, which is much smaller than Puerto Ayora but has amazing character. We just wandered around town for the evening and met up with a couple who had been on the cruise with us.

On Tuesday, we spent the day exploring Puerto Villamil. We went to Concha Perla Lagoon, which is supposed to be a great spot to swim with sea lions. It was beautiful, butafter seeing a GIGANTIC sting ray swimming around, I got scared. Instead, we went to the port and had a fisherman take us over to Las Grietas, which is a set of small islets where you can snorkel and see sharks. We saw a ton of sharks and by the time we went snorkelling, I was somewhat freaked out. But it was still a lot of fun. That night, we met a group of volunteers who work on the island and went out to bar with them. It was a lot of fun and we got to meet some really interesting people, which is always nice.

Wednesday, we got up very early to hike the Sierra Negra volcano. If I understood correctly, it´s the second largest volcano in the world and the largest basaltic caldera in the world. We saw incredible views, especially of the crater. It last erupted in 2007 I think, so you can clearly see the lava tracks through the crater. It was a really great hike, if somewhat challenging. That night, we visited another hostel where people tend to congregate and spent the night with other travellers and the long-term volunteers on the island. There was an Italian couple staying at the hostel and they decided to cook dinner for everyone, so they set up two family-style tables on the beach and about 30 of us had this amazing dinner together. It was so much fun and everyone was so nice and interesting to talk to. I heard some really great travelling stories and got some good ideas for places I would like to visit.

Thursday, our last day in Galapagos, Katie and I went back to Puerto Ayora where we just hung out and relaxed for the day. This morning, we flew back to Quito. I think that pretty much covers all the details of trip. It was a really unbelievable trip and I´m so glad I had the opportunity to go. Now, I have another week of volunteering in Quito before I leave for Peru on October 30.

Hasta luego!

Sarah

Atacames

This past weekend, I visited the beach town of Atacames with three volunteers (Katie, Sebastian, and Ameya) and Katie´s Ecuadorian boyfriend, Pablo. Friday was a holiday celebrating the independence of Guayaquil, so we left on Thursday night and arrived in Atacames early Friday morning.
Atacames is really just a party town with a great beach, which was kind of exactly what we were looking for. The weather was amazing and the beach is beautiful, so we did nothing but sit around, eat, drink, and swim. You can sit on the beach all day and buy buckets of fruit and bottles of beer from vendors, so there´s really no reason to move. We stayed in an absolutely terrifying hostel, but it´s all part of the experience right?
The town has a very Caribbean feel to it, very different from the big cities in Ecuador. The lifestyle is much more relaxed and casual and not nearly as religious and conservative as Quito. Apparently people from the coast think people from the mountains are stuffy and people from the mountains think people from the coast are wild. I can kind of see it...
The beach is lined with ¨bars¨, which are really just straw huts that serve alcohol, but they´re a lot of fun. Some only have hammocks for seating, which really adds to that ¨miles away from ordinary¨ sentiment. The food was especially wonderful. For $2.oo, you can get a gigantic plate of rice, vegetables, ¨menestra¨ (lentils and beans), fresh fish, and a drink. Delightul and economical.
Between the five of us, we managed to incur three jellyfish stings (none by me personally), one missing person alarm, and one malaria scare, over the course of two days. It was all very exciting, I must say.
On Saturday, Ecuador played Uruguay in the World Cup qualifier. Most of the bars brought out little TVs to show the game, so we watched on the beach with a massive crowd of Ecuadorians. Ecuador lost in overtime, which was quite sad because it looked like the town was gearing up for a huge celebration if they had won. The whole experience was very entertaining, lots of angry Spanish yelling.
On Sunday, we spent the whole day on the bus returning home. It was a great, relaxing weekend away from Quito, which I really enjoyed. Today I booked my trip to the Galapagos (!), so I´ll be leaving on Thursday for about eight days there. Can´t wait!

Lots of love!

Sarah

Quito the Old

The past week has been relatively uneventful, but I figured an update was in order anyway. Every weekday consists of either volunteer meetings or markets in the morning and Spanish class in the afternoon. Not bad at all, really. I´m becoming more accustomed to the markets, so I´m enjoying it more and more. The kids are a lot of fun, especially now that I can understand, more or less, what they´re saying. I´m also starting to see the long-term goals of the program, which is good. The Thursday market is my favourite, because it´s in a beautiful town called Sangolqui. The other markets are just outside Quito, so not as much fun to go to.
I spent the weekend in Quito, which was a lot of fun. Friday night all the volunteers went to a bar in the Mariscal where two of the volunteers have been working some weekends. We had a great time and I met a ton of interesting people, mostly Europeans and Australians who have recently moved to Ecuador. On Saturday, I explored the Quito´s Old City, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. I went to the Iglesia de la Compania de Jesus, which is a Jesuit church that is entirely covered in real gold. It´s really amazing, it looks like every element of Baroque art and architecture exploded, in gold, all over the inside. It´s completely over-the-top, but very impressive. Next, I went to the statue of the Virgin Mary overlooking the city, which gives a great view of the city. Finally, I went to the Museo Nacional, which is sort of the natural history museum of Ecuador. It houses a fantastic collection of Indigenous artifacts and Colonial artwork. Quite an exhausting day, but it was really nice to get to know the city a bit.
Sunday was a pretty lazy day. I met up with Katie, another volunteer, to buy groceries in the morning, because she was cooking lunch for her family. It turned out to be a big event, with the family and friends and neighbours. A lot of fun and great Spanish practice for me. By the afternoon I was pretty spent because attempting to answer questions about Judaism, in Spanish, is completely exhausting.
Monday, Tuesday, and today have been markets and Spanish class, with a little Salsa lesson thrown in for good measure. That was a blast, I love Latin dance. Tomorrow I am going to Atacames, which is a beach town, for the weekend with the other volunteers. It´s a long weekend and Ecaudor is playing Uruguay in the World Cup qualifiers on Saturday, so it should be a lot of fun!

Lots of love,

Sarah