Snow in New York...

During our stay in Puerto Villamil, I spent every free minute in the water or walking on the beach. Time spent on the computer was time wasted.  I promised myself (and others) that I would write about our last adventures once we got home. So, here I am, writing to you from Rye, New York.

Our hike up and around Sierra Negra was unlike anything we had done before.  A bus took us up most of the mountain, so, we only had to climb for about 20 minutes to reach the top of the volcano.  It may sound like we took the easy way out, however, I assure you that the 5.5 hours of hiking ahead of us was no picnic.  Most tourists explore Sierra Negra by horseback.  For reasons that I won't get into, (I'm not bitter or anything), we relied on our own two feet.  Of course, the stunning views made our effort worthwhile.  For the first two hours of hiking we walked through waste deep fauna.  Lush, green ferns and the invasive mangroves brushed our legs as we walked on the narrow trail.  We went around the caldera, aka GIANT crater.  The inside is filled with 'A'a lava and pahoehoe lava, aka rope lava.  Our eyes were playing tricks on us, maybe it was a combination of the heat and exhaustion, but it looked like the lava was flowing.  Almost at the end of the trail, we begged our guide Julio for a break.  We called a TO to enjoy our packed lunches in the shade of the only tree around.  A yellow warbler chirped at our feet asking for handouts.  Continuing on our way, the path changed drastically.  The green fields turned to dried lava flows for as far as we could see.  It looked like another planet.  The occasional lava lizard reminded us that there is life even in the craziest of environments.  At the end of the trail, we sat down, enjoyed the moment, and meditated for a few minutes.  Awesome.  We made our way back, the same way we came.  It was a long, long trail.  Our bus ride back to our hotel was silent.  Some of us snoozed.  Some of us stayed awake contemplating excuses for the next day's hike....juust kidding, Professor!

In the end, only Lexi missed the next day's hike.  Professor Shriver banned her from any outdoor activity after seeing her terrible sunburn.  She missed out on a 7 kilometer hike through the wetlands of Isabela.  The scenery looked very similar to a lot of the hikes we did while staying on the yacht.  My favorite part was the arial view of the island obtained from climbing a random set of stairs.  The destination for that hike was the "Wall of Tears," a tragic monument built by prisoners exiled to the Galapagos.  After struggling to get to the Wall of Tears, we couldn't imagine building it.  It was about 100 degrees and really sunny.  For the first time, everyone was jealous of my SPF55.  

Later that night, a few of the girls and I experienced salsa dancing at our favorite bar on Isabela, The Sea Lion.  It reminded me of my favorite summertime spot, Nick's.  (Shoutout to Montauk).  Basically, it was a hodgepodge of people being drunk and disorderly.  It should be noted that everyone from our trip behaved with the utmost class.  

For our final day on Isabela, Professor Shriver gave us our freedom.  Most of us spent the day relaxing on the beach.  Becca, Ashley, Lexi, Stephanie, and I spent the day in the water.  It felt great at the time, but our lasting saltburns and sunburns told us it was time to go home.  Too much of anything...oh well.  

Today, I find myself snuggled up in an arm chair catching up on all the shows I DVRed while we were away. Outside, snow is falling. If it weren't for the covered trees, my eyes might have mistaken my backyard for a white sand beach. It reminds me that in a land far, far away, sea lions continue to drench themselves in sunlight. All lined up, their dark bodies look like tally marks across a clean, white sheet of paper. Their puppies are curious of new tourists.

This evening, there will be another spectacular sunset on the beach of Puerto Villamil. The local children will be surfing silhouettes as another day in the Galapagos ends. Somewhere out there, Pablo is lecturing a new group about communism; Hernan is showing off his skills by diving into the depths; and Julio is taking swigs from a private flask...awkward/too soon?! Everything will continue as usual without us there. It's sad but wonderful.

Isabela

Leaving Puerto Ayora was really difficult. We loved it there and didn´t know what would be in store for us on Isabela. As we made the long journey back to the airport, (a bus, a ferry, and another bus), we were pretty quiet. Our energy levels increased when we saw the planes we were about to board. They were tiny. Our group needed to split up into two groups of seven and eight. I was in the first group with Becca, Ashley, Bethany, Mike, Mary, and Professor Shriver. The flight was about half an hour long. Once we landed, the same plane went back for the rest. I´ve never been in such a small plane. Bethany got the best views seated right next to the pilot. The stunning scenery kept our mind off of the occassional bumps and dips. Basically, we got to see the islands that we´ve been exploring in a whole new way. Professor Shriver pointed out Black Turtle Cove and Darwin´s Lake for us. It was so weird to think that just a few days earlier we were in the same spot looking at sharks and turtles.

Once we landed, Becca, Ashley, and I made a beeline for the beach. White sand that is as soft as confectioners´sugar greeted us. Our new home is directly on the beach. SOOooo amazing! None of us can believe that this is considered study abroad. We spent an hour napping and swimming before a long lunch and walk to the tortoise mating ground. (Hernan would´ve loved it). This was the first time most of us got to see the giant tortoises on the move. Kind of awkward, but interesting nonetheless. Post walk, we spent some more time on the beach and had dinner. It´s time to finish up our species accounts so I´ve gotta bounce...

Tomorrow, we have a reallllly long hike up the Sierra Negra Volcano. It is the second largest volcano in the world. Hope we don´t fall in!

Just loungin' around

For the first time all trip, some of us enjoyed a bit of free time. Those of us who chose not to go on the "optional hike" did a little shopping, caught up on work, and contacted everyone at home. Adam, Bethany, and John were the only brave students to go on the hike. Apparently, it was the most trecherous hike yet. Parts of the hike were really steep and required spiderman climbing skills. John was not wearing proper footgear and slid down the mountain into some cacti. He seemed totally unphased. Throughout the course of this trip, he has proven himself to be one tough cookie.

Meanwhile, Katy, Bailey, Joe, Mary, and Mike tried some Italian cuisine. They had a serious debacle trying to pay the bill. Apparently, too much sun exposure has ruined everyone's basic math skills. Bailey revisited the Charles Darwin Station again with Mike. This time, they were lucky enough to see the tortoises in motion.

I was tempted to go on the hike but decided to spend the day walking around Puerto Ayora. Becca, Stephanie, Ashley, Lexi, and I shared some fantastic ceviche and quesadillas. We told ourselves that missing the hike was totally fine because we had a more "cultural experience." Honestly, I am so glad I spent the day exploring Puerto Ayora. This was our only chance to browse the shops, look at local artwork, and sight-see. Plus, we got some serious souvenir shopping done!

Tomorrow, we're off to Isabela. In order to get there, our group needs to split up and board two very small planes. Each of us are only allowed to bring 20lbs on board. Professor Shriver spent the afternoon arranging for our luggage to be shipped to Quito. For the remainder of the trip, we will have 1 bathing suit, 1 pair of shorts, 1 shirt, 1 pair of field pants, and whatever else you can fit. Tonight at dinner, we planned our strategy: wear your hiking boots and as many layers as possible on the plane.

The vibe tonight was a little weird. Downtime gave us the chance to miss home and think about the conclusion of this adventure. We're in agreement that we don't want to leave. Instead of coming home, everyone we miss should come to us....seriously, think about it!

getting used to yachting...

We´ve been back on land for over 5 hours, and the ground is still moving beneath our feet. Everyone has made a mad dash for internet. It was totally weird being so disconnected, but, surprisingly pleasant. The past eight days have been absolutely incredible. First, we flew from Quito into Baltra Island and took a ferry to Santa Cruz. A bus took us to Puerto Ayora where we boarded our private yacht named the Coral II. We met the crew and Hernan, our crazy new guide. Hernan. To describe him is quite difficult. Let´s just say Professor Shriver passed along a bit of advice he heard from the UD professor who used to run this trip. "Girls, you may be invited into the crew´s quarters. If that happens, the crew may try to give you gifts...that keep on giving..." The implication was heard, and we stayed away. None of us were even slightly tempted. Hernan may have been a ladies´man in his younger years, but his charms are fading fast. His creepy descriptions of sea turtles´mating practices and iguanas´courting rituals made us all a little uneasy. Other than his bizarre ¨scientific¨observations, he was a great guide and we saw EVERYTHING you could possibly imagine.

We did tons of snorkeling. Zodiacs took us from our yacht to the best coves and deserted islands. We spent hours in the water. Hernan´s version of snorkeling isn´t quiet observing and hovering. Instead, he would take off and swim for miles. With sharks in the water, our only option was to keep up! Even though 15 of us would be splashing, kicking, coughing, and laughing, we saw TONS of marine life. As promised, we saw huge rays, sea lions, penguines, turtles, tons of fish, and my personal favorite, very non-threatening sea stars. In the past eight days, not one went by without seeing sea lion puppies. They are so fun and love playing with people. When Stephanie was tanning on a white sand beach, one rolled onto her towel to share the warmth. Several times, we had sea lions relaxing with us on the back of our yacht. I´ll miss them!

One thing I found especially cool was the ¨Post Office Island.¨ Way back when, ships used to come through the islands and leave letters addressed to friends/family for other ships to deliver on their way. The tradition continues. Basically, you write a postcard to someone you know at home and leave it for a stranger to deliver. You can sort through the postcards and look for those going your way. No postage is necessary because you only take the cards you can hand deliver. I was so psyched to have FIVE postcards going to the Westchester area. Four of them are written by the same couple, Rod and Kate. By snooping, I learned that they were in the Galapagos on their honeymoon. One of the cards is addressed to a restaurant and says I will get a free beer if it is successfully delivered. Another card is addressed to a veternarian´s office. I suppose either Rod or Kate works there. Most of our group left postcards for our parents. So, Moms and Dads, be ready for a knock on the door from a fellow traveler!

Another tidbit worth mentioning was our second to last snorkeling adventure, but first, some quick background info:
On day 1 of the cruise, I recorded Hernan in my species list as a Merman. If you saw his awkwardly small speedo bathing suit and long salt and pepper hair floating underwater, you would agree. He has been known to freedive into the darkness while we vulnerably float on the surface. On one such occassion, he actually pulled a white tipped reef shark out from a cave. I was not a happy camper to see an aggravated shark while in the water. Hernan assured us that it was ¨fine.¨ Basically, he exudes a moronic confidence in the water.
Here´s the tidbit:
On January 23rd, we had a quick hike and then a long snorkel after. For the first time, the visability in the water was really poor. After about 20 minutes of nothingness, Lexi, Becca, and I were a little freaked out so we made use of the zodiacs. We relaxed and tanned while following the group. Suddenly, someone yelled that there was an octapus. Not wanting to miss out, Becca and I geared up and jumped back in the water. Just as we got to the octapus, it recoiled into a cave. Bummed out, we started making our way back to the zodiac. Before we knew what was happening, everyone was making a mad dash for the zodiac. I´ve never seen Ashley move so fast! I helped her take off her flippers and asked her what the heck was going on. She said Hernan had seen a shark and yelled for all of us to get out. I got into that zodiac pretty quickly too. From my safe vantage point, I watched as Hernan dove out of the water like the crazy Merman that I know him to be and landed next to me. He wasnt waiting for Professor Shriver to make his way up the zodiac´s little ladder. Hernan claimed to have seen a 5 meter long bull shark. AKA 15 FEET OF PEOPLE EATING MACHINE. We were all freaked out. Adam didn´t believe the sighting and lingered in the water for a bit. I watch shark week. I know what´s up. I definitely wasn´t taking any chances with a bull shark. No thank you!

We had so many other funny-crazy-wild stories but I can´t record them all now. It´s almost time for our next hike. Just to give you a better idea of our lives, here was a typical day on a yacht in the Galapagos:

7am personal wake-up announcement from Hernan
7:30am breakfast
8:30am disembarkment on a new, completely unique island
hike/snorkel
11:30am free time
12:30pm lunch
2pm disembarkment on a new, completely unique island
hike/snorkel
4pm free time
7:30 dinner
8:30pm powerpoint debriefing for next day

Whenever we came back to the boat, Gregorio, our bartender, would have bite size snacks and fresh juice out for us. We´ve renamed our classes Happy Hour 101 . Course Descpription: This class meets on the top deck, includes a drink du jour, and whale/dolphin watching. Please bring your own binoculars and camera. Prerequisites: Snorkeling 101 and Hiking 101.

The week flew by. I´ve taken over 1,500 pictures. Not one of them do this place any justice. Views of the varying topography are unbelievable. We are staying in Puetro Ayora for the next 3 days. Hernan is no longer our guide. Professor Shriver seems relieved. More stories in the making =)

The Sachatamia Lodge

It´s been a few days since I´ve written. Please know that it was not from laziness. Apparently, lightening struck a major power line in Ecuador knocking out electricity for the entire country. Luckily, we were were safely tucked away in the Mindo Valley (aka the Cloud forest). Mornings in the Cloud forest are usually ¨dry.¨ Basically, it doesn´t start raining until around 1pm each day. Once it starts, it doesn´t let up! Fortunately, we had tons of great gear which allowed us to enjoy the crazy climate.

On our first full day, Ashley, (who has become our social coordinator), organized an awesome ziplining adventure. It consisted of a 3 hour hike, a rope swing, and two ziplines. Mary, Mike, and Joe sat this one out. Honestly, it might have been for the best. There were no waivers, instructional videos, or even simple explanations. When we got to the zipline, our Ecuadorian guides strapped us in and motioned for us to run off of the cliff. John went first, then Adam, then I, than the rest. One at a time, we flew across a huge ravine. Nothing to it. As we approached the other side, the Ecuadorian guides would slow us down by stepping on our rope. The first zipline went off without a hitch. The second one....well, I wasn´t so lucky.

Lexi, Professor Shriver, and Sarah bid me farewell as I took off for the second time. Everyone on the other side had cameras ready to catch an action shot of my landing. Unfortunately, I didn´t make it that far. Later, Professor Shriver told me that the Ecuadorian guides had stepped on the rope a little too soon catching it on the top of the zipline. This caused me to stop just a few yards shy of the landing. I have no doubt that as I helplessly dangled over the crevice, Professor Shriver felt a fear that I have never known. He says the guides offered no solution and that one merely whispered the word ¨nooo.¨ At the time, all of this was unkown to me. After laughing for a second and posing for some sweet pics, I took a second to collect my thoughts. Realization hit that the guides might begin to pull me backwards and make me go again. I was definitely not having that. With the determination to make it just a few more yards, I removed my pink polo baseball cap, put it in my mouth, and bounced a bit to get my hands around the zipline. I tried to pull myself forward but quickly found that a safety would not allow you to do this. So, UD´s finest came to my rescue. Katy and Ashley put down their cameras and picked up a long dried up vine. It was conveniently located parallel to the landing. I grabbed hold. From there, you can gather the rest -- I survived! After that incident, the guides did not slow anyone down. Professor Shriver, Sarah, and Lexi came zipping in like lunatics. I guess it´s better to have a crash landing than no landing. All and all, I felt totally safe. When Professor Shriver let me in on the details of the near catastrophe, I wondered why I wasn´t more scared...

After our ziplining adventure, we had lunch and went to the Shade Tree Coffee Farm. Our guide, Brian, explained the history of the farm. He wore a thin fleece, cargo pants, and baseball cap. Meanwhile, we were decked out in rainboots, waterproof pants, and waterproof jackets. I guess the locals are used to the rain. After another short hike, we picked some coffee fruits. Brian showed us how to extract the beans and eat the fruit. We got back to our lodge, still no electricity. We played a few games of pool by headlamp. The hotel´s generator allowed us just enough light to see our dinner.

The next morning, we enjoyed free time. Mary, Katy, Stephanie, and I hiked back to the rope swing. We spent all morning perfecting our cirque de soleil moves. We made funny Tarzan calls until Professor Shirver and Sarah approached letting us know that their bird microphone was picking us up. Ooops! On our way back to the lodge, we spent a while sloshing through the creek and waterfall. The cold of the pristine water could be felt through our rubber boots. So nice! Later that afternoon, we went to the Butterfly Garden in Mindo. Professor Shriver seemed unimpressed, but I had a blast taking pictures of exotic butterflies, skipping on the flowered paths, climbing up rays of sunshine, and sliding down rainbows...juuust kidding. Honestly though, it was totally enchanting. We used watermellon to catch butterflies on our fingers. Katy decorated almost every finger with a different species. She was even brave enough to put a bit of watermellon on the tip of her nose.

On our way to and from, we rode in the covered beds of pick-up trucks. The rides were always a little hair raising. It took two trucks to carry our whole group. Each truck could hear the other bunch screaming and laughing as we made our way through the mountains. Usually, we were screaming about passing vehicles and laughing about random cows in the road. Becca inhaled her fair share of ¨road mist.¨ The group wanted to stop in the village of Mindo; however, upon driving through it, we realized it might be a little awkward. Professor Shriver decided that 15 Americans invading the village for an hour would cause too much of a stir. After seeing it for ourselves, we sort of agreed. It was just a ¨vibe.¨

Today, we left the Mindo Valley. On our way back to Quito, we went to the equator. We got to do some sweet science experiments with water, ballance eggs on a nail, and walk the line. Basically, it all made for some touristy pictures.

Everything has been totally amazing so far. Please trust that we are in good hands. Our group has become a family on all of our hikes. We´re looking out for each other and will continue to do so in the Galapagos. Tomorrow we leave for our 8 days at sea. We are all in agreement that the best is yet to come. Love you all!

Day 2 & 3

Last I left you, we were in Quito leaving for the Pululahua Crater.  We got to our lodge around 9am.  It was gorgeous!  Our group of 15 took over the entire place.  Our rooms practically hung over the edge of the crater.  When it wasn't cloudy, we could lie in bed staring straight into the foggy abyss.  We only had a few minutes to scope the place out before we left for our first hike.  

This first hike was quite ambitious.  Our Ecuadorian guide, Pablo, took us into the crater.  There is no way my description could do this place justice but I'll try...  About 300 people live inside the crater.  The earth is really fertile so the locals live off of their small farms.  Everything is green and vibrant.  Descending into the crater took time as we were overwhelmed with picture taking.  We chronicled every flower, every plant, every insect, every bird.  Once inside the crater, we became friends with some of the local dogs.  They have free range and playfully ran beside us.  Their energy was inspiring!  Once we walked the circumference of the crater, we realized the only way out was the steep trail we had come down.  After a short pause for energy bars and water, we made our way back up.  The altitude was killing us!  Every couple hundred yards we had to take a breather.  The only people who seemed unphased were the old Ecuadorian men and women.  The elderly people were easily overtaking us on the trail...totally shameful!  5 hours after we began, we crawled out of the crater and enjoyed one of the best meals of the trip!  The rest of the day consisted of napping, discussion, dinner, and sleep.

Today, we woke up early had another delicious meal, said goodbye to the Pululahua Crater, and shoved off for Mindo.  Halfway there, Pablo told us to get off the bus for a quick hike in an orchid reserve.  An hour later he told us we were only halfway up the mountain.  Once again we were feeling the altitude.  Our new Ecuadorian guide, Roberto, was basically skipping up the slopes texting friends as he went.  Once again, it's difficult to describe where we were.  Imagine the movie King Kong--huge rugged mountains with deep cloud filled valleys and a light rain that felt awesome.  And talk about biodiversity!  Our senses were overwhelmed.  The way down was super slippery.  Mike blazed our trail and warned us about treacherous spots (by wiping out before we could).  We started keeping a tally but lost count.   Every time he slipped, we reassured him how much we appreciated his chivalry.  Bethany and Mary shared a few spills too.  Once our "short" 2+ hour hike was over, we boarded the bus and made our way to Mindo.

So, here I am, writing to you from the Sachatamia Lodge in the Mindo Valley of Ecuador. We enjoyed another afternoon of late lunch, napping, discussion, and dinner.  We haven't gone exploring yet, but have already seen more hummingbirds than we can count.

For the moms out there: no one is going hungry!  I can't emphasize this enough.  Meals are served in courses.  Dessert is mandatory.  We're replacing every calorie we burn.  Life is great!

1st day

I`m going to take advantage of our hotel`s free internet and write one more post before leaving tomorrow morning.

After breakfast, Becca, Stephanie, and I set out to find Quito`s botanical gardens. We never found them, but we did enjoy a nice stroll around a huge park (imagine a tropical, delapidated version of Central Park). People were jogging, playing soccer, and doing bizarre exercises on equiptment that looked questionable. Meanwhile, other group members stocked up on water and sunscreen at a pharmacia.

We regrouped at noon. A former UD professor lives in Quito working at a catholic university. He offered to give us a tour of his library and collections. In order to meet this professor, we needed to take a bus. It may sound like a piece of cake, but with 15 people who do not speak Spanish we needed some serious help! We`ll call our first attempt was a "learning experience." As the bus pulled up to our platform, we all graciously stepped back to allow fellow passengers to exit. (Who says Americans are rude)?! Well, before we knew it, the doors were shut. Mary was almost cut in half and jumped into my arms for safety. Only Professor Shriver and Becca made it on. The rest of us waved as they went by. The look on their faces was priceless. We were hysterical. It all happened so fast! Our TA, Sarah, had the wherewithall to gather us, tell us our stop, and instruct us to bumrush the vehicle. Next time, no prisoners! After learning the hard way, we´re all pros.

Once we met the former UD professer, he walked us around a nice area. We enjoyed a fantastic lunch at one of Quito´s finer outdoor cafes. Everything was insanely inexpensive considering its quality. Post lunch, we got a tour of the university`s science department. Adam was super excited to see some beetle, walking stick, and wasp specimins. I moved towards the back of the group when the professor opened a jar of preserved spiders...not really my thing. By the time our tour was over, we were totally drained. We came back to the hotel, had another fantastic meal, and made use of the pool and hot tub. We found out that we have a Rehoboth Beach lifeguard (John) and a pool certified lifeguard (Mike) amongst us. Kind of nice for when we`ll be on the boat snorkeling the days away. John showed off his butterfly stroke and we were all amazed...Michael Phelps watch out!

Being that Quito isn`t very safe we have been instructed to leave bags and cameras at the hotel. Sorry no pictures yet! At first we were skeptical about this advice, but I`ve noticed that when local guys ride the bus they move their backpacks to their stomachs and clutch them tightly. Unfortunately, Sarah already had $10 stolen pickpocketed from her. Hopefully, that will be the first and last incident.

While I write this, everyone is dutifully reading for class. I better go catch up... Tomorrow we have a jampacked day. We leave for the Mindo Valley and will enjoy our first hike. There`s some other stuff planned, but I left my syllabus in the room and can`t remember. Whatever it is, I know it will be good!

p.s. Bailey also has a blog. If you just can`t get enough, go to her profile to access it. It`s called "The Voyage of the Beetle."