A Galapagos Wedding

This is me with my good friend and colleague at Portland State, Tina and her fiance Jon. On one of our first days on the island we got a tour of the Hacienda Tranquila, an ecotourism destination for international volunteers. On the tour we came upon a chapel in which Geovanny, the owner, told us if we knew anyone who wanted to get married he could perform the ceremony. I don't think he thought we would actually take him up on it.

Jon was coming to visit Tina in early November and they were already engaged so we thought what better couple to share their vows on a tropical island than these two? Of course it couldn't be official because they weren't Ecuadorian citizens but we thought it would be fun and special! We planned the whole thing in a about a week (if only they were all really that easy) and told Jon when he got of the plane (surprise!).

Everything was wonderful except for the rain. Doesn't that mean good luck or a lot of children or something anyway? Everyone chipped in to help. Pizzas were made in the Hacienda's brick oven. Decorations were put up. Three delicious cakes were made and a bouquet was purchased. Tina looked stunning in her white beach wedding dress and everything went perfectly. There were about 40 guests in attendance consisting of international students and host families. It was beautiful (of course I cried) and a lot of fun!! Congrats guys! Can't wait for the real on.

Island Hopping

For one week I had the wonderful opportunity to explore some of the other Galapagos Islands. We spent most of our time on the Islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela but took a day trip to Seymour Island as well. It is about a two hour boat ride from San Cristobal to Santa Cruz. The ocean was not as nice to us as we would have liked and caused many of our tummies to be upset. After that ride Dramamine became a good friend.

On our first day we took a short boat ride to Seymour island, an uninhabited island where the Friget birds were in abundance. During mating season these birds puff up their red chests to attract the females, making them very beautiful. We also saw yellow land iguanas and the famous Blue Footed Boobies. We enjoyed a fabulous lunch on the boat and then had time to snorkel and relax on the beach.

Day two was filled of snorkeling with turtles and rays, a penguin spotting, and exploring a section of Santa Cruz that resembled another planet. Jagged lava rocks made up the landscape that were covered with iguanas. More iguanas than you ever really need to see in one place ever in your life. It was pretty incredible.

We then ventured on another two hour boat ride to Isabela island where we would be staying for the next four nights. This island was definitely my favorite with its long beach, cute restaurants, and sand roads. It is less populated and touristy than San Cristobal and Santa Cruz and is home to the 2nd largest volcano crater in the world. We saw penguins, an octopus, seahorses, flamingos and beautiful sunsets. We hiked to the top of the volcano where an amazing view awaited us and explored lava tunnels. We spent our evenings on the beach next to a bon fire where we enjoyed happy hour with other travelers from around the world.

At the top of the volcano.

Listening to music by the fire.

My host brother Jose and I. He was guide on our trip.

San Cristobal Island, Galapagos

I have officially been absent from my blog for two months. For this I am sorry. I'm not sure where the time has gone but ever since I have arrived to the islands there has been beautiful beaches, sun, animals, snorkeling, and of course class to distract me.

I'm not sure where to begin my tale of island living but I figure a lot of pictures will do an adequate job of telling my story.

This is my host families tourist shop. Tourists stop by on their way to the beach and rent kayaks or snorkeling gear. Our house is directly behind the shop. My room and bathroom are separate from the house which has proven to be a nice quality since I have two little host siblings (2 yr old boy and 7 yr old girl) that would probably spend every minute of the day with me if I let them.

This is my host brother Dante. He's so cute but sure does love to test his boundaries; especially with me because he knows I can't yell at him if I don't speak Spanish.

Spanish has probably been my biggest challenge so far (besides not being able to watch the Packers play). My host parents don't speak any English which makes for interesting dinner conversations but I am slowly learning. Their two daughters who are in their late 20's and early 30's and still live at home (see mom and dad, it could be worse) speak English. They give me some relief from translating but often times speak to me in Spanish so I learn.

It's a tough life when your university is directly on the beach and your house is a block away but I've been able to manage. Beautiful sunsets accompanied by the sea lions are a frequent occurrence.

The variety and multitude of animals in the ocean, on land, and in the sky might be my favorite part of being here. The best is the hundreds of sea lions that line the beaches. They are just as interested in us as we are in them. This can be scary at times because of their sheer size but they are amazing creatures and the babies couldn't be cuter. The giant tortoises and blue footed boobies are pretty cool too!

More to come on trips and activities!

More Trips

Tiputini Biodiversity Center

September 5 - 9, 2011

I feel as though the Amazon is something you learn about in school but is never really somewhere you expect to go. As the pastel butterflies swarmed up around the bus and monkeys played in the trees as I walked to breakfast I knew I couldn't be anywhere else. The Amazon adventure was amazing and the most remote place I have ever been in my life. To get there we took a 30 minute plane ride, a 2 hour boat ride, 2 hour bus ride, and another 2 hour boat ride that dropped us off at the front door of the Tiputini Biodiversity Center. I was more than excited to be there for 5 days and explore one of the best places in the world for multiple species of everything.

TBC's front door

The week's activities included day and night hiking, walking across the tree tops, climbing a giant tower, eating good food, sleeping in cabins, sweating profusely, canoeing, floating down the Tiputini River in life jackets, volleyball, swimming, a night boat ride, application and reapplication of bug spray, an experiment with dog poop and dung beetles, and getting stung by miniature wasps. Along the way I saw spiders and insects that I thought only existed in Men in Black, really pretty colorful birds and butterflies, three different types of monkeys, Caimens (small crocodiles), and the largest rodent species, the Capybara (I thought they looked like miniature hippos) but sadly no Jaguar sightings.

Caterpillar

Canopy bridge

My descriptions don't do this beautiful place justice with its amazing staff and guides but I guess you will have to take my word for it. I wish I could have stayed longer but pouring rain and a delayed flight farewell awaited us.

Antisana

September 11, 2011

On Sunday we took a guided tour of one of Ecuador's thirty volcanoes. Antisana happens to be inactive but offered spectacular views of its snow topped peak and wildlife. We were lucky enough to see a condor on our tour. This is Ecuador's national bird and going extinct so it is very unusual to see. We saw a handful of other birds as well and a couple of white tailed deer. We stopped at a lagoon that is one of Quito's main water sources to take pictures and had a fantastic lunch of trout with figs and cheese for dessert. After lunch we went horse back riding and enjoyed the scenery.

At the lagoon

So fun! I hadn't been horseback riding in years.

Trips

Alpine Forest - Paluguillo Paramo Reserve and Papallacta Thermal Hot Springs

August 26, 2011

We went on an all day trip to the Alpine Forest. 45 of us piled into two buses and headed off at 730am. The bus ride there was nothing short of an adventure in itself. As we climbed up the side of a mountain on a gravel road all we could do was clutch each others knees as the bus tilted back and forth threatening to topple over the side of the cliff. We all thought we were goners when the bus stalled and started rolling backwards downhill but we made it to the top with only bruises in the shape of the hands of the person next to us.

I was not ready for what awaited us at the top. We exited the bus at 4300m (14,100ft) to the windiest weather I have ever encountered and 30 F. The wind could almost blow you over if you were standing in just the right position. Ice lined the chain linked fence and patches of the earth. We agreed to hike down the mountain side 10km (6 miles) if only to escape the unpredictable bus ride down and we knew the weather conditions could only get better. The hike was beautiful with lakes around every corner and vegetation that was brave enough to live at such conditions. We enjoyed lunch by the side of a lake and finished strong with only drizzles, no wind and the promise of hot springs.

The hot springs were the perfect way to end the day. The hot water of the pools eased our achy muscles and chilly toes. I rode home on the bus sleepy from the day and content to the fact that I just did a wonderful hike in Ecuador!

Cloud Forest - Maquipucuna Reserve

August 31 - September 1

I just returned on Thursday from a great two day adventure. If I could have stayed there for a week I would have been happy. As we sat listening to the opening talk we gazed upon very large hummingbirds feeding on the nearby feeders and butterflies of multiple colors flying around our heads. The day we arrived we did a pretty strenuous 3 hour hike in warm weather that was mostly uphill but thankfully this time we were only at 1000m. The green forest canopy and carved out trail led us to our lunch destination along a river and waterfall where we could swim. The water was cool but nice after our sweaty hike. We returned to the lodge and entertained ourselves with card games until dinner was served. We all went to bed early tired from the hike and ready to awake at 6am to go bird watching.

The cabin we stayed in

We saw a few colorful birds that morning but I was more amazed when our guide made a bird call and the same exact sound replied from the distance. He has quite a talent. After bird watching and breakfast we ventured on another hike. This one was much milder than the first but just as beautiful. I was lucky enough to go the whole trip with only two bites from unknown bugs. A huge feat considering my luck in Thailand (I had so many bugs bites up and down my arms and legs). We ate lunch and headed back on a windy bus ride knowing very well that we would all have the best sleep after all of that fresh air.

Day 4

We woke early to farm fresh eggs and freshly squeezed juice. I have drank more juice since I have been here than I ever have in my life. Ecuadorian fruit is so delicious that I just can't resist it or its' juices. After breakfast, Jacquie and I meandered around the farm in search for all of the animals that we were told made that farm their home. The view of the rolling hills and far off mountains were beautiful. I now understood why this place served as their weekend getaway from the city. Mid morning we traveled another 45 minutes north to a small town called Otavalo that is known for it's market filled with homemade Ecuadorian gifts. As you walk around you begin to realize that every stand has a variation of something you saw at the one before; alpaca blankets, scarfs, hats, gloves, jewelry, and bags. Everything is beautiful and haggling is a must. Despite the pressure of every stand owner to purchase their goods, I managed to walk away with only one bag.

View from the farm

Otavalo Market

After the market we drove a little further to an ecological reserve called Cotacachi Cayapas. It is an inactive volcano that managed to naturally fill its mouth with water. The view was breath taking and after walking up only 10 steps to overlook the lake, I was literary out of breath. The opportunity to take pictures was fully embarrassed as a means to take a break. After enjoying the peace and quite of the reserve, we decided to get something to eat and head back home.

Day 2 & 3

Don't worry I will not recap every day of my trip. The first few days after arriving have been exciting but once I get into the routine of everyday life, I will not bore you with the details.

Day 2 was an all day orientation. They talked to us about health and safety, Ecuadorian culture, and we met the president of USFQ. It was a long day and the guy from the US Embassy did a good job of scaring us all on the dangers of Quito.

Things I learned about Ecuadorian culture:

1. They kiss once on the cheek when they greet each other.

2. They don't feel the need to explain everything like we do. They just assume you understand.

3. Everyone is always late (even the airplanes). They call this Ecuadorian time.

Day 3 was another tour of Quito. We went to a few new places that weren't on the first tour like a beautiful park that overlooks the whole city. Below is a picture of the girls in my program and me at the park. Quito is a huge, long city; 31 miles long and 2.5 miles wide with tons of history. There are many beautiful churches and parks to explore. The streets and sidewalks are so narrow that when passing someone on the sidewalk you must step into the street but be careful to not get hit by a car. Here predestines don't have the right-of-way so crossing the street is like a game of frogger with the craziest drivers I have ever encountered.

In the afternoon we traveled to the equator in the rain (It rains everyday somewhere between 2-4 everyday and usually lasts the rest of the evening). I put one foot in the northern hemisphere and one foot in the southern. Just in case you were wondering the water does swirl in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere when you flush the toilet and you can balance an egg on its end with a little bit of determination.

After returning to the University, Jacquie and I rushed home. Our host family owns a farm 1.5 hours north of our home that we were going to for the night. This place is adorable equipped with dogs, mini horses, big horses, chickens, cows, donkeys, goats and alpacas. The drive there was an experience all in itself. We sped down a highway passing big trucks creating a line of four across a two lane highway. I prayed for my life a couple of times but Martha got us there safe. After arriving Jacquie and I ate dinner with our family, played cards and enjoyed a warm alcoholic beverage called Canelazo. It tasted just like an apple pie shot but warm and you sipped it. It was delicious. Below is a picture of my host families house on the farm.

Day 1

I made it in to Quito safe and sound with only a 2 hour delay in Miami. Not bad but it made for a very long day. Immigration and customs was no problem and my luggage made it as well (2 guys at our hostel still had not received their bags and they had been there 4 days already, yuck). I boarded the hostel shuttle with two other ladies from my program, Shelby and Jacquie, where I soon realized that losing my luggage might have been easier than not speaking Spanish. This was going to be a lot more challenging and exhausting than I had thought. We tried to communicate with our driver in what words we could remember from high school Spanish and our driver with what words he had learned from American TV and movies. We made it to our hostel, The Secret Garden, regardless and were welcomed by three others from my program, Christina, Elysse, and Tina. It was great to see them, hear about their adventures in Quito before we arrived, and enjoy a glass of wine at 9350 ft of elevation.

The next morning I woke up and found that Christina, Elysse, and Tina had contracted Montezuma's revenge and were not feeling well at all. The rest of us helped the sicklings move out of our hostel room before we departed on a walking tour of the city, promising not to stop for lunch at the restaurant where they think they had the bad food. The walking tour lasted about 2 hours as our friendly tour guide showed us all the important spots in Old Town. We finished with a climb to the top of the basilica that offered us wonderful views of the sprawling city of Quito. The birds eye view made the city look like a gigantic patch work quilt.

Later that day in the pouring rain we made our way to the Universidad San Francisco de Quito where we will be taking classes for the next month. We were on our way to meet our host families. I had no idea what to expect of my "family" or where I would be living but I found some solace in the fact that I would be living with Jacquie from my program. I was also praying they spoke a little English so things wouldn't be terribly difficult, but not too much so I could learn the language. Was that too much to ask? After only a few minutes of waiting, we were picked up by our host mom, Martha and sister, Monica. I was immediately relieved when Monica started speaking in very good English. I knew the housing situation was going to be very different than I had expected when we drove through the entrance of the gated community where we would be living. Was I just seeing things through the pouring down rain? Nope! Our host families home is beautiful and more than I could ask for; my own room with double bed, wireless internet, two cats, a dog, and home cooked Ecuadorian meals!