I have officially moved my blog to: http://cookcolleen.wordpress.com.
Check it out there!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
nerves
I learned a new appreciation for teachers today. On my first day here in Monterrey, Samuel suggested that I teach an English class while I'm here to get some practice and some experience. I was a little hesitant because I can be pretty socially awkward if I'm nervous and teaching a class to a bunch of people I've never met makes me nervous. So, yesterday, we planned out a lesson for me to do -- saludos (greetings), questions like where are you from, etc., and body parts (for which Samuel created the body of man, that looked more like a monkey with dagger arms, on Microsoft Word). Today, I stood in front of about 25 students and taught the class. And it was actually pretty fun! I wanted to throw up beforehand, but as soon as I started talking, I became more comfortable. I just realized when I was up there how hard it must be for teachers, especially substitute teachers, to try to gain the approval of the class, while also teaching them something valuable.
5 days until I'm headed home to North Carolina! I think this may be the first (perhaps, only) time that I've ever been excited about going home from Mexico. Not that I want to leave necessarily, but I think my "travel time" for this year is running out, and I'm ready to be settled and catch up with my friends and family.
5 days until I'm headed home to North Carolina! I think this may be the first (perhaps, only) time that I've ever been excited about going home from Mexico. Not that I want to leave necessarily, but I think my "travel time" for this year is running out, and I'm ready to be settled and catch up with my friends and family.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
méxico, méxico
What a crazy week it's been! Jake and I continued our community-visiting last week and headed to El Gusano on Tuesday. It was fun to meet slash re-acquaint myself with everyone there, including our friend Kari, who is from DF and is working for the Fundación this summer. We also got to meet the kids that are there this year from UNC-CH and (try to) give them some advice and encouragement.
We stayed there until Thursday afternoon, when we took a bus over to Guanajuato City, also known as my favorite city in Mexico. Because we've both been to the city more than once, we skipped the typical tourist-y things and spent a lot of time on the rooftop balcony of our hostel, enjoying the view and fresh fruit. All the kids from UNC came on Friday, so we hung out with them at night. Also on Friday, we went to see the movie Thor (still on the fence about whether I recommend that or not). Saturday, we walked around the city a bit and met some super cool girls from Canada at our hostel. We ended up cooking a delicious dinner with them that night, and they came out dancing with us and the UNC group.
Sunday, we headed back to Mexico City and hung out with Walter for the night. Jake headed down to Oaxaca on a midnight bus, and I left Monday on a flight up to Monterrey.
Now, I'm hanging out at the Berea Bible Institute, where my friend Samuel lives and teaches. I met Samuel during the summer of 2008 when we were both working for Ministerio de Fe in Miguel Alemán, and when I worked in Reynosa in 2009, we came for a weekend to Monterrey. Although we've kept in really good touch, I hadn't seen him since them...until yesterday! I'm staying in the girls' dorms, and it's been great meeting the girls that study here. It's also been great spending time with Samuel and meeting his friends.
I leave here on Friday, and on Sunday, I am heading back to North Carolina! As truly amazing as this past semester and this trip to Mexico have been, I am ready to be settled back in Chapel Hill.
We stayed there until Thursday afternoon, when we took a bus over to Guanajuato City, also known as my favorite city in Mexico. Because we've both been to the city more than once, we skipped the typical tourist-y things and spent a lot of time on the rooftop balcony of our hostel, enjoying the view and fresh fruit. All the kids from UNC came on Friday, so we hung out with them at night. Also on Friday, we went to see the movie Thor (still on the fence about whether I recommend that or not). Saturday, we walked around the city a bit and met some super cool girls from Canada at our hostel. We ended up cooking a delicious dinner with them that night, and they came out dancing with us and the UNC group.
Sunday, we headed back to Mexico City and hung out with Walter for the night. Jake headed down to Oaxaca on a midnight bus, and I left Monday on a flight up to Monterrey.
Now, I'm hanging out at the Berea Bible Institute, where my friend Samuel lives and teaches. I met Samuel during the summer of 2008 when we were both working for Ministerio de Fe in Miguel Alemán, and when I worked in Reynosa in 2009, we came for a weekend to Monterrey. Although we've kept in really good touch, I hadn't seen him since them...until yesterday! I'm staying in the girls' dorms, and it's been great meeting the girls that study here. It's also been great spending time with Samuel and meeting his friends.
I leave here on Friday, and on Sunday, I am heading back to North Carolina! As truly amazing as this past semester and this trip to Mexico have been, I am ready to be settled back in Chapel Hill.
Monday, May 23, 2011
que milagro!
What a miracle!
These are the words I was greeted with today as I walked around Tamaula, the 200-person community where I lived last summer. Given that it's a community so small, on top of a mountain, with limited access to running water and Internet, it was difficult to stay in touch with the friends I made last year. But as promised, I went back to visit them, and what a good decision that was. It was a perfect day in Tamaula.
We got there fairly early, and we hung out and ate breakfast with Doña Mago (my host mom), Lady, and Susana. We went walking around the community with two of Mago's granddaughters, Monserrat and Carolina, and ended up at the tienda where Clay and I consistently bought out their stock of Pinguinos. There, we met up with María Santos, the host sister with whom I spent the most time and got the closest last summer. We hung out for a little bit before she had to go back to class. I walked back with her and saw my students from last summer (minus Junior, who moved to Chihuahua).
Don Reyes, Goyo, Ana Maria, Yesenia, and one of Doña Mago's sisters arrived back from Irapuato in the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day on the porch of their house, chatting about everything from my time in Ecuador to how to raise chickens to my search for a Latino boyfriend (I was instructed to invite all of them to my wedding, which of course I will do, but not before I bring my future husband to Tamaula for their approval). Because my Spanish has improved tremendously since I was there last, it was great to be able to hang out and have conversations for hours without feeling anxious or nervous. It was also great seeing all the kids that I loved, even though it took some of them a little bit of time to warm back up to me. Esme, one of Goyo's daughters, didn't remember me, but she was only a year old when I was there last.
I ended the day in Tamaula walking around town with María Santos and talking about her love life, then playing fútbol with her, Lady, and Yesenia on the soccer field. The perfect end to a perfect day.
I think one of the things I loved so much was that Tamaula was exactly the same as when I left it. Save for a few people (including Don Candido) that left for the United States, everyone was there that I expected to be there. The kids look older, and Lucas (the chick that Clay adopted as his pet) has grown into an adult gallo, but other than that, everything is the same. And it was good to be back.
These are the words I was greeted with today as I walked around Tamaula, the 200-person community where I lived last summer. Given that it's a community so small, on top of a mountain, with limited access to running water and Internet, it was difficult to stay in touch with the friends I made last year. But as promised, I went back to visit them, and what a good decision that was. It was a perfect day in Tamaula.
We got there fairly early, and we hung out and ate breakfast with Doña Mago (my host mom), Lady, and Susana. We went walking around the community with two of Mago's granddaughters, Monserrat and Carolina, and ended up at the tienda where Clay and I consistently bought out their stock of Pinguinos. There, we met up with María Santos, the host sister with whom I spent the most time and got the closest last summer. We hung out for a little bit before she had to go back to class. I walked back with her and saw my students from last summer (minus Junior, who moved to Chihuahua).
Don Reyes, Goyo, Ana Maria, Yesenia, and one of Doña Mago's sisters arrived back from Irapuato in the afternoon, and we spent the rest of the day on the porch of their house, chatting about everything from my time in Ecuador to how to raise chickens to my search for a Latino boyfriend (I was instructed to invite all of them to my wedding, which of course I will do, but not before I bring my future husband to Tamaula for their approval). Because my Spanish has improved tremendously since I was there last, it was great to be able to hang out and have conversations for hours without feeling anxious or nervous. It was also great seeing all the kids that I loved, even though it took some of them a little bit of time to warm back up to me. Esme, one of Goyo's daughters, didn't remember me, but she was only a year old when I was there last.
I ended the day in Tamaula walking around town with María Santos and talking about her love life, then playing fútbol with her, Lady, and Yesenia on the soccer field. The perfect end to a perfect day.
I think one of the things I loved so much was that Tamaula was exactly the same as when I left it. Save for a few people (including Don Candido) that left for the United States, everyone was there that I expected to be there. The kids look older, and Lucas (the chick that Clay adopted as his pet) has grown into an adult gallo, but other than that, everything is the same. And it was good to be back.
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| My family in Tamaula: Lady, Susana, me, María Santos, Doña Mago, Goyo, Don Reyes, & Jesús |
Saturday, May 21, 2011
new adventures
Well, it's been almost a week since I left Quito, and I sure am missing it a lot. But I'm determined to have a fabulous summer, regardless of how much I miss Ecuador. So, on to new adventures!
I'm currently writing from Mexico City, where I'm visiting my good friend Walter. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going with my friend Jake to the communities where we spent time last summer. I'm excited to see my host family in Tamaula and hopefully ride horses with Maria Santos! Next weekend, we are meeting back up with Walter to spend a few days in Guanajuato City, one of my favorite cities in the world. Then, I'm heading up to Monterrey to seé my good friend Samuel, who I haven't seen in 2 years!
Back home on June 5. Back to Chapel Hill on June 6. Let the summer begin!
I'm currently writing from Mexico City, where I'm visiting my good friend Walter. Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going with my friend Jake to the communities where we spent time last summer. I'm excited to see my host family in Tamaula and hopefully ride horses with Maria Santos! Next weekend, we are meeting back up with Walter to spend a few days in Guanajuato City, one of my favorite cities in the world. Then, I'm heading up to Monterrey to seé my good friend Samuel, who I haven't seen in 2 years!
Back home on June 5. Back to Chapel Hill on June 6. Let the summer begin!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
an incredible semester
This is probably the last post that I'll write from Quito. Man, what a truly amazing semester I've had here. That's something that my friends here and I have been talking about for weeks now, how grateful we are to have met each other and how blessed we are to have had this experience. But it didn't really hit me until tonight, when I was saying goodbye to Maya and Rosa, two friends that live on the West Coast, and my host family's "extended family" (whom I consider my family), at which point I, of course, started crying. My host dad made a good point -- that's the hard part about us traveling. We make great friends, and then we have to say goodbye to them. Well I say, I'd rather have made such lifelong friendships here and have the pain of saying goodbye, than have never made them at all.
Yes, I can cry now because what was an incredible 4 1/2 months is now over. But, I can always laugh and remember all the amazing memories I have with friends that I know will be friends forever.
Since January, I have...
1. Learned how to navigate a city of over 1.5 million people
2. Mastered a semester of 5 classes taught all in Spanish
3. Celebrated my 21st birthday at hot springs below the Equator
4. Ziplined through the Amazon rainforest
5. Cheered on the Quito soccer team at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa
6. Visited Ecuadorian beaches seven times
7. Eaten countless bowls of shrimp ceviche
8. Memorized all the lyrics to 5 reggaeton songs
9. Been robbed in Quito
10. Repelled down waterfalls in a wetsuit and Keds
11. Jumped off a 450-feet-high bridge
12. Drunk a milkshake "to go" out of a plastic bag
13. Been foamed during Carnaval
14. Strolled down La Ronda, drinking canelazo
15. Watched my baby sister grow to be 6 months old
16. Climbed Ecuador's best-preserved archaeological ruins
17. Hike Cajas National Park in my TOMS
18. Made friends with great people in Canoa
19. Got a hair wrap
20. Climbed a tiny ladder 200 feet above the rainforest
21. Held a monkey
22. Learned to surf
23. Swam in a river in the Amazon, home to piranhas and anacondas
24. Went rafting on a river in South America
25. Got stuck by a mountain landslide
26. Saw the Galápagos Islands - sea lions, blue-footed boobies, iguanas, pelicans, etc.
27. Snorkeled with sharks
28. Met a giant turtle
29. Went to countless Ladies Nights and salsa nights at Aguijon
30. Stood on the Equator
31. Lived in a house with the most kind and fun people anyone will ever meet.
Yes, I can cry now because what was an incredible 4 1/2 months is now over. But, I can always laugh and remember all the amazing memories I have with friends that I know will be friends forever.
Since January, I have...
1. Learned how to navigate a city of over 1.5 million people
2. Mastered a semester of 5 classes taught all in Spanish
3. Celebrated my 21st birthday at hot springs below the Equator
4. Ziplined through the Amazon rainforest
5. Cheered on the Quito soccer team at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa
6. Visited Ecuadorian beaches seven times
7. Eaten countless bowls of shrimp ceviche
8. Memorized all the lyrics to 5 reggaeton songs
9. Been robbed in Quito
10. Repelled down waterfalls in a wetsuit and Keds
11. Jumped off a 450-feet-high bridge
12. Drunk a milkshake "to go" out of a plastic bag
13. Been foamed during Carnaval
14. Strolled down La Ronda, drinking canelazo
15. Watched my baby sister grow to be 6 months old
16. Climbed Ecuador's best-preserved archaeological ruins
17. Hike Cajas National Park in my TOMS
18. Made friends with great people in Canoa
19. Got a hair wrap
20. Climbed a tiny ladder 200 feet above the rainforest
21. Held a monkey
22. Learned to surf
23. Swam in a river in the Amazon, home to piranhas and anacondas
24. Went rafting on a river in South America
25. Got stuck by a mountain landslide
26. Saw the Galápagos Islands - sea lions, blue-footed boobies, iguanas, pelicans, etc.
27. Snorkeled with sharks
28. Met a giant turtle
29. Went to countless Ladies Nights and salsa nights at Aguijon
30. Stood on the Equator
31. Lived in a house with the most kind and fun people anyone will ever meet.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
la visita de mi hermana!
This week was a whirlwind of traveling for Meredith and me! She arrived in Quito on Friday night, and I spent Saturday and Sunday showing her around Quito. We actually got to do some classic Quito things that I hadn't done yet -- the TelefériQo up Pichincha and Mitad del Mundo. We also went to a surprise goodbye party for Ashley on Saturday night, which was a lot of fun. Ashley, Meredith, and I celebrated Mother's Day here by cooking an "American" meal for our host families (who are actually all the same family). We made cheesy chicken, twice-baked potatoes, rice, salad, and chocolate chip cookies!
Monday morning, we headed to Baños, where we stayed until Tuesday afternoon. Meredith did puenting (bridge jumping), and we took a chiva (party bus) up to the top of a mountain on Monday night to see the town and drink canelazo. We were supposed to be able to see the erupting Tungurahua Volcano, but it was too cloudy. Tuesday, we rode horses up to some waterfalls and then headed back to Quito!
Of course, any tour of my Ecuadorian favorites has to, and will always, include Canoa. It almost feels like a second home to Quito now, after being there four times. Meredith loved it, just like I knew she would! We left Quito on Tuesday night and got to Canoa around 5AM on Wednesday. We spent the next three days relaxing on the beach and walking down to the cliffs. We ate Surf Shak burgers and ceviche, of course, and had a great time hanging out with friends there.
It was a fun week, and it's hard to believe it flew by so quickly! Today's my last day in Ecuador, and tonight is my goodbye party/my host dad's birthday party. And then it's back to North Carolina!
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| At the top of Pichincha with a view of Quito |
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| Meredith in Plaza San Francisco |
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| The girls at Ashley's despedida |
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| Amigos :) |
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| At Mitad del Mundo |
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| At Mitad del Mundo |
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| Family Mother's Day dinner |
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| The familia |
Monday morning, we headed to Baños, where we stayed until Tuesday afternoon. Meredith did puenting (bridge jumping), and we took a chiva (party bus) up to the top of a mountain on Monday night to see the town and drink canelazo. We were supposed to be able to see the erupting Tungurahua Volcano, but it was too cloudy. Tuesday, we rode horses up to some waterfalls and then headed back to Quito!
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| After Meredith jumped off the bridge! |
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| Canelazo and the night view of Baños |
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| Horseback riding to the waterfalls |
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| At the waterfalls |
Of course, any tour of my Ecuadorian favorites has to, and will always, include Canoa. It almost feels like a second home to Quito now, after being there four times. Meredith loved it, just like I knew she would! We left Quito on Tuesday night and got to Canoa around 5AM on Wednesday. We spent the next three days relaxing on the beach and walking down to the cliffs. We ate Surf Shak burgers and ceviche, of course, and had a great time hanging out with friends there.
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| Meredith in Canoa! |
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| My friend Payaso spinning fire |
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| Meredith's first Ecuadorian ceviche! |
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| Canoa <3 |
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| Sunset |
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| Mere & I with my friend Fabian |
It was a fun week, and it's hard to believe it flew by so quickly! Today's my last day in Ecuador, and tonight is my goodbye party/my host dad's birthday party. And then it's back to North Carolina!
Friday, May 6, 2011
la última
This week was the last week of classes/exams at USFQ, and it was the last week that most of my friends and I are all together. Three of my best friends here head out to Argentina tonight, but around the same time, my sister arrives in Quito!
Even though we were "swamped" with tons of "studying" this week, we managed to celebrate our last week in Quito together.
On Tuesday, my lit professor had a Cuban lunch and viewing of the movie "Fresa y Chocolate" at his house in Cumbayá. Our class went over, ate some really great food, and chilled at his beautiful house.
Wednesday was the last ladies night at Bungalow and the last salsa night at Aguijon. It was pretty sad, but it also made us realize how lucky we were to have met each other this semester.
Thursday was the last day of classes, so we took some pictures on campus to commemorate our last semester.
Thursday night, we celebrated being done with all of our classes with a Mexican dinner at a restaurant in La Mariscal called Red Hot Chili Peppers. Delicious. Then, we went to go see one last movie at Cinemark, and we lucked out because it was ladies night, and we got tickets for $2.20! We saw "Water for Elephants," which I highly recommend to everyone. It was excellent.
Today, we had one last lunch all together at Alice Ann's grandma's café.
I really was blessed to have met all of these friends this semester. I can't imagine these past 4 1/2 months without them!
Even though we were "swamped" with tons of "studying" this week, we managed to celebrate our last week in Quito together.
On Tuesday, my lit professor had a Cuban lunch and viewing of the movie "Fresa y Chocolate" at his house in Cumbayá. Our class went over, ate some really great food, and chilled at his beautiful house.
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| Delicious Cuban food |
Wednesday was the last ladies night at Bungalow and the last salsa night at Aguijon. It was pretty sad, but it also made us realize how lucky we were to have met each other this semester.
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| triplethreat. |
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| Rosa & Maya, who live on the West Coast :( |
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| Rosa, Liz, & I |
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| Cutest couple in Ecuador |
Thursday night, we celebrated being done with all of our classes with a Mexican dinner at a restaurant in La Mariscal called Red Hot Chili Peppers. Delicious. Then, we went to go see one last movie at Cinemark, and we lucked out because it was ladies night, and we got tickets for $2.20! We saw "Water for Elephants," which I highly recommend to everyone. It was excellent.
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| The guys thought it was a chick flick. |
Today, we had one last lunch all together at Alice Ann's grandma's café.
I really was blessed to have met all of these friends this semester. I can't imagine these past 4 1/2 months without them!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
familia
One of the things that I wish I had had more time to do this semester is spend time with my host family. It's hard being torn between seeing all the beautiful places in Ecuador and spending time at my house with them. My host parents Lore and Guille are two of the most kind and welcoming people I've ever met, and they have made my experience in Ecaudor an incredible one. Hearing some stories from other exchange students and the relationships they have (or rather, don't have) with their host family, I am even more grateful of how blessed I was to have lived with Lore, Guille, Leandro, and Linet.
Luckily, this past weekend and this week/weekend, I have been able to spend more time at home, and it's been wonderful. Saturday night, they had a couple of friends over, and we spent the evening enjoying each other's company, which is something I've only had the chance to do a few times this semester. Last night, my friends Liz and Cole were over studying, and they stayed for dinner. Little did we know that it was going to be something of a dinner party! Lore and Guille met a guy from England this past weekend when they were at a friend's house, and they had him over for dinner last night. So, over burritos and Coke, we all chatted in a mixture of Spanish and English about everything from life in Ecuador to Guille's favorite topic, Cuba.
This Friday, my sister (finally) gets here! And of course, Guille wants to celebrate. So, Friday night, we're having a welcome party for Meredith and a goodbye party for me and Ashley. Sunday is Mother's Day, so Ashley and I (with my sister's help) are going to make dinner and dessert for our host moms and our families. And NEXT weekend, after a week of showing my sister around Ecuador, we're having another party at my house. This one will be a combination of my actual goodbye party and Guille's birthday party.
As my time here winds down, I'm excited to go home and see my family and friends (and drive my car and eat Chickfila). I'm also very sad to leave Ecuador. It's been my home for the past 4 1/2 months, and I'm even tearing up a little just writing this. But I also know that I have had the most incredible experience here, and I am so blessed to have been able to live here. I have had so much fun, and I have learned so much. I have to remember to look back on this experience and yes, be sad that it is over, but more importantly, be grateful that these 4 1/2 months were part of my life.
Luckily, this past weekend and this week/weekend, I have been able to spend more time at home, and it's been wonderful. Saturday night, they had a couple of friends over, and we spent the evening enjoying each other's company, which is something I've only had the chance to do a few times this semester. Last night, my friends Liz and Cole were over studying, and they stayed for dinner. Little did we know that it was going to be something of a dinner party! Lore and Guille met a guy from England this past weekend when they were at a friend's house, and they had him over for dinner last night. So, over burritos and Coke, we all chatted in a mixture of Spanish and English about everything from life in Ecuador to Guille's favorite topic, Cuba.
This Friday, my sister (finally) gets here! And of course, Guille wants to celebrate. So, Friday night, we're having a welcome party for Meredith and a goodbye party for me and Ashley. Sunday is Mother's Day, so Ashley and I (with my sister's help) are going to make dinner and dessert for our host moms and our families. And NEXT weekend, after a week of showing my sister around Ecuador, we're having another party at my house. This one will be a combination of my actual goodbye party and Guille's birthday party.
As my time here winds down, I'm excited to go home and see my family and friends (and drive my car and eat Chickfila). I'm also very sad to leave Ecuador. It's been my home for the past 4 1/2 months, and I'm even tearing up a little just writing this. But I also know that I have had the most incredible experience here, and I am so blessed to have been able to live here. I have had so much fun, and I have learned so much. I have to remember to look back on this experience and yes, be sad that it is over, but more importantly, be grateful that these 4 1/2 months were part of my life.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
historic.
May this post serve as a memory of one of the most historic moments in the United States in the past decade. Tonight, President Obama announced that 10 years after 3,000 people were killed, U.S. intelligence officials found and killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. This is truly a huge step in healing for the thousands of families and friends of those who were killed on September 11, but it is a little bit difficult to rejoice so much in the death of another human being. However, I think Derek Webb said it best...
"Don't celebrate death, celebrate justice."
little mr. turtle
Remember back in January, when my parents gave me the best birthday present I could have asked for? If not, here's a refresher:
I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity Mom and Dad gave me to go to the Galápagos. I wanted to bring them with me, but that was obviously a stretch. So, I brought the little turtle they gave me along on the trip. He had a great time, but I hope that one day my parents are able to experience all that he & I did in person!
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| At Volcán Sierra Negra |
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| Riding on the boat |
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| With a pelican |
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| Sunset on the beach |
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| With a fellow turtle |
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| On the beach at Tortuga Bay |
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| Flying home |
Thanks Mom & Dad for an amazing experience! I can't thank you enough, and I love you more than you know!
no hay lugar como galápagos
Indescribable. I feel like pictures and stories can't even begin to show the incredible beauty of the Galápagos Islands. Its bright blue waters and sunsets are gorgeous, and it is home to countless species of animals. It's not cheap to go, but it totally vale la pena!
TUESDAY
- Plane from Quito to Guayaquil to the Galápagos
- Ferry across to Isla Santa Cruz
- 2-hour boat ride to Isla Isabela (worst boat ride ever. I didn't know I could get sea sick!)
- Checked into our hostel on the island
- Flamingo-watching!
- Enjoyed the sunset over the water
- Dinner
- Went out for Ashley's 21st birthday!
WEDNESDAY
- 9-mile hike up to and around Volcán Sierra Negra
- Picnic lunch
- Walk around Islote Tintorera (named after the white-tipped sharks)
- Snorkeling!
- Another beautiful sunset
- Dinner
- Sleep early (we were so exhausted)
THURSDAY
- Up early at 5:00am!
- Boat back to Isla Santa Cruz
- Breakfast & animal-watching at the dock
- Checked into our hostel
- Charles Darwin Research Station to see the giant turtles!
- Walk to Tortuga Bay (blue water/white sand beach)
- Relax in the pool at the hostel
- Dinner & shopping
FRIDAY
- Breakfast
- Packed up and headed back to the airport
- Stopped at two "twin" craters
- Flew back to Guayaquil, then Quito
Pretty amazing, right?
TUESDAY
- Plane from Quito to Guayaquil to the Galápagos
- Ferry across to Isla Santa Cruz
- 2-hour boat ride to Isla Isabela (worst boat ride ever. I didn't know I could get sea sick!)
- Checked into our hostel on the island
- Flamingo-watching!
- Enjoyed the sunset over the water
- Dinner
- Went out for Ashley's 21st birthday!
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| Ferry to Isla Santa Cruz |
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| Isla Santa Cruz |
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| Beach at Isla Isabela |
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| Girls at the flamingo lake |
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| Sunset at Isla Isabela |
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| Girls on the beach |
WEDNESDAY
- 9-mile hike up to and around Volcán Sierra Negra
- Picnic lunch
- Walk around Islote Tintorera (named after the white-tipped sharks)
- Snorkeling!
- Another beautiful sunset
- Dinner
- Sleep early (we were so exhausted)
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| Volcán Sierra Negra - 6 miles across and 5 miles wide |
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| The group at Volcán Sierra Negra |
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| UNC! |
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| conquer. |
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| Ashley & I |
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| A sea lion on a boat! |
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| Penguins |
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| Marine iguana |
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| Sea lion on Islote Tintorera |
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| About to go snorkeling |
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| Snorkeling! |
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| Another beautiful sunset |
THURSDAY
- Up early at 5:00am!
- Boat back to Isla Santa Cruz
- Breakfast & animal-watching at the dock
- Checked into our hostel
- Charles Darwin Research Station to see the giant turtles!
- Walk to Tortuga Bay (blue water/white sand beach)
- Relax in the pool at the hostel
- Dinner & shopping
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| Sunrise at Isla Isabela |
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| A sea lion and a ton of pelicans |
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| Blue-footed booby! |
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| With a giant turtle |
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| Tortugas gigantes |
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| Tortuga Bay |
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| Girls at Tortuga Bay |
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| We saw a baby shark! |
FRIDAY
- Breakfast
- Packed up and headed back to the airport
- Stopped at two "twin" craters
- Flew back to Guayaquil, then Quito
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| At the twin craters |
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| Chau Galápagos! |
Pretty amazing, right?
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