Today (Tuesday) was our last day on Isabela and we still had so much to do. Last night we planned what we would do today so that we would be sure to get everything in. Yesterday we started a walk that I really liked but it was getting dark so we didn't get to go very far. I knew that there was a lot to see there and I REALLY wanted to go back and see it all. A couple of days ago Luisa and I had gone to the Galapaguera which we had later told our family about and they all wanted to go see it. And we had to do both of these things, find breakfast, and find lunch before one o'clock when a taxi was going to take us to the airport for our two o'clock flight.
So this morning Luisa, my dad and me woke up by 6:15, got dressed and headed to the bakery to buy cheese empanadas for breakfast. We walked, eating our empanadas, downtown to rent bikes. It seemed like not much was open yet so we had ten minutes to spare until seven o'clock when the bike rental shop would be open. My dad decided that he needed coffee so we went to a restaurant and he had some coffee while we finished off our empanadas. The owner of the restaurant pointed us to a bike rental that she said was open early so we walked the block there. The bike rental was actually a general store that also rented bikes. They had ten there and it costed two dollars an hour for each bike. We got bikes and headed down the road along the beach.
At first, this road was sandy and at points it was hard to bike but then after about two kilometers the beach stopped and the road began to move away from the water. At this point there were bathrooms and a sign saying that we were entering the "Humaldes" section of the national park. From here, the end of the road would be about three and a half kilometers ending with the wall of tears. There were lots of little paths to go down on the way to the wall but we didn't stop on the way there. At a couple of spots where there were lots of mangrove trees they formed a tunnel over the road which was really cool. We went through different zones on the way to the wall: first the beach, then the forest, then the area with cactus and shrubs, and then a different kind of forest. The area with the cactus and shrubs had signs that were pictures that meant either don't touch the tortoises or else don't feed the tortoises. This meant that there were supposed to be wild tortoises there but we didn't see any on the way.
We finally got to the end of the road. We got off our bikes and put them in the bike racks and headed down the path to the wall of tears. This wall was made between 1946 and 1959 by prisoners that were on Isabela. They were forced to build the wall with huge blocks of lava. The wall was 7 meters high and 100 meters long and wasn't built for a purpose other than to punish the prisoners. We also could walk up and around the wall to see the other side. Then we walked back to our bikes and headed to Cerro Orchilla which was a steep hill that we walked up to the top to the look-out where we could see a beautiful view of everything. Then we walked back down and biked to El Estero. On the way there we saw three tortoises in the wild! One was eating a piece of prickly pear cactus that had broken off and fallen on the ground. Another was walking across the road. At El Estero there was a walk that had all four types of mangrove: white, black, red and button. It was really dense and felt like we were walking through a tiny tunnel that we had to duck through. Then the path lead out to a tiny beach beside a stream that smelled like sulfur and had lots of mangroves in it. The sign here said that this stream had been the source of water for the prisoners that built the wall of tears. Then we walked back and biked to Poza Escondida (Hidden Lagoon). This lagoon was very hidden. Again we walked through denseness and ended up at a hidden lagoon. It was really pretty because it was completely surrounded by dense mangrove forest. We walked back and biked to Poza Redonda (Round Lagoon). This was another lagoon that had very nice birds. Next we biked to Túnel Del Estero. This was a lava tunnel that had caved in at one spot so that we could go down inside of it. There was also some water in it. The next stop was Mirador Los Tunos. This was a path that took us to two lagoons. The smaller lagoon was surrounded by lava rock because it was a collapsed lava tunnel. That was the last stop and we headed back really fast to be sure to keep our schedule.
We returned our bikes and walked back to our hostal, arriving at about 9:40. My mom, grandma and grandpa had had breakfast on their own while we were gone. Then we all walked toward downtown to catch a taxi to the Galapaguera (1.5 km from town). We asked to get dropped off a little bit farther than the Galapaguera at a man made lagoon where there were nine flamingos. We also saw common gallinules, black necked stilts and white cheeked pintails. We stayed there for a bit, looking at the birds, and then walked to the Galapaguera. The Galapaguera had two types of tortoises: the ones from Cerro Azul (Blue Hill) and the ones from Sierra Negra (Black Mountain Range) (the two southern volcanos on Isabela). There was also a little museum to learn more about giant tortoises. The eggs of giant tortoises are very fragile. They cannot be turned at all which is probably a reason that the mom lays her eggs buried underground. Once baby tortoises hatch underground they have to dig for about 30 days until they get out into the open. The shell of baby tortoises is as soft as an ear cartilage which is why so many tortoise babies die because many animals and people can hurt and kill them. Most of their predators are introduced animals such as wild pigs, donkeys, cows, ants, rats and dogs. Once we were finished in the museum my grandma asked, "Did somebody say there was a gift shop?" So we went to the gift shop. My dad and I bought popsicles, my grandpa bought a cap and my mom bought a couple shirts for friends.
On the way back to town we walked on a really nice path that took us through forest and cactus and across a few lagoons. We saw more white cheeked pintails in those lagoons. Then when we got to town we had an hour before we were supposed to be picked up to go to the airport. So we decided where to eat (which, as always, took forever) and after we had ordered Luisa spotted a couple of guys that were climbing up coconut trees and collecting coconuts. Luisa and my mom went over and bought two from them and they chopped off the tops with their machete and stuck in a straw. Then they came back to our restaurant and we ate a great meal ending at 12:45 which gave us just enough time to walk back to our hostal. Even though the taxi was supposed to pick us up at one it didn't end up coming until 1:30. But that ended up being fine because at the tiny airport all we had to do was show them our bags and they put tags on them and we were ready to get on our six person airplane.
Finally they let us board. We climbed into the plane and it was so tiny all of us had to duck. On the inside it felt the same size as a minivan. After the six of us had gotten in the pilot squeezed his way between us and squeezed into his seat. The airplane ride was short but we got to see a lot. When we took off we could see Los Cuatro Hermanos (islets off of Isabela), Isla Tortuga (a small island off of Isabela), Isla Pinzón (faintly), Isla Santa Cruz, Isla Santa Fe, Isla Floreana (in the distance), and finally, Isla San Cristóbal. The airplane landed and we got our picture taken with the plane.
Recent Family Picture
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Las Tintoreras (Kent)
On Tuesday (day 3 of our trip to Isabela Island), we went on a short boat ride to "Las Tintoreras." "Las Tintoreras" is Spanish for white tipped fin sharks, which are nocturnal sharks that rest in caves and calm water during the day. Even though we had seen these sharks up close while snorkeling the day before, my Mom (who had opted not to snorkel), hadn't seen them. What was exciting about this particular guided trip, which included a hike, a boat ride and snorkeling, was that we had a chance to see the white tipped fin sharks without going in the water. We were also very excited about the possibility of seeing Galápagos penguins, the smallest and most northern penguins in the world.
Unlike the previous day where we went on a long boat ride to get to our destination, we never got up to full speed on this boat ride because the destination was so close. The islets, like many things on Isabela, are made up of lava rock which juts out of the bay in a variety of interesting shapes and formations. Some of the islets have little "rivers" running through them. Some have cactus growing on them. Some have lots of mangrove trees crawling up and over the edges. As we were marveling at these strange sites, our tour guide said "penguins!" We looked at where he was pointing and we saw blue footed boobies, which, with their bright blue feet and white and brown feathers, stand out among the black lava rocks. We strained our eyes, and saw these smaller black blobs on the rocks. With their black backs to us, it was hard to distinguish them from the rocks, but sure enough, there were three there. (Later we would return to this site and see 7-8). Only in the Galapagos can you see an islet with cactus and marine iguanas and then turn around and see another islet with blue footed boobies, penguins and mangroves!
Most of the Galápagos penguins live on the other side of Isabela, in the waters between Fernandina Island and Isabela. There are only about 20-30 penguins in the Tintoreras area, and they always return to the Fernandina area to lay their eggs. During the morning the Galápagos penguins are often fishing so we were very happy that we saw some. We were also very surprised how small they were. At 1.5 feet in height, they are much smaller than the blue footed boobies, who can grow to be 2.56 feet tall. On our second sighting of the penguins, we were able to see them swim to shore, scoot up onto the rocks, and waddle-hop their way up to higher ground. We were also fortunate to see them swim in the water. I try to refrain from over using the word "cute," but these penguins are definitely cute!
So why are there penguins at the Equator? One of the things that makes the Galapagos unique and full of sea life is that there are four ocean currents that converge at the islands. One of those currents, the Humboldt current, is a cold current that originates in the the Antarctica. The ancestors of these guys probably rode this current up to the Galapagos. These waters are cold, which the penguins like.
The islet we hiked on was a field of black lava rocks decorated with white and green splotches. Most of the lava rocks in the islands are decorated with white splotches thanks to the many sea bird droppings. But these white splotches were lichen, and the green was algae. Along the path we were greeted by many scurrying lava lizards and many basking marine iguanas. The male marine iguanas are much bigger than the females. Males feed on the algae on the ocean floor and females feed on algae that is exposed when the tides are low. Because of their smaller size, females are not big and strong enough to brave the strong ocean currents and waves.
On our islet hike we were also introduced to two of the four different kinds of mangrove trees in the Galapagos: red mangroves and white mangroves. From a boat the mangroves look like they have two distinct sections: the leaves and the roots, with a straight line between the two showing how high the tide goes. With a close-up view on land, it doesn't appear so straight forward. The roots are more hidden and the branches look as though they are one big tangled mess. The roots and the branches are of similar widths and it's less clear where the root starts and the branches start.
Towards the end of our hike our guide led us to an area where the water and all of the fish in it were "trapped" in a skinny lagoon of water between rocks because it was low tide. In this water, which had a depth of maybe 4-5 feet, swam an adult white tipped fin shark, about 4-5 feet in length. Back and forth it paced the narrow lagoon, giving us a much better chance to observe this creature than the previous day of snorkeling. The water surface was about 5-6 feet below our feet and it was amazing to observe a shark so close up and from land.
Our hour spent snorkeling was great from the moment we belly flopped into the shallow depths of the lava rock shore. Immediately we were greeted by small colorful fish. Snorkeling is like entering another world. A world where the only sounds are of your own breathing. A world that has it's own hills, cliffs, tunnels, caves and valleys. A world where strange creatures that you've never seen before either float right on by you or lay before you as you try to comprehend what it is that you are seeing. A world full of lava and strange coral.
We saw many sea turtles (even caught a couple in the act of mating!) and tropical fish of all colors and sizes. We say eagle rays, trumpet fish, dog crabs and sea cucumbers all for the first time. Although we have seen many marine iguanas on land, we hadn't seen very many actually swimming. When you're snorkeling in a group with a guide, someone will often shout out something exciting like "turtle" or "iguana!" When I heard "iguana!" I turned around to see one headed straight for me. It's quite a shock to see this strange animal headed straight at you with it's stern face set on you and it's long tail whipping it forward. I laughed and shouted at the same time because it was both hilarious and alarming. I started to back away, but it then glided around me. When they are swimming to shore they swim with their head out of the water and the rest of their body floating just under the surface.
Luisa was particularly adept at finding sea stars. She was especially fond of the chocolate chip sea stars and the pyramid blue sea stars. She'd find one, tap me on the shoulder and lead me to it, pointing vigorously in the water. Once, when pointing to a chocolate chip sea star she said, "it looks so perfect and like it just came right out of the oven!" We were also impressed with the pyramid blue sea star with it's glittery, bright blue color and its skinny arms.
The hour spent in the water went by way too fast and I didn't really want to get out of the water, but our tour guide was on a tight schedule. I decided that in our remaining six weeks in the Galapagos that I need to get in as much snorkeling as possible because I probably won't get to snorkel quite like this ever again in my life. It's a real treat to snorkel in the waters of the Galapagos with my family amongst giant sea turtles. It's something I never tire of and makes me feel like I'm a part of God's great creation in a way that nothing else can.
Unlike the previous day where we went on a long boat ride to get to our destination, we never got up to full speed on this boat ride because the destination was so close. The islets, like many things on Isabela, are made up of lava rock which juts out of the bay in a variety of interesting shapes and formations. Some of the islets have little "rivers" running through them. Some have cactus growing on them. Some have lots of mangrove trees crawling up and over the edges. As we were marveling at these strange sites, our tour guide said "penguins!" We looked at where he was pointing and we saw blue footed boobies, which, with their bright blue feet and white and brown feathers, stand out among the black lava rocks. We strained our eyes, and saw these smaller black blobs on the rocks. With their black backs to us, it was hard to distinguish them from the rocks, but sure enough, there were three there. (Later we would return to this site and see 7-8). Only in the Galapagos can you see an islet with cactus and marine iguanas and then turn around and see another islet with blue footed boobies, penguins and mangroves!
Most of the Galápagos penguins live on the other side of Isabela, in the waters between Fernandina Island and Isabela. There are only about 20-30 penguins in the Tintoreras area, and they always return to the Fernandina area to lay their eggs. During the morning the Galápagos penguins are often fishing so we were very happy that we saw some. We were also very surprised how small they were. At 1.5 feet in height, they are much smaller than the blue footed boobies, who can grow to be 2.56 feet tall. On our second sighting of the penguins, we were able to see them swim to shore, scoot up onto the rocks, and waddle-hop their way up to higher ground. We were also fortunate to see them swim in the water. I try to refrain from over using the word "cute," but these penguins are definitely cute!
So why are there penguins at the Equator? One of the things that makes the Galapagos unique and full of sea life is that there are four ocean currents that converge at the islands. One of those currents, the Humboldt current, is a cold current that originates in the the Antarctica. The ancestors of these guys probably rode this current up to the Galapagos. These waters are cold, which the penguins like.
The islet we hiked on was a field of black lava rocks decorated with white and green splotches. Most of the lava rocks in the islands are decorated with white splotches thanks to the many sea bird droppings. But these white splotches were lichen, and the green was algae. Along the path we were greeted by many scurrying lava lizards and many basking marine iguanas. The male marine iguanas are much bigger than the females. Males feed on the algae on the ocean floor and females feed on algae that is exposed when the tides are low. Because of their smaller size, females are not big and strong enough to brave the strong ocean currents and waves.
On our islet hike we were also introduced to two of the four different kinds of mangrove trees in the Galapagos: red mangroves and white mangroves. From a boat the mangroves look like they have two distinct sections: the leaves and the roots, with a straight line between the two showing how high the tide goes. With a close-up view on land, it doesn't appear so straight forward. The roots are more hidden and the branches look as though they are one big tangled mess. The roots and the branches are of similar widths and it's less clear where the root starts and the branches start.
Towards the end of our hike our guide led us to an area where the water and all of the fish in it were "trapped" in a skinny lagoon of water between rocks because it was low tide. In this water, which had a depth of maybe 4-5 feet, swam an adult white tipped fin shark, about 4-5 feet in length. Back and forth it paced the narrow lagoon, giving us a much better chance to observe this creature than the previous day of snorkeling. The water surface was about 5-6 feet below our feet and it was amazing to observe a shark so close up and from land.
Our hour spent snorkeling was great from the moment we belly flopped into the shallow depths of the lava rock shore. Immediately we were greeted by small colorful fish. Snorkeling is like entering another world. A world where the only sounds are of your own breathing. A world that has it's own hills, cliffs, tunnels, caves and valleys. A world where strange creatures that you've never seen before either float right on by you or lay before you as you try to comprehend what it is that you are seeing. A world full of lava and strange coral.
We saw many sea turtles (even caught a couple in the act of mating!) and tropical fish of all colors and sizes. We say eagle rays, trumpet fish, dog crabs and sea cucumbers all for the first time. Although we have seen many marine iguanas on land, we hadn't seen very many actually swimming. When you're snorkeling in a group with a guide, someone will often shout out something exciting like "turtle" or "iguana!" When I heard "iguana!" I turned around to see one headed straight for me. It's quite a shock to see this strange animal headed straight at you with it's stern face set on you and it's long tail whipping it forward. I laughed and shouted at the same time because it was both hilarious and alarming. I started to back away, but it then glided around me. When they are swimming to shore they swim with their head out of the water and the rest of their body floating just under the surface.
Luisa was particularly adept at finding sea stars. She was especially fond of the chocolate chip sea stars and the pyramid blue sea stars. She'd find one, tap me on the shoulder and lead me to it, pointing vigorously in the water. Once, when pointing to a chocolate chip sea star she said, "it looks so perfect and like it just came right out of the oven!" We were also impressed with the pyramid blue sea star with it's glittery, bright blue color and its skinny arms.
The hour spent in the water went by way too fast and I didn't really want to get out of the water, but our tour guide was on a tight schedule. I decided that in our remaining six weeks in the Galapagos that I need to get in as much snorkeling as possible because I probably won't get to snorkel quite like this ever again in my life. It's a real treat to snorkel in the waters of the Galapagos with my family amongst giant sea turtles. It's something I never tire of and makes me feel like I'm a part of God's great creation in a way that nothing else can.
Los Túneles/The Tunnels (Luisa)
On Sunday we went on a boat at around 8:30 with a tour group to go to the tunnels. It took us about 20 minutes to get to Union Rock which is where lots of masked boobies nest. When we got close to Union Rock our guide pointed out what looked like big white fins popping out of the water. But he said that it was actually a manta ray. Then we saw his back come out of the water and it was huge. Our guide said that manta ray's are between 9-15 feet long. The captain of the boat quick got his snorkeling stuff on, got his Go Pro (underwater camera), and jumped into the water to take pictures of the manta ray. Then he got back in the boat and we headed for the tunnels.
When we got to the tunnels we got out of the boat and went on a short walk on top of the tunnels where lots of blue footed boobies nest. We saw lots of blue footed boobie babies and they were so cute but they didn't look much like the adults because the babies were just furry little white birds with grey feet, a grey beak, and black eyes. While the adults have brown wings, blue feet, a bluish beak, and blue eyes. While we were on top of the tunnels we also saw a few sea turtles swimming in the water, a puffer fish, and some parrot fishes that were very colorful. Then we got back on the boat and got ready to snorkel.
When we went snorkeling we saw sea horses, a big turtle, a lobster, white tipped sharks (about 4 feet long), and a sting ray. To see the sharks our guide pushed us one at a time about 2-3 feet under water to see them and one time when he pushed my dad under water two or three sharks swam out of the cave right past him. And then the same thing also happened to Magdalena. And one time when I was looking at the tail of a shark another shark swam right under me and into the cave. Then after a while it was time to get on the boat. We ate a good yummy lunch on the boat and then took off back towards the dock. It was fun getting to see sharks and so many other animals. I am glad we got to go snorkeling at the tunnels.
When we got to the tunnels we got out of the boat and went on a short walk on top of the tunnels where lots of blue footed boobies nest. We saw lots of blue footed boobie babies and they were so cute but they didn't look much like the adults because the babies were just furry little white birds with grey feet, a grey beak, and black eyes. While the adults have brown wings, blue feet, a bluish beak, and blue eyes. While we were on top of the tunnels we also saw a few sea turtles swimming in the water, a puffer fish, and some parrot fishes that were very colorful. Then we got back on the boat and got ready to snorkel.
When we went snorkeling we saw sea horses, a big turtle, a lobster, white tipped sharks (about 4 feet long), and a sting ray. To see the sharks our guide pushed us one at a time about 2-3 feet under water to see them and one time when he pushed my dad under water two or three sharks swam out of the cave right past him. And then the same thing also happened to Magdalena. And one time when I was looking at the tail of a shark another shark swam right under me and into the cave. Then after a while it was time to get on the boat. We ate a good yummy lunch on the boat and then took off back towards the dock. It was fun getting to see sharks and so many other animals. I am glad we got to go snorkeling at the tunnels.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Our first full day on the island of Isabela! (Teresa)
Upon arrival at our hostal last evening, Kent got right on planning day trips for each of our 3 days here. The first day's agenda: rising early to be ready to leave at 7am for a 4 hour volcano hike. After all, as our guide pointed out, this island is simply a collection of volcanoes, which over time ran into each other forming this land mass. We went eagerly, wondering what the day would hold.
The first part of the adventure was our ride, in a passenger truck fashioned from the chassis and cab of a panel truck, with five wooden benches in the back to carry a load of tourists. The driver insisted that Joann sit in the front cab, and I joined her. We circled through town, picking up a few more passengers before heading out and eventually up, to the foot of the Volcan Negro.
I've recorded some highlights of our hike:
Kent -- I enjoyed the fact the all four of us were able to do the strenuous 16 km hike, after having been sick for weeks. I also enjoyed seeing the many formations of lava: shapes of balls, waves, flat areas; sizes ranging from large rocks to small glittering gravel; and colors from orange to black, depending on minerals and sun exposure.
Magdalena -- I like seeing the way the environment changed as we hiked along. At the beginning were lots of trees, including many invasive guava trees, and undergrowth. Further along there were only lower bushes and ferns. Later when the trail was on lava rock only the tall candelabra cactus, as old as 700 years, survived the eruptions. At the furthest and highest point of our hike, no plants grew expect for the occasional fern growing in a lava hole/tunnel.
Luisa -- My favorite part was stopping for lunch, because I don't like thinking of "highlights"!
John -- I was thrilled when the mist cleared and we could see the bottom of the crater. Joann and I stay there for about an hour, and there I saw the thin leafed Darwin bush, an endemic plant (meaning only found in the Galapagos). We also saw the moon flower, of the morning glory family, which is native but not endemic. If you look inside the flower you see a pale green five-pointed star which starts in the throat of the flower and continues to the edge (about 6 inches). There were many invasive plants along the grated road we followed for the first part of the hike. Later, when we were waiting for the group to return I took another foot path and had a beautiful view of the lowlands out to the ocean. Also along this path I found the endemic Galapagos tree fern which grows over 10 ft tall with a spray of fronds at the top of the trunk.
Joann -- I enjoyed watching the birds: the Vermillion Flycatcher; the Galapagos mockingbird; and various kinds of Darwin finches (which I attempted to identify). The birds were friendly; the mockingbirds explored John's fanny pack, and others came very close.
Teresa -- once we reached the furthest and highest point of the trip, at Volcan Chico, the view was incredible! In the distance we could see: the layers of lava sloping down to the green lowlands; the shape of the rest of Isabela to the north, including a few more volcanoes; two other islands, Santiago and Fernandina; and of course, the vast ocean. Also at this point, we spotted a small lava lizard (5-8 in), which are commonplace all over the islands. But, we wondered: how could this lizard possibly survive in a seemingly "dead area" surrounded only by hardened lava? Our guide explained that various insects (like flies and grasshoppers) ultimately arrive at this point, carried on the wind from the green areas above, and make a good feast for this little guy. We left the lizard to his terrific survival instincts, and headed back to civilization.
The first part of the adventure was our ride, in a passenger truck fashioned from the chassis and cab of a panel truck, with five wooden benches in the back to carry a load of tourists. The driver insisted that Joann sit in the front cab, and I joined her. We circled through town, picking up a few more passengers before heading out and eventually up, to the foot of the Volcan Negro.
I've recorded some highlights of our hike:
Kent -- I enjoyed the fact the all four of us were able to do the strenuous 16 km hike, after having been sick for weeks. I also enjoyed seeing the many formations of lava: shapes of balls, waves, flat areas; sizes ranging from large rocks to small glittering gravel; and colors from orange to black, depending on minerals and sun exposure.
Magdalena -- I like seeing the way the environment changed as we hiked along. At the beginning were lots of trees, including many invasive guava trees, and undergrowth. Further along there were only lower bushes and ferns. Later when the trail was on lava rock only the tall candelabra cactus, as old as 700 years, survived the eruptions. At the furthest and highest point of our hike, no plants grew expect for the occasional fern growing in a lava hole/tunnel.
Luisa -- My favorite part was stopping for lunch, because I don't like thinking of "highlights"!
John -- I was thrilled when the mist cleared and we could see the bottom of the crater. Joann and I stay there for about an hour, and there I saw the thin leafed Darwin bush, an endemic plant (meaning only found in the Galapagos). We also saw the moon flower, of the morning glory family, which is native but not endemic. If you look inside the flower you see a pale green five-pointed star which starts in the throat of the flower and continues to the edge (about 6 inches). There were many invasive plants along the grated road we followed for the first part of the hike. Later, when we were waiting for the group to return I took another foot path and had a beautiful view of the lowlands out to the ocean. Also along this path I found the endemic Galapagos tree fern which grows over 10 ft tall with a spray of fronds at the top of the trunk.
Joann -- I enjoyed watching the birds: the Vermillion Flycatcher; the Galapagos mockingbird; and various kinds of Darwin finches (which I attempted to identify). The birds were friendly; the mockingbirds explored John's fanny pack, and others came very close.
Teresa -- once we reached the furthest and highest point of the trip, at Volcan Chico, the view was incredible! In the distance we could see: the layers of lava sloping down to the green lowlands; the shape of the rest of Isabela to the north, including a few more volcanoes; two other islands, Santiago and Fernandina; and of course, the vast ocean. Also at this point, we spotted a small lava lizard (5-8 in), which are commonplace all over the islands. But, we wondered: how could this lizard possibly survive in a seemingly "dead area" surrounded only by hardened lava? Our guide explained that various insects (like flies and grasshoppers) ultimately arrive at this point, carried on the wind from the green areas above, and make a good feast for this little guy. We left the lizard to his terrific survival instincts, and headed back to civilization.
Arriving on Isabela (Magdalena)
On Friday we (the four of us plus our Smith grandparents) headed to Isabela Island. We left around seven o'clock in the morning from San Cristóbal and arrived at Santa Cruz (the in-between island which is the most populated and the most city like) around 9:30. The tide was low and so there weren't very high of waves for our first trip. When we arrived we actually had to take a water taxi from the boat to the pier that costed fifty cents per person. Then we went on what seemed like a really long walk with all of our luggage (two suitcases, three heavy backpacks and two small bags) to the Darwin Interpretation Center. Lucky for us, the man at the reception desk asked us if we wanted to put our luggage inside, which we did. The main building was closed for construction or something which was a bummer because my dad and grandpa were really looking forward to reading every single sentence of history in there. So we went further and found lots of giant tortoises and lots of baby giant tortoises. And we saw land iguanas which was new to us because on San Cristóbal there aren't land iguanas, only marine iguanas. Then we walked back to the front to get our luggage again and then we walked back into town. We wanted to take a taxi but most of the way was a driveway and everybody said that the taxis don't come back there. Once we got into town we looked for a place to eat that would be cheap. Most of them weren't but we found a really good pizza place that was cheapish. By the time we finished it was about 1:15 so we headed back to the pier to catch our two o'clock boat to Isabela. It cost us another fifty cents per person on the water taxi to get to our boat.
Right when the boat started to move I could tell this trip was going to be a rough one. The waves were much larger than they had been in the morning. Within the first five minutes we had already flown through the air a few times and I was already feeling sick. As we travelled on, a lot of people had their eyes closed as if they were sleeping but I figured it was just an attempt to make them feel a little less sick. Luisa took a nap on my shoulder. The girl I was sitting across from threw-up. Then her friend beside her threw-up. Then the French man in the front threw-up. Then the hippie in the back, and then the first girl again, and then the French man, and then the hippie's boyfriend, and then the second girl again.
Finally after two and half long hours, we were at Isabela. The water taxis came to the boat again and this time it costed us a dollar per person. But nobody cared because everyone just wanted to get onto land. Once we got onto the pier we had to pay five dollars per person just to enter the island or something. Then we got our luggage and went to the parking lot where we looked for the guy that was supposed to pick us up. We didn't know his name or what he looked like but there were only four trucks in the parking lot and three were taken. The fourth was a taxi and it looked like our guy wasn't going to show so we hopped in the taxi and told him which hostal we were looking for. As we drove through town I looked around and loved what I saw. This island, the least populated of the three populated islands, didn't have paved roads. I never thought of paved roads as something that stood out but looking at Isabela it felt like being back in rural Guerrero Mexico. It also felt like a small town where everybody knew and trusted each other and where there is sometimes hot water but mostly there is not. But it's a nice town so nobody cares.
Then we arrived at the hostal which is a three story building with about ten rooms. In front there is a grass hut/pavilion sort of place. A grass pavilion with five hammocks, a TV, a picnic table with fresh fruit on it and a whiteboard with the tours that they offer. Behind that is the open air kitchen that anyone can use to make meals, make coffee or cut up the fresh fruit from the table. There is also a wash station which I haven't seen but I imagine that means washed by hand. Then we saw the little building that says "receptionist" but nobody was in there. The German couple in the kitchen told us that there is another hostal nearby that has the same name as this one and that the same guy runs it. They told us he's normally over there. So my dad went over to get him. A few minutes later my dad came back with the manager. He hadn't remembered that we were coming because we had reserved it over a month ahead of time so naturally he had forgotten. He only had one room with a double and three singles. He said that some people should be leaving tomorrow so we should get another room tomorrow but for now this was all he had. We said it would be fine. Luisa and I can share a single bed.
My grandma was still feeling awful from the boat ride so she went right to bed and requested some 7-up or some other lemony pop for when she woke up. So the other five of us went on a quest for something of that sort and in the third store, we found Sprite. Then we went to a panadería to buy some bread for breakfast. They told us that they open at six in the morning so we just decided to come back when it was breakfast time. We took the pop back to the hostal and then the five of us went out for supper just around the corner. The food was good but there was a lot of food so I was the only one who finished. Then we returned to the hostal and we all took ice cold and/or boiling hot showers and got in bed.
Now my dad and grandpa are having a snoring contest that sometimes Luisa joins into. Ugghhh!
Editor's note: thanks to Grandma Joann's planning and and experience with motion sickness, all of us had appropriate meds and treatments for sea-sickness and did not suffer too much on the boat trips!
Right when the boat started to move I could tell this trip was going to be a rough one. The waves were much larger than they had been in the morning. Within the first five minutes we had already flown through the air a few times and I was already feeling sick. As we travelled on, a lot of people had their eyes closed as if they were sleeping but I figured it was just an attempt to make them feel a little less sick. Luisa took a nap on my shoulder. The girl I was sitting across from threw-up. Then her friend beside her threw-up. Then the French man in the front threw-up. Then the hippie in the back, and then the first girl again, and then the French man, and then the hippie's boyfriend, and then the second girl again.
Finally after two and half long hours, we were at Isabela. The water taxis came to the boat again and this time it costed us a dollar per person. But nobody cared because everyone just wanted to get onto land. Once we got onto the pier we had to pay five dollars per person just to enter the island or something. Then we got our luggage and went to the parking lot where we looked for the guy that was supposed to pick us up. We didn't know his name or what he looked like but there were only four trucks in the parking lot and three were taken. The fourth was a taxi and it looked like our guy wasn't going to show so we hopped in the taxi and told him which hostal we were looking for. As we drove through town I looked around and loved what I saw. This island, the least populated of the three populated islands, didn't have paved roads. I never thought of paved roads as something that stood out but looking at Isabela it felt like being back in rural Guerrero Mexico. It also felt like a small town where everybody knew and trusted each other and where there is sometimes hot water but mostly there is not. But it's a nice town so nobody cares.
Then we arrived at the hostal which is a three story building with about ten rooms. In front there is a grass hut/pavilion sort of place. A grass pavilion with five hammocks, a TV, a picnic table with fresh fruit on it and a whiteboard with the tours that they offer. Behind that is the open air kitchen that anyone can use to make meals, make coffee or cut up the fresh fruit from the table. There is also a wash station which I haven't seen but I imagine that means washed by hand. Then we saw the little building that says "receptionist" but nobody was in there. The German couple in the kitchen told us that there is another hostal nearby that has the same name as this one and that the same guy runs it. They told us he's normally over there. So my dad went over to get him. A few minutes later my dad came back with the manager. He hadn't remembered that we were coming because we had reserved it over a month ahead of time so naturally he had forgotten. He only had one room with a double and three singles. He said that some people should be leaving tomorrow so we should get another room tomorrow but for now this was all he had. We said it would be fine. Luisa and I can share a single bed.
My grandma was still feeling awful from the boat ride so she went right to bed and requested some 7-up or some other lemony pop for when she woke up. So the other five of us went on a quest for something of that sort and in the third store, we found Sprite. Then we went to a panadería to buy some bread for breakfast. They told us that they open at six in the morning so we just decided to come back when it was breakfast time. We took the pop back to the hostal and then the five of us went out for supper just around the corner. The food was good but there was a lot of food so I was the only one who finished. Then we returned to the hostal and we all took ice cold and/or boiling hot showers and got in bed.
Now my dad and grandpa are having a snoring contest that sometimes Luisa joins into. Ugghhh!
Editor's note: thanks to Grandma Joann's planning and and experience with motion sickness, all of us had appropriate meds and treatments for sea-sickness and did not suffer too much on the boat trips!
Saturday, November 15, 2014
The Big Fail ("half empty" title) or A Day of Learning ("half-full" title) by Kent
Everyone knows the concept of learning from your mistakes. The learning curve is higher when in another culture, which means more mistakes and more learning, hopefully. Today on the island was a bike parade. Luisa, Ashanti (11), and I were all excited to participate. I had the brilliant idea of making two fishing boats out of cardboard that would go around a tandem that Luisa and I were going to rent, and another one for Ashanti and her bike. I was hoping that it would be a project that we could all work on together. We should be able to do that in one afternoon, right? (Ha!)
Around noon, Luisa and Magdalena were invited to Nora's 9 year old birthday party. Nora is the only other "volunteer child." The party was at 3:30. Birthday parties trump all, especially in Luisa's world. Teresa was currently the sickest of us all (in a two week family bout of bad coughs and cold) and was out of the parenting picture. So, it was up to me to help get the girls to the party. The invitation had the address on it, but it was illegible to us. We went to the volunteer office when it reopened at 2:00, to get help on figuring out where Nora's host family lives. Judy, the office secretary, had hand delivered the invitation, so she was our best bet. There are no numbered street addresses here. Since this is a small town where "everyone knows everyone," what's most important is name of the "head male" of the house. The invitation had the name of the cross streets and a landmark, but not the name of the head male. All we had to do now was get a taxi, show the name, and for one dollar, they will take you there. Learning #1: All you need is the family name for directions.
On the way back I went to reserve the tandem. However and went to take pictures of fishing boats, all of which are white with a light aqua trim. I had originally thought of painting the boat whatever color, but Yolanda, the family matriarch, said that if it was a fishing boat it had to be white with blue. Learning #2: fishing boats are white with blue trim. You can't paint it any other colors.
I then stopped at a store that had a lot of crushed cardboard boxes in their front window and brought them back to the house. I then went to the hardware store to buy white paint, blue paint, and good tape. Many stores here have everything behind the counter, especially hardware stores, pharmacies and school supply stores. So, when going to stores you really need to know the vocabulary of what you want, because you can't just go around and "shop." I decided to get 2 cans of white spray paint, because that would be a short cut. A liter of blue paint was actually cheaper than a can of spray paint. I decided not to get duct tape because that was $13 a roll. Clear packing tape was much cheaper (less than $2). My total for this project was around $13. Not bad, I thought. I went to pay and the woman said she needed my passport number. Why? Learning #3: you need a passport when you buy spray paint.
After returning from the hardware store for the second time, the girls were ready with the standard Dutchersmith present of nose flute and one of our CDs. They were frantically trying to finish a knitted gift bag, but ran out of time. "We can give it to her later" Luisa said. We walked down the street and I flagged a taxi. There are many taxis around town, and I think we know three taxi drivers by name. It just so happened that one of these 3 stopped to pick us up. It was Manuel from the indigenous band I've been playing with! He didn't actually know who Oscar Puga (head of house) was, but he did know the cross streets. He took us to the place, I stayed a bit to chat and to take a few pictures of the "party room" which was decorated to the hilt with streamers and balloons dangling from the ceiling. I the walked home, probably about a half mile. Learning #4: Learning #1 sometimes doesn't work, so make sure you know the cross streets of where you are going.
When I came back home, I realized that I was already running out of steam and the project hadn't even started yet! So, I took a coffee break. It wasn't really until 4:00 that Ashanti and I started on the project. Learning #5: Projects always take longer than I think, especially when in another culture.
So, we laid out boxes and started making Ashanti's boat. After much taping and piecing things together, I had learned two more things. Learning #6: boxes that have been used to ship things half way around the world are not very sturdy and bend too much. Learning #7: Duct tape is the best tape in the world and if you want to build a boat out of cardboard, and other tape won't work.
Even though I was beginning to feel as though this boat project might not "float," I pressed onward mostly because I don't like letting 11 year old children down. We started pushing through "support sticks" that were to keep the frame up and off the rider. It was looking more and more flimsy by the minute. I still wasn't exactly sure how I would be able to support the whole thing on the bike without it rubbing the rider, not to mention the problem of what happens when you steer the thing if one of the support structures is the handlebars. (Re)learning #8: I'm not as handy as I think I am.
Nevertheless, I pressed onward! Time to paint! Ashanti and I took the flimsy boat out near the road where we would be sure not to spray paint onto other things. I have a lot of experience with brushing on house paint. Not so much with spray paint. Learning #9: If you want a nice thick coat of paint, don't use spray paint.
Just then Pepe and Yolanda (the heads of our house), and Pepe's brother pulled up in the car. they had a look on their face that was saying, "What is the crazy gringo doing now?" but that's not what Pepe said to me: "Why are using spray paint in the wind? You're losing lots of paint! How much did you spend on that spray paint?" Learning #10: don't spray paint in an open windy area.
Pepe's brother took Ashanti's spray can from her and was trying to help me, showing me the proper way to spray. Tape was coming off everywhere, the flimsy structure was falling over, the spray cans were nearly empty, and there was still a big brown spot. I dragged the structure back to the house and made a dash to the hardware store. I was not giving up yet! If I only had better tape and better paint! Should I spend more money on this "sinking" project? Learning #11: All hardware stores in town are closed after 6:00. Learning #12: only hardware stores sell paint and duct tape. Learning #13: don't forget "learning #5."
It was 6:45. It was time to admit defeat and apologize to Ashanti and Luisa for letting them down. Luisa and Magdalena were now back from the party. Luisa, who had been sick for two weeks, had earlier in the day declared herself "better." However, when she opened her mouth to speak, she was very hoarse and could barely talk. I guess she wasn't as good as she thought and I guess she should've have walked back all that way. Not to mention all the sugar she had at the party. Learning #14: Take it easy when you're on the road to recovery.
Boy, was I happy to get that day over with. That's enough learning for one day. Luisa ended up being too sick to go, and Ashanti didn't want to participate without a boat. At least I didn't use the blue paint. I can always take that back and get my money back, which is where I headed the next day. Learning #15: This hardware store only refunds your money if you return it the same day you purchased it.
Around noon, Luisa and Magdalena were invited to Nora's 9 year old birthday party. Nora is the only other "volunteer child." The party was at 3:30. Birthday parties trump all, especially in Luisa's world. Teresa was currently the sickest of us all (in a two week family bout of bad coughs and cold) and was out of the parenting picture. So, it was up to me to help get the girls to the party. The invitation had the address on it, but it was illegible to us. We went to the volunteer office when it reopened at 2:00, to get help on figuring out where Nora's host family lives. Judy, the office secretary, had hand delivered the invitation, so she was our best bet. There are no numbered street addresses here. Since this is a small town where "everyone knows everyone," what's most important is name of the "head male" of the house. The invitation had the name of the cross streets and a landmark, but not the name of the head male. All we had to do now was get a taxi, show the name, and for one dollar, they will take you there. Learning #1: All you need is the family name for directions.
On the way back I went to reserve the tandem. However and went to take pictures of fishing boats, all of which are white with a light aqua trim. I had originally thought of painting the boat whatever color, but Yolanda, the family matriarch, said that if it was a fishing boat it had to be white with blue. Learning #2: fishing boats are white with blue trim. You can't paint it any other colors.
I then stopped at a store that had a lot of crushed cardboard boxes in their front window and brought them back to the house. I then went to the hardware store to buy white paint, blue paint, and good tape. Many stores here have everything behind the counter, especially hardware stores, pharmacies and school supply stores. So, when going to stores you really need to know the vocabulary of what you want, because you can't just go around and "shop." I decided to get 2 cans of white spray paint, because that would be a short cut. A liter of blue paint was actually cheaper than a can of spray paint. I decided not to get duct tape because that was $13 a roll. Clear packing tape was much cheaper (less than $2). My total for this project was around $13. Not bad, I thought. I went to pay and the woman said she needed my passport number. Why? Learning #3: you need a passport when you buy spray paint.
After returning from the hardware store for the second time, the girls were ready with the standard Dutchersmith present of nose flute and one of our CDs. They were frantically trying to finish a knitted gift bag, but ran out of time. "We can give it to her later" Luisa said. We walked down the street and I flagged a taxi. There are many taxis around town, and I think we know three taxi drivers by name. It just so happened that one of these 3 stopped to pick us up. It was Manuel from the indigenous band I've been playing with! He didn't actually know who Oscar Puga (head of house) was, but he did know the cross streets. He took us to the place, I stayed a bit to chat and to take a few pictures of the "party room" which was decorated to the hilt with streamers and balloons dangling from the ceiling. I the walked home, probably about a half mile. Learning #4: Learning #1 sometimes doesn't work, so make sure you know the cross streets of where you are going.
When I came back home, I realized that I was already running out of steam and the project hadn't even started yet! So, I took a coffee break. It wasn't really until 4:00 that Ashanti and I started on the project. Learning #5: Projects always take longer than I think, especially when in another culture.
So, we laid out boxes and started making Ashanti's boat. After much taping and piecing things together, I had learned two more things. Learning #6: boxes that have been used to ship things half way around the world are not very sturdy and bend too much. Learning #7: Duct tape is the best tape in the world and if you want to build a boat out of cardboard, and other tape won't work.
Even though I was beginning to feel as though this boat project might not "float," I pressed onward mostly because I don't like letting 11 year old children down. We started pushing through "support sticks" that were to keep the frame up and off the rider. It was looking more and more flimsy by the minute. I still wasn't exactly sure how I would be able to support the whole thing on the bike without it rubbing the rider, not to mention the problem of what happens when you steer the thing if one of the support structures is the handlebars. (Re)learning #8: I'm not as handy as I think I am.
Nevertheless, I pressed onward! Time to paint! Ashanti and I took the flimsy boat out near the road where we would be sure not to spray paint onto other things. I have a lot of experience with brushing on house paint. Not so much with spray paint. Learning #9: If you want a nice thick coat of paint, don't use spray paint.
Just then Pepe and Yolanda (the heads of our house), and Pepe's brother pulled up in the car. they had a look on their face that was saying, "What is the crazy gringo doing now?" but that's not what Pepe said to me: "Why are using spray paint in the wind? You're losing lots of paint! How much did you spend on that spray paint?" Learning #10: don't spray paint in an open windy area.
Pepe's brother took Ashanti's spray can from her and was trying to help me, showing me the proper way to spray. Tape was coming off everywhere, the flimsy structure was falling over, the spray cans were nearly empty, and there was still a big brown spot. I dragged the structure back to the house and made a dash to the hardware store. I was not giving up yet! If I only had better tape and better paint! Should I spend more money on this "sinking" project? Learning #11: All hardware stores in town are closed after 6:00. Learning #12: only hardware stores sell paint and duct tape. Learning #13: don't forget "learning #5."
It was 6:45. It was time to admit defeat and apologize to Ashanti and Luisa for letting them down. Luisa and Magdalena were now back from the party. Luisa, who had been sick for two weeks, had earlier in the day declared herself "better." However, when she opened her mouth to speak, she was very hoarse and could barely talk. I guess she wasn't as good as she thought and I guess she should've have walked back all that way. Not to mention all the sugar she had at the party. Learning #14: Take it easy when you're on the road to recovery.
Boy, was I happy to get that day over with. That's enough learning for one day. Luisa ended up being too sick to go, and Ashanti didn't want to participate without a boat. At least I didn't use the blue paint. I can always take that back and get my money back, which is where I headed the next day. Learning #15: This hardware store only refunds your money if you return it the same day you purchased it.
Friday, November 14, 2014
A visit to the hospital (Teresa)
Don't be shocked or overly concerned by the title of this post! "Going to the hospital" here is the equivalent of "going to the doctor's office" for us. And we'd been receiving encouragement to go to the hospital ever since we began to cough two weeks ago. We explained, over and over, that at home we don't go to the hospital until we're nearly dead, in the case if an emergency, or for surgery. Meanwhile various member of our host family were going to the hospital for everything from diabetes care, to morning sickness, to a slight fever.
So, yesterday afternoon when Yolanda "caught" me having a major coughing attack, she said it's time to go. And Kent, who has recovered well from his cough, agreed that we three females need to get checked out. We gathered our passports and headed out to see the newly opened hospital (replacing the old one). Did we need to take money or insurance papers? Nope, it's all free!
We arrived by car through the main gate, passing the two guards in empty parking lot, at the ER entrance. There sat a beautiful new ambulance, with driver in place, ready to take off toward an emergency. But, everything was quiet. Before going inside, Yolanda explained to me that I needed to exaggerate my symptoms so that they would see me at the ER. (If they sent us to the main entrance we would wait longer.) I didn't mind pushing my way in, since no one else was waiting for care! No emergencies in sight, and several young doctors and nurses in clean uniforms were milling about with nothing to do. We were taken into a triage room where they took vitals, and asked several questions about our overall health status and current syptoms. They were befuddled by why we had waited two weeks before coming to the hospital.
The diagnosis? Our lungs are clear, no infections, but we seem to have an allergic reaction to something here. So we proceeded to another part of the hospital, to the pharmacy, to receive an antihistamine. (Leaving the ER we passed the ambulance again, driver still ready.) We were also prescribed another med, a combination pain reliever (for throat and head aches) and decongestant. And, we should be gargling with baking soda. On the way home we stopped at another pharmacy for these items--baking soda is sold at the pharmacy rather than the grocery store--for a total of $18.
It was very interesting to experience the local, new hospital, and the young female doctors. (We only saw females....I imagine they also train males!) The construction of this larger hospital, with the promise of modern equipment and specialty care, has created a fair amount of excitement here. Until now, folks have had to travel to the mainland (Quito or Guayaquil) for specialty care and surgeries. And, for us as foreigners, it was exciting to read the "patient rights" posted throughout the building which declared that each person has the right to free, quality healthcare, regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, or socio-economic level.
So, yesterday afternoon when Yolanda "caught" me having a major coughing attack, she said it's time to go. And Kent, who has recovered well from his cough, agreed that we three females need to get checked out. We gathered our passports and headed out to see the newly opened hospital (replacing the old one). Did we need to take money or insurance papers? Nope, it's all free!
We arrived by car through the main gate, passing the two guards in empty parking lot, at the ER entrance. There sat a beautiful new ambulance, with driver in place, ready to take off toward an emergency. But, everything was quiet. Before going inside, Yolanda explained to me that I needed to exaggerate my symptoms so that they would see me at the ER. (If they sent us to the main entrance we would wait longer.) I didn't mind pushing my way in, since no one else was waiting for care! No emergencies in sight, and several young doctors and nurses in clean uniforms were milling about with nothing to do. We were taken into a triage room where they took vitals, and asked several questions about our overall health status and current syptoms. They were befuddled by why we had waited two weeks before coming to the hospital.
The diagnosis? Our lungs are clear, no infections, but we seem to have an allergic reaction to something here. So we proceeded to another part of the hospital, to the pharmacy, to receive an antihistamine. (Leaving the ER we passed the ambulance again, driver still ready.) We were also prescribed another med, a combination pain reliever (for throat and head aches) and decongestant. And, we should be gargling with baking soda. On the way home we stopped at another pharmacy for these items--baking soda is sold at the pharmacy rather than the grocery store--for a total of $18.
It was very interesting to experience the local, new hospital, and the young female doctors. (We only saw females....I imagine they also train males!) The construction of this larger hospital, with the promise of modern equipment and specialty care, has created a fair amount of excitement here. Until now, folks have had to travel to the mainland (Quito or Guayaquil) for specialty care and surgeries. And, for us as foreigners, it was exciting to read the "patient rights" posted throughout the building which declared that each person has the right to free, quality healthcare, regardless of gender, age, race, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, or socio-economic level.
Cultural differences and understanding (Kent)
We're often asked questions like: "So what are you doing here? Why are you here?" I guess there are several answers to those types of questions. We want to learn Spanish better. We want to learn about and from other cultures. We want to do volunteer work. We want a break from our North American lives, routines and stresses. However, for me, I'm beginning to realize that it can be boiled down to "understanding." Understanding myself better by understanding others who are coming from a completely different cultural context. I am trying hard not to be judgmental or critical of these differences. However, Teresa has helped me realize that we are now at a stage of life where we do have life experiences and expertise that can help us to look critically at cultural differences and even have conversations with others about these differences.
One thing that makes it easy to have these conversations with our host family is that they are very experienced at hosting volunteers and students from other countries--particularly from Europe and North America. They are very gracious when it comes to our differences and misunderstandings. In fact, "grace," I would say is part of the culture here, as is evidenced in the frequency of words/phrases such as "tranquilo" (calm/no worries/laid back), "no importa" (not important), "no te preocupes" (don't worry about it), and "Está bien" (that's fine).
Our family knows that there will be some foods that we just can't quite stomach. When "guatita" (cow intestine stew served with rice), our family served us very small "sample" bowls, knowing that we most likely wouldn't eat it. How did they know that we wouldn't like it? In their many years of hosting international volunteers, no foreigner has ever been able to have more than one bite, including us. "Está bien. No importa." Yolanda said with a smile and served us the "foreigner plate" that they had prepared for us (meat, rice, plátanos and salad). Similarly, when we were served "sopa de pata" (cow hoof soup), none of us were able to eat the cross section of cow hoof sitting squarely in the middle of our bowls, but most of us were able to eat the rest of the soup, which had a rich broth. "Está bien. No importa." Overall, we have eaten most things served to us. I think it's important to try as much as possible (I have eaten lobster, octopus and conch, all for the first time) but these two things we simply could not stomach, and we were received with grace.
Noise is another area of cultural difference. I suffer from occasional headaches, some of which last more than 24 hours. Saturday night night was one of those nights where I had a headache all night long despite the fact that I took the maximum recommended dose of ibuprofen. When we went to Catholic mass the next morning my headache was almost gone. During the first song, however, someone apparently thought that the volume of the praise band was not loud enough and cranked it up past what we would call "unhealthy levels." Teresa and I looked at each other, and I said "I need to get out of here because this noise level is aggravating my headache." I looked around at everyone else. No one seemed to flinch or be bothered by the sudden volume surge. For the rest of the service, I sat outside for the music, which was still plenty loud, and came in for the spoken parts. In the mornings we are often awakened by the many sounds of the early morning (6:00 a.m. or earlier): roosters, conversations in the kitchen, the tamal man yelling "tamales!!!!!" while honking his horn, and Navy men jogging through the streets loudly chanting. These are normal sounds that people here are just used to, just like we in Goshen are used to the 80-100 trains that rumble and blare their way through town every day. I must be adjusting to the morning noises because I can now go back to sleep as the roosters crow.
Classroom management (educational jargon for "discipline") has probably been one of my biggest challenges with regards to cultural differences. In the preschool where we teach music, the 4 and 5 year old classes have been especially challenging at times. There are so many cultural factors at play at once. Because of the mild climate, windows are always open, and many classrooms don't have complete walls that go from the floor to the ceiling. Recess is right outside the classrooms with many children screaming with joy that they are free to run around. Teachers and parents come in and out regularly talking very loudly (or talk directly through open windows). The other teachers seem to be used to these noises and interruptions, but to us it's very distracting and seems to affect the classroom management.
Another major classroom management difference involves behavioral management. In North America, educators have been taught to talk to children about problems and work at resolving the problems by getting to the underlying issue, working particularly with children to help them change their behavior over the long term. Here in the preschool, children don't respond well to this probably because they have not been taught to do it. When I've tried this approach, usually children run away and/or refuse to talk. What some teachers do is yank a child to the place they need to be or yank them to a timeout. In the North American context, this would be illegal and would be seen as abuse. It is also viewed as a short term solution. Threats are also used. One teacher uses the threat of calling the police for a noncompliant child, which usually gets him to submit for the time being, but again it's a short-term solution. A lack of resources does play a role in all of this too. Most teachers here work very hard, but when the education system has less financial resources and less professional support, it usually means that teachers work with more students (many of whom have special needs) and have less tools and resources with which to work with these students.
I have had some conversations with Luis, PE teacher at the preschool (he just has the kindergarten classes, and then goes to several other schools). We have break time together at the school and we always have good conversations. He's asked me about how we do classroom management in the states because he feels as though this is an area with which schools need to improve. However, with most teachers I don't have an opportunity to talk with them in depth. Our music classes are back-to-back without time in between. So, I have decided to experiment with different techniques that I feel good about (and that don't involve yanking). When I find that they work, I use them over and over again, hoping that it can be a model to teachers as an alternative. For example, I often use "positive reinforcement" which involves complimenting children who are doing the right thing, which usually has a positive "ripple effect." Children usually respond well to this because most children appreciate being recognized and affirmed.
I certainly don't have all the answers, especially with regards to complex issues such as classroom management and cultural differences. However, a benefit of living and teaching in another cultural context is that while the learning curve seems steep, there is a lot of learning going on, both on our part and hopefully with others with whom we are in contact. I value this opportunity for greater understanding.
One thing that makes it easy to have these conversations with our host family is that they are very experienced at hosting volunteers and students from other countries--particularly from Europe and North America. They are very gracious when it comes to our differences and misunderstandings. In fact, "grace," I would say is part of the culture here, as is evidenced in the frequency of words/phrases such as "tranquilo" (calm/no worries/laid back), "no importa" (not important), "no te preocupes" (don't worry about it), and "Está bien" (that's fine).
Our family knows that there will be some foods that we just can't quite stomach. When "guatita" (cow intestine stew served with rice), our family served us very small "sample" bowls, knowing that we most likely wouldn't eat it. How did they know that we wouldn't like it? In their many years of hosting international volunteers, no foreigner has ever been able to have more than one bite, including us. "Está bien. No importa." Yolanda said with a smile and served us the "foreigner plate" that they had prepared for us (meat, rice, plátanos and salad). Similarly, when we were served "sopa de pata" (cow hoof soup), none of us were able to eat the cross section of cow hoof sitting squarely in the middle of our bowls, but most of us were able to eat the rest of the soup, which had a rich broth. "Está bien. No importa." Overall, we have eaten most things served to us. I think it's important to try as much as possible (I have eaten lobster, octopus and conch, all for the first time) but these two things we simply could not stomach, and we were received with grace.
Noise is another area of cultural difference. I suffer from occasional headaches, some of which last more than 24 hours. Saturday night night was one of those nights where I had a headache all night long despite the fact that I took the maximum recommended dose of ibuprofen. When we went to Catholic mass the next morning my headache was almost gone. During the first song, however, someone apparently thought that the volume of the praise band was not loud enough and cranked it up past what we would call "unhealthy levels." Teresa and I looked at each other, and I said "I need to get out of here because this noise level is aggravating my headache." I looked around at everyone else. No one seemed to flinch or be bothered by the sudden volume surge. For the rest of the service, I sat outside for the music, which was still plenty loud, and came in for the spoken parts. In the mornings we are often awakened by the many sounds of the early morning (6:00 a.m. or earlier): roosters, conversations in the kitchen, the tamal man yelling "tamales!!!!!" while honking his horn, and Navy men jogging through the streets loudly chanting. These are normal sounds that people here are just used to, just like we in Goshen are used to the 80-100 trains that rumble and blare their way through town every day. I must be adjusting to the morning noises because I can now go back to sleep as the roosters crow.
Classroom management (educational jargon for "discipline") has probably been one of my biggest challenges with regards to cultural differences. In the preschool where we teach music, the 4 and 5 year old classes have been especially challenging at times. There are so many cultural factors at play at once. Because of the mild climate, windows are always open, and many classrooms don't have complete walls that go from the floor to the ceiling. Recess is right outside the classrooms with many children screaming with joy that they are free to run around. Teachers and parents come in and out regularly talking very loudly (or talk directly through open windows). The other teachers seem to be used to these noises and interruptions, but to us it's very distracting and seems to affect the classroom management.
Another major classroom management difference involves behavioral management. In North America, educators have been taught to talk to children about problems and work at resolving the problems by getting to the underlying issue, working particularly with children to help them change their behavior over the long term. Here in the preschool, children don't respond well to this probably because they have not been taught to do it. When I've tried this approach, usually children run away and/or refuse to talk. What some teachers do is yank a child to the place they need to be or yank them to a timeout. In the North American context, this would be illegal and would be seen as abuse. It is also viewed as a short term solution. Threats are also used. One teacher uses the threat of calling the police for a noncompliant child, which usually gets him to submit for the time being, but again it's a short-term solution. A lack of resources does play a role in all of this too. Most teachers here work very hard, but when the education system has less financial resources and less professional support, it usually means that teachers work with more students (many of whom have special needs) and have less tools and resources with which to work with these students.
I have had some conversations with Luis, PE teacher at the preschool (he just has the kindergarten classes, and then goes to several other schools). We have break time together at the school and we always have good conversations. He's asked me about how we do classroom management in the states because he feels as though this is an area with which schools need to improve. However, with most teachers I don't have an opportunity to talk with them in depth. Our music classes are back-to-back without time in between. So, I have decided to experiment with different techniques that I feel good about (and that don't involve yanking). When I find that they work, I use them over and over again, hoping that it can be a model to teachers as an alternative. For example, I often use "positive reinforcement" which involves complimenting children who are doing the right thing, which usually has a positive "ripple effect." Children usually respond well to this because most children appreciate being recognized and affirmed.
I certainly don't have all the answers, especially with regards to complex issues such as classroom management and cultural differences. However, a benefit of living and teaching in another cultural context is that while the learning curve seems steep, there is a lot of learning going on, both on our part and hopefully with others with whom we are in contact. I value this opportunity for greater understanding.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Sayings and a joke (T & K)
"Menos boca, más me toca." -- The equivalent of "less for you, more for me!" Pépe is known to say this when someone at the table chooses not to eat lobster or octopus or any other local delicacy.
"!No ha dejado ni para la cucaracha!" -- Literally, this means "you didn't leave anything for the cockroaches!" Used when someone is looking especially spiffy, and has put on all of their finest for an event. (Apparently, cockroaches eat clothing.)
"!Listo calisto!" -- Literally, "ready" with a rhyming word, like "ready, steady!"
"Chévere" -- cool or awesome; used for all kinds of things, people, situations
"El enfermo que come, no muere." -- The sick one who eats, doesn't die.
Joke: "?Sabes que los tiburones aquí son vegeterianas?" (Do you know that sharks are vegetarians?) Sí, sólo comen las plantas de los pies, y las palmas de las manos." (They only eat the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands.) This is a play on words, since the Spanish words for "soles" and "palms" have double meanings; "plantas" also means "plants" and "palmas" also means palms, like the trees.
"!No ha dejado ni para la cucaracha!" -- Literally, this means "you didn't leave anything for the cockroaches!" Used when someone is looking especially spiffy, and has put on all of their finest for an event. (Apparently, cockroaches eat clothing.)
"!Listo calisto!" -- Literally, "ready" with a rhyming word, like "ready, steady!"
"Chévere" -- cool or awesome; used for all kinds of things, people, situations
"El enfermo que come, no muere." -- The sick one who eats, doesn't die.
Joke: "?Sabes que los tiburones aquí son vegeterianas?" (Do you know that sharks are vegetarians?) Sí, sólo comen las plantas de los pies, y las palmas de las manos." (They only eat the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands.) This is a play on words, since the Spanish words for "soles" and "palms" have double meanings; "plantas" also means "plants" and "palmas" also means palms, like the trees.
Coughing in Paradise: Cultures clash and compliment each other (Teresa)
This past week has been a particularly challenging one for two related reasons: we four are still sick with coughs and a variety of other cold symptoms; and we have had some conflicts with our host family regarding how to treat our sicknesses. We are growing weary of both of these challenges! But we can also embrace new opportunities for learning... And we appreciate prayers and perspectives that you all provide.On Monday we reached the crisis point. Luisa's cough had worsened, and we parents had committed two major cultural offenses: we not only took Luisa to the beach on Sunday, but we let her get in the water; and we all continued to drink cold water and eat cold foods. Our girls were scolded for filling their cups with cold water, and we parents were taken to task about what we need to do to get our family healthy again. When we attempt to discuss our differences, we tend to focus on germ theory, and we are not surprised to struggle with new viruses in this new environment and climate. For many locals folks, the critical issues for health are all related to "hot and cold" in terms of food, drink, air, clothing, etc.
Clearly, our hosts care about us and they feel some responsibility for our well being. They are perplexed by why we don't follow their rules for treating illness, and we are perplexed by the many, varied, and (some) strange sounding remedies which are suggested to us by every local aquaintance. Certainly we have different cultural lenses through which we view illness and treatment! We know our bodies, but they know this place and climate.
One friend from the U.S. who also has a good understanding of S. American cultures suggested that we don't need to take an "either/or approach" to this conflict of cultures. Maybe both of our cultures have helpful insights for treating illness. A very good reminder! I also recognize that I get pretty defensive when several mothers and grandmothers are watching and criticizing my parenting choices. Once I can let go of the defensiveness, then I might even be open to trying a new, strange sounding remedy. This evening, we'll continue a three night stretch of drinking hot coca cola and lime juice. Then we'll slather on the vapor rub, bundle ourselves and head to bed to sweat it out. (It's not like we're being asked to drink the blood of a dog...that's for tuberculosis.)
Prayers for health and discernment are welcome!! And I'll be praying the same for you :)
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Biking Adventure (Luisa & Magdalena)
This morning we left our house at 8:30 to bike with a group of youth and an adult leader from the surf club to the top of Cerro San Juaquin (the highest point on San Cristóbal which is 2,400 ft). We rented bikes from the surf club and then waited for a long time. Finally we left the surf club at 9:45 to start our climb. It was a tough climb for a couple of Hoosiers who have never biked up a volcano. And surprisingly it was Magdalena who was whining the whole way up, and half of the time she was far behind the group. Even though Magdalena was the one who went on a long bike trip last summer. While the farthest Luisa had ever gone was about 12 miles on pretty much flat land, she did fine most the time. We stopped almost every half an hour to take a breather and to munch on some delicious, invasive black raspberries.
At 12:30 we got to the point where the road hasn't been paved yet. We weren't sure where we were supposed to turn off to go up the hill because none of us had ever go up before. So we asked the construction workers if they knew. They said we had passed it so we turned around. The first driveway had an open gate so we biked in. We passed a little building with a truck and then we saw some people ahead that were motioning for us to stop. We stopped and they said that this was their private property and that it didn't go up to the top. They said that the next drive did but it was also private property. So we went back out to the main road.
We backtracked a little more to the next dirt drive. This one didn't have a gate so we biked in. After biking for a bit there was a gate, but it was locked with a barbed wire fence on each side. One of the boys in the group climbed over the gate and we handed the bikes over the fence to him. Everyone else in our group climbed over the gate and the two of us went through the fence. Then a bit later we turned a corner and saw that there were about seven cows blocking the driveway. They were all watching us and we thought they might be the guards that would soon chase us away. But then they turned and walked off the drive. So then we biked a bit more and we came to another locked gate which we went over and around again. We thought for sure that there wouldn't be anymore so we continued. Soon we came to a third gate. We were getting ready to climb over again when we realized that this chain didn't have a lock on it so we opened the gate and easily went through. We took a break to eat lots of black raspberries around all the cow pies. There was not a fourth gate which we were happy about, but we still had a long way to go to get to the top.
By the time we finally got to the very top it was almost 2:00. Because the driveway was steep dirt we walked all the way up. At the top was a big dome that looked like a huge, white soccer ball. We wanted to take a picture of the view from up there but there's no view because it's always foggy. So after taking a group picture and getting a drink we headed back down. It was a kind of scary on the way down because, again, it was steep dirt so we had to break so we wouldn't fly off the side of the hill, but when we tried to break we just skidded. It was also spritzing rain so the dirt was muddy and it got all over us. We made it back to the third gate and then the second gate and then the first again without any cow trouble, but we did have to lift our bikes over the gates again.
Once we got back on the paved road it was downhill from there. Magdalena probably broke the speed limit most of the way down without pedaling. We got back to the surf club at about 2:45. It took four hours to go up and 40 minutes to come down. We walked the two blocks home and ate a really good lunch and showered. The trip was a lot of hard work, and we were very tired, but it was worth it!
At 12:30 we got to the point where the road hasn't been paved yet. We weren't sure where we were supposed to turn off to go up the hill because none of us had ever go up before. So we asked the construction workers if they knew. They said we had passed it so we turned around. The first driveway had an open gate so we biked in. We passed a little building with a truck and then we saw some people ahead that were motioning for us to stop. We stopped and they said that this was their private property and that it didn't go up to the top. They said that the next drive did but it was also private property. So we went back out to the main road.
We backtracked a little more to the next dirt drive. This one didn't have a gate so we biked in. After biking for a bit there was a gate, but it was locked with a barbed wire fence on each side. One of the boys in the group climbed over the gate and we handed the bikes over the fence to him. Everyone else in our group climbed over the gate and the two of us went through the fence. Then a bit later we turned a corner and saw that there were about seven cows blocking the driveway. They were all watching us and we thought they might be the guards that would soon chase us away. But then they turned and walked off the drive. So then we biked a bit more and we came to another locked gate which we went over and around again. We thought for sure that there wouldn't be anymore so we continued. Soon we came to a third gate. We were getting ready to climb over again when we realized that this chain didn't have a lock on it so we opened the gate and easily went through. We took a break to eat lots of black raspberries around all the cow pies. There was not a fourth gate which we were happy about, but we still had a long way to go to get to the top.
By the time we finally got to the very top it was almost 2:00. Because the driveway was steep dirt we walked all the way up. At the top was a big dome that looked like a huge, white soccer ball. We wanted to take a picture of the view from up there but there's no view because it's always foggy. So after taking a group picture and getting a drink we headed back down. It was a kind of scary on the way down because, again, it was steep dirt so we had to break so we wouldn't fly off the side of the hill, but when we tried to break we just skidded. It was also spritzing rain so the dirt was muddy and it got all over us. We made it back to the third gate and then the second gate and then the first again without any cow trouble, but we did have to lift our bikes over the gates again.
Once we got back on the paved road it was downhill from there. Magdalena probably broke the speed limit most of the way down without pedaling. We got back to the surf club at about 2:45. It took four hours to go up and 40 minutes to come down. We walked the two blocks home and ate a really good lunch and showered. The trip was a lot of hard work, and we were very tired, but it was worth it!
Friday, November 7, 2014
Hablando Español (Magdalena)
Two days ago my Spanish teacher said that in order for me and Luisa to learn español better we need to speak it more. So she said that the next day our family would only speak español. So yesterday that was supposed to be the rule but nobody followed it. Also I read or slept in my room the entire day so I wasn't talking either so we tried it again today and I said that we would try do it everyday until it happened. So today we were supposed to speak only in español again. We had a rough start in the morning but by 10:00 Luisa was into it. In fact she was speaking more español than our dad because he's lazy. Luisa can speak really well if she just puts her mind to it. It's been really fun and I have a much better mood when we speak in español. Also since I'm in a good mood all the time now I speak more!
Trick or treating (Luisa)
Last Friday, Ashanti and I went trick or treating on the Malecon. Trick or treating isn't common here but we saw a few other kids doing it. We went to about 10 stores but it was Ashanti's first time and she was timid and didn't want to go to many stores. But we had fun and got a good amount of candy (see photo).
Here is a list of the different kinds of candy we got:
Halls: A normal cherry flavored Halls that in the US would be a cough drop but here it is sold as candy. We heard from someone that at restaurants they give them after the meal like a mint.
Nikolo: A candy bar that tastes like chocolate covered rice crispies with nuts.
Manicho: A milk chocolate candy bar with peanuts.
Rellenos: Hard milk candies with chocolate inside.
Jaazz: Mint and orange flavored candies that again in the US would be considered cough drops.
La universal: Pineapple, tangerine, and naranjilla (cross between a tomato and an orange) flavored hard candies.
Choco maní: Chocolate hard candy with crushed peanuts mix in.
Arcor: A lemon flavored chewy candy.
Icapeb: A tamarind flavored chewy candy.
Halls: A normal cherry flavored Halls that in the US would be a cough drop but here it is sold as candy. We heard from someone that at restaurants they give them after the meal like a mint.
Nikolo: A candy bar that tastes like chocolate covered rice crispies with nuts.
Manicho: A milk chocolate candy bar with peanuts.
Rellenos: Hard milk candies with chocolate inside.
Jaazz: Mint and orange flavored candies that again in the US would be considered cough drops.
La universal: Pineapple, tangerine, and naranjilla (cross between a tomato and an orange) flavored hard candies.
Choco maní: Chocolate hard candy with crushed peanuts mix in.
Arcor: A lemon flavored chewy candy.
Icapeb: A tamarind flavored chewy candy.
Advice for the Sick (Kent and Teresa)
This week all four of us have been sick. Not sick with a fever, however, which means we keep plugging along, although we have been resting and napping more, drinking more liquids, and going to bed earlier. Everyday people genuinely ask, "how are you doing?" When you're sick, you say, "sick." We've all had some variation of "a bad cough." Some have had a runny nose, and some of us have had a sore throat. Because people are concerned about our well being, we have gotten all sorts of advice and have tried a number of the remedies.
Some of the advice is the same advice we give in the U.S. for a cold, for example, don't drink milk. Most of the advice, however, is new to us:
1. For a cough, avoid cold food and drink, like cold juice and ice cream.
2. For a cold, drink a tea consisting of cooked orange juice, manzanilla tea, cinnamon and honey. Luisa loves this! (It's not hard to enjoy!)
3. For a cough, boil a "tree tomato" (tomate de arbol, or tomatillo, which is entirely different from the Mexican tomatillo). This was actually Magdalena's homework from her Spanish teacher, so we all tried it. It's a rather bitter fruit, but is tolerable with honey. Luisa couldn't eat it even with honey.
4. Eat garlic, fried in oil.
5. Gargle with lime juice.
6. For a sore throat, wear a scarf around your neck. This one actually came from our German housemates, but locals agreed. Teresa has tried this a few days, much to the dismay of her fashionable daughters.
7. For a cough, cook garlic and raisins in milk, then drink. It sounds like this will be cooked for us this evening, just before heading to bed.
Some of the advice is the same advice we give in the U.S. for a cold, for example, don't drink milk. Most of the advice, however, is new to us:
1. For a cough, avoid cold food and drink, like cold juice and ice cream.
2. For a cold, drink a tea consisting of cooked orange juice, manzanilla tea, cinnamon and honey. Luisa loves this! (It's not hard to enjoy!)
3. For a cough, boil a "tree tomato" (tomate de arbol, or tomatillo, which is entirely different from the Mexican tomatillo). This was actually Magdalena's homework from her Spanish teacher, so we all tried it. It's a rather bitter fruit, but is tolerable with honey. Luisa couldn't eat it even with honey.
4. Eat garlic, fried in oil.
5. Gargle with lime juice.
6. For a sore throat, wear a scarf around your neck. This one actually came from our German housemates, but locals agreed. Teresa has tried this a few days, much to the dismay of her fashionable daughters.
7. For a cough, cook garlic and raisins in milk, then drink. It sounds like this will be cooked for us this evening, just before heading to bed.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Galapagos By The Numbers (Kent)
25,000--approximate number of residents in the Galápagos Islands
100,000--approximate number of tourists that visit the Galápagos Islands every year
6,672--Population of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (the town where we live), San Cristobal Island
6--Number of commercial blocks on the Malacon (board walk), mostly on just one side of the street
27--Number of souvenir shops on the Malacon
15--Number of stores that sell Pinguino ice cream bars on the Malacon
67--Number of Sally lightfoot crabs counted on one 8 x 10 ft. section of sea wall on the Malacon
4--number of sea lion beaches/different groups along the Malacon.
206--Number of sea lions counted on the beaches of the Malacon one evening
30--Approximate number of female sea lions in male sea lion's harem
3--Average number of weeks a male sea lion can hold his title of "king of the herim" before being overthrown (in a fight) by a new male
0--Number of times the king sea lion eats during his 3 week reign (he has to be on guard the whole time.
4--number of pharmacies within a 2 block stretch in town
6:30 a.m.--the time the tamal vendor starts driving around town on a Sunday morning honking his horn and yelling "TAMALLLLES!"
10--number of minutes a marine iguana has to eat algae at the bottom of the ocean before its body starts to get stiff from the cold
13--number of species of finches found on the Galápagos Islands
2--total number of colors (yellow and white) of native flowering plants in the Galapagos
575--number of miles the nearest Galapagos Island is from mainland Ecuador
19--number of main islands in the Galapagos
3--number of smaller islands
107--number of islets/rocks
75--percent of Galapagos land mass that is Isabel Island
5--number of different ocean currents that converge on the Galapagos
1831--The year the Galapagos was annexed by Ecuador
1959--The year the Galápagos Islands became a national park
42--Number of international volunteers working with Project Galapagos (our local agency) as of early November
100,000--approximate number of tourists that visit the Galápagos Islands every year
6,672--Population of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (the town where we live), San Cristobal Island
6--Number of commercial blocks on the Malacon (board walk), mostly on just one side of the street
27--Number of souvenir shops on the Malacon
15--Number of stores that sell Pinguino ice cream bars on the Malacon
67--Number of Sally lightfoot crabs counted on one 8 x 10 ft. section of sea wall on the Malacon
4--number of sea lion beaches/different groups along the Malacon.
206--Number of sea lions counted on the beaches of the Malacon one evening
30--Approximate number of female sea lions in male sea lion's harem
3--Average number of weeks a male sea lion can hold his title of "king of the herim" before being overthrown (in a fight) by a new male
0--Number of times the king sea lion eats during his 3 week reign (he has to be on guard the whole time.
4--number of pharmacies within a 2 block stretch in town
6:30 a.m.--the time the tamal vendor starts driving around town on a Sunday morning honking his horn and yelling "TAMALLLLES!"
10--number of minutes a marine iguana has to eat algae at the bottom of the ocean before its body starts to get stiff from the cold
13--number of species of finches found on the Galápagos Islands
2--total number of colors (yellow and white) of native flowering plants in the Galapagos
575--number of miles the nearest Galapagos Island is from mainland Ecuador
19--number of main islands in the Galapagos
3--number of smaller islands
107--number of islets/rocks
75--percent of Galapagos land mass that is Isabel Island
5--number of different ocean currents that converge on the Galapagos
1831--The year the Galapagos was annexed by Ecuador
1959--The year the Galápagos Islands became a national park
42--Number of international volunteers working with Project Galapagos (our local agency) as of early November
Monday, November 3, 2014
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