I don't know about you all, but I like to make lists. I make shopping lists, to-do lists, packing lists, and, my most favorite, a bucket list. So here's the big news I've been waiting to reveal (which may have been spoiled by the updated map on my homepage). A week from today, I will be on a plane heading to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for three and a half weeks, a trip that has been on my bucket list for at least 6 years. (!!!) Today, I finished all of my pre departure assignments (FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY), so I figured now would be the perfect time to write about this opportunity. We will be first landing in Quito, Ecuador's capital, then traveling to three other cities in Ecuador until we return to Quito for a few days, then we fly to the Galapagos Islands (those little specks on the map about 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador) for the last 4 days of the trip.
While there, I will be taking three classes: Evolution, Tropical Biodiversity, and Biodiversity of the Galapagos, totaling 7 credit hours toward my Biology major. I read three books and answered tons of question sets to prepare for the trip, seeing as the bulk of the learning while in country will be field work, not typical classroom time.
Even though these were assigned books, it didn't take long to knock them out, seeing as they are books I would have purchased for leisurely reading anyway. This made the homework so much easier! Being genuinely interested in the topics I am studying will make for a much more exciting and fulfilling study abroad experience!
While in Ecuador, we will be staying at the coolest lodges I've ever seen in my life! One is Yanayacu Eco-lodge in the Andes Mountains, which looks something like this...
While in Ecuador, we will be staying at the coolest lodges I've ever seen in my life! One is Yanayacu Eco-lodge in the Andes Mountains, which looks something like this...
The next stop will be Shiripuno Biological Field Site about 4 hours by canoe from Coca, Ecuador.
After midterms, we will travel to Bellavista Lodge, a real treehouse...
...then back to the capital for a few days to do some shopping and touristy things...
...before we take off to the Galapagos Islands...
...which is home to some of the most unique species on the planet. I have been commissioned by my high school biology teacher, Mrs. McDowell, to take pictures of a famous Galapagos land tortoise, a marine iguana, and, of course, some of Darwin's famous finches.
Blue-footed boobies, waved albatrosses, and flightless cormorants can also be seen on the islands.
I can't express in a million words how excited I am for this amazing journey! After months of waiting, tons of paperwork, and a myriad of vaccines and other preparations, I am finally only a week away from departure. I have a good start on packing, but I've still got a ways to go. I can't wait to follow in the footsteps of my idol, Charles Darwin, the man who changed the face of biology forever with his idea of natural selection, by studying the eccentric wildlife on the Galapagos Islands, and learn about the culture and customs of the people of Ecuador. Guess I should brush up on my Spanish!
Legend has it that during his five-week stay in the Galapagos, Darwin rode the namesake Galapagos tortoises...
If only I could be so lucky!
If only I could be so lucky!
Many more pictures will follow, and prayers for my safety on this trip are greatly appreciated!
Sincerely,
T
P.S. This post has been updated since its first upload. After my trip, I realized I had made a few errors in the names and locations of some of the places we stayed. I also added a couple of pictures that I took myself, more of which will be in my upcoming blog post about the trip.
Sincerely,
T
P.S. This post has been updated since its first upload. After my trip, I realized I had made a few errors in the names and locations of some of the places we stayed. I also added a couple of pictures that I took myself, more of which will be in my upcoming blog post about the trip.