This past weekend, I went to Mindo with Kelsey, Amy, and Lacy. We left early Saturday morning and got to Mindo around 10. We checked into our hostal, which was basically a tree house. It was awesome!! After we grabbed some lunch, we did canopy zip lines. I was terrified, but it was really fun. After that, we went tubing, also a little scary but very fun. After we got all dried off, we got some ice cream and chilled out in the park. We wound up watching this group of children playing. They were adorable!! After that, we attempted to eat dinner at this hummingbird place with two med students (Jennifer and Justin) who were in the room next to us at the hostal, but the place was closed. So, we ate with them in town. We also ran into one of Kelsey’s friends Ben who joined us on our adventures the next day.
On Sunday, we had left to eat breakfast at the butterfly house. Along the way, we were joined by three stray dogs, which we named Buddy, Pancakes, and Loco. After a fantastic breakfast of pancakes for some and French toast for me and Justin, we went to see the butterflies, which were really cool. We saw several cocoons hatch right in front of us, and we all eventually got a butterfly or two to land on us. After the butterflies, we went to buy our bus tickets back, but the bus we wanted was full, so we wound up having to take a later bus home. After buying our tickets and grabbing some lunch and banana splits, we went in search of somewhere to swim. After a long walk with Buddy, we found a calmer part of the river. Most people swam a bit; Lacy and I just stuck our feet in and got eaten alive by the bugs. On our way back we hitched a ride in the back of a pickup truck, and Buddy ran all the way home.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Inca Trail/Cuenca/Ingapirca
As soon as we got back from the Galapagos, Kelsey and I had to immediately start getting ready for this camping trip. We literally got off the plane, dropped our stuff at Kelsey’s place, and took a bus to the Mariscal to find a place to rent a tent and such. While we were searching for this camping store, it started pouring. We eventually found it, and rented two sleeping bags, two mats, a tent, and a huge backpack for us to share. After that, we went to Supermaxi to buy food: peanut butter, bread, water, gatorade, candy, and fruit. Then, I went home to pack. About two hours later, Kelsey showed up at my door and we caught a cab to Cumbayá. From there, we met the rest of the group and took a bus (overnight) to Alausí. We ate breakfast there, I bought a hat and some gloves, and we took pickup trucks to Achupallas. After eating lunch and waiting for longer than we should have for our burros, we started the hike on the Inca Trail. We eventually made it to a tambo and set up camp. The next day, we were supposed to make it to San José and take trucks from there to Ingapirca (Inca ruins), but one student got lost. So, we had to set up camp in these huts we found while the guide went and looked for him. They eventually found him, and he was fine. The next day, we set out for San José, but it took longer than we thought, so we wound up bagging Ingapirca for the day and just going to Cuenca. The next day, we spent some time exploring Cuenca, and then went to Ingapirca. From there, we took trucks to Tambo, and caught a bus to Quito. Overall, the hiking was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, but it’s definitely an accomplishment for the books.
Galapgaos
Kelsey and I went to the Galapagos for part of Semana Santa (April 9-14). I had an amazing time!! Below is the rundown of the trip...
Day 1:
I met Kelsey at the airport bright and early and we caught our flight to Guayaquil (a city in sourthern Ecuador) and then to the island San Cristóbal. The temperature when we stepped off the plane was 91 degrees Fahrenheit. We had to pay $100 cash to get into the islands because they’re a national park. I didn’t have that much in cash, so they kept my passport while someone from our tour drove me into town to an ATM. After that, I went back to the airport, met some other passengers and our guide, and took a small bus to the dock. From there, we took inflatables to our boat, the Millennium. After we got settled in and had some lunch on the boat, we went back to the island to go to the Interpretation Center, which was like a museum of the islands. After that we spent some time hanging out and shopping on the island. Then, we went back to the boat and ate dinner. A few of the passengers and I played poker that night. One passenger Bryan taught me, Kelsey, and another passenger Justina how to play Texas Hold ’Em. I got pretty good by the end of the night. As we slept, the boat went to the island Española. It was really bumpy, but I slept through it just fine.
Day 2:
In the morning, we went to a beach on Española where there were a whole bunch of sea lions, birds, and marine iguanas. After that, we went snorkeling and I saw a whole bunch of fish, a sea lion, a penguin (barely), and a pelican. Then we went back to the boat to eat lunch. After lunch, we went to a different side of Española where there were more animals. We saw blue footed boobies, nasca boobies, waved albatrosses (which were a big deal, according to our guide), tropical birds, a hawk, and more iguanas and sea lions. After that, we went back to the boat and hung out, ate dinner, played some more cards, and went to bed.
Day 3:
In the morning, we went on a hike of the island Floreana. We saw a crap load of animals there: crabs, sea lions, flamingos, blue footed boobies, rays, and sharks. After that hike, we went back to the boat and went snorkeling again. This time was way better. I saw even more fish, sharks, turtles, and sea lions. After lunch, we went to Post Office Bay. People leave letters and post cards in this barrel so that people pick them up and mail them or hand deliver them when they get home. I picked up a post card for Heyworth, IL and a letter for Green Bay, WI. I hope they can wait until May. :) We also went swimming at the beach there. After that, we just hung out on the boat. There were a whole bunch of frigate birds flying with the boat for a good half hour. It was pretty sweet. After dinner, the boat went to the island Santa Cruz, where we spent the next day.
Day 4:
Today, instead of doing the boat activities, I went scuba diving with a scuba shop in Santa Cruz. I saw a crap load of animals: lots of sharks, one turtle, one sea lion, a bunch of eels, a few dolphins, and a whole lot of fish. My first dive was just me and the instructor while the more advanced divers went somewhere else with a divemaster, but on the second dive I got to go with them because my instructor said I did a really good job: I breathe efficiently and I control my buoyancy really well. So, that felt pretty cool. :) After my scuba adventure, I went back to the island and ran into Kelsey—thankfully because I had the only key to the hostal (we stayed in Santa Cruz for the rest of the trip). She had to go back to the boat for something, and wound up being gone for a while. So, I hung out with one of the guys from the scuba shop. After Kelsey came back, he showed us around the island. While we were looking for a place to eat, we ran into a bunch of our friends from USFQ who were there with their volcanology class. So, we hung out with them for a while and then called it a day.
Day 5:
In the morning, we went to the Charles Darwin Center to see the giant tortoises and lonely George. Kelsey had gone with the group the day before and made an excellent tour guide. We actually got to go in the pen with five of the giant tortoises. It was pretty cool. After that, we went to Tortuga Bay, a really sweet beach. I had a lot of fun just chatting with Kelsey and enjoy the scenery. After that, we did some shopping at the little stores in town and ate very well at a cute little Italian restaurant. Then, we just hung out and went to bed.
Day 6:
We flew home. :(
Day 1:
I met Kelsey at the airport bright and early and we caught our flight to Guayaquil (a city in sourthern Ecuador) and then to the island San Cristóbal. The temperature when we stepped off the plane was 91 degrees Fahrenheit. We had to pay $100 cash to get into the islands because they’re a national park. I didn’t have that much in cash, so they kept my passport while someone from our tour drove me into town to an ATM. After that, I went back to the airport, met some other passengers and our guide, and took a small bus to the dock. From there, we took inflatables to our boat, the Millennium. After we got settled in and had some lunch on the boat, we went back to the island to go to the Interpretation Center, which was like a museum of the islands. After that we spent some time hanging out and shopping on the island. Then, we went back to the boat and ate dinner. A few of the passengers and I played poker that night. One passenger Bryan taught me, Kelsey, and another passenger Justina how to play Texas Hold ’Em. I got pretty good by the end of the night. As we slept, the boat went to the island Española. It was really bumpy, but I slept through it just fine.
Day 2:
In the morning, we went to a beach on Española where there were a whole bunch of sea lions, birds, and marine iguanas. After that, we went snorkeling and I saw a whole bunch of fish, a sea lion, a penguin (barely), and a pelican. Then we went back to the boat to eat lunch. After lunch, we went to a different side of Española where there were more animals. We saw blue footed boobies, nasca boobies, waved albatrosses (which were a big deal, according to our guide), tropical birds, a hawk, and more iguanas and sea lions. After that, we went back to the boat and hung out, ate dinner, played some more cards, and went to bed.
Day 3:
In the morning, we went on a hike of the island Floreana. We saw a crap load of animals there: crabs, sea lions, flamingos, blue footed boobies, rays, and sharks. After that hike, we went back to the boat and went snorkeling again. This time was way better. I saw even more fish, sharks, turtles, and sea lions. After lunch, we went to Post Office Bay. People leave letters and post cards in this barrel so that people pick them up and mail them or hand deliver them when they get home. I picked up a post card for Heyworth, IL and a letter for Green Bay, WI. I hope they can wait until May. :) We also went swimming at the beach there. After that, we just hung out on the boat. There were a whole bunch of frigate birds flying with the boat for a good half hour. It was pretty sweet. After dinner, the boat went to the island Santa Cruz, where we spent the next day.
Day 4:
Today, instead of doing the boat activities, I went scuba diving with a scuba shop in Santa Cruz. I saw a crap load of animals: lots of sharks, one turtle, one sea lion, a bunch of eels, a few dolphins, and a whole lot of fish. My first dive was just me and the instructor while the more advanced divers went somewhere else with a divemaster, but on the second dive I got to go with them because my instructor said I did a really good job: I breathe efficiently and I control my buoyancy really well. So, that felt pretty cool. :) After my scuba adventure, I went back to the island and ran into Kelsey—thankfully because I had the only key to the hostal (we stayed in Santa Cruz for the rest of the trip). She had to go back to the boat for something, and wound up being gone for a while. So, I hung out with one of the guys from the scuba shop. After Kelsey came back, he showed us around the island. While we were looking for a place to eat, we ran into a bunch of our friends from USFQ who were there with their volcanology class. So, we hung out with them for a while and then called it a day.
Day 5:
In the morning, we went to the Charles Darwin Center to see the giant tortoises and lonely George. Kelsey had gone with the group the day before and made an excellent tour guide. We actually got to go in the pen with five of the giant tortoises. It was pretty cool. After that, we went to Tortuga Bay, a really sweet beach. I had a lot of fun just chatting with Kelsey and enjoy the scenery. After that, we did some shopping at the little stores in town and ate very well at a cute little Italian restaurant. Then, we just hung out and went to bed.
Day 6:
We flew home. :(
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tiputini
This past weekend I went to Tiputini Biological Station in the Amazon. It was amazing!! We left early Friday morning and basically traveled all day. We took a twenty five minute plane ride to a town called Coca, a two hour canoe (with a motor) ride to some military-type base, got our stuff x-rayed and our passports checked, took a two hour bus ride in a safari-style bus, and then took another two hour canoe ride to the station. Needless to say, it was pretty isolated. The station has a dining area, cabins (no walls, just screens), an air-conditioned library, some classrooms and labs, a gazebo-type deal with hammocks, two docks for swimming, a volleyball court, and a whole bunch of trails. It was super humid, so much that they have special boxes in the library to keep expensive electronics because otherwise they stop working after a day or two. On Friday night, a few of us took a swim in the river. Other than that, we just ate dinner and got settled in.
On Saturday, we went on guided tours of the area. First, we had to get rubber calf-high boots which made us all look super-stylin. I was in a group with Josh, Andy, Ryan, Rick, and Amy. Our guide was José, who was an interesting guy as you will see. Our first trip was a hike through the trails just to see different plants and animals. We saw all sorts of frogs, toads, monkeys, and insects. A few of the highlights: seeing mating monkeys, eating ants, and letting fire ants bite our fingers (I did not participate in that last one). That lasted all morning. After a nap in the hammock cabin and a great lunch, we went on the lagoon/canopy tower hike. We trekked for a short while to get to this river bank, we all piled into a slightly jank canoe, and José paddled us around a lagoon where we saw a whole bunch of birds. Andy was terrified and it was hilarious. Then we hiked to a canopy tower. We climbed it and saw a whole bunch of birds, and a howler monkey. One the way back from the canopy, José showed us a vine that looked like male genitalia, and someone in our group brought some back for another girl as a joke. While we were waiting for our boat to take us back to camp, José taught us some useful phrases in Kichua and some dirty ones in Spanish (the latter of which was at the request of some members of the group). After that hike, we chilled a bit more, napped, ate dinner, and went on a night float. For the night float, we slowly and quietly took the canoe down the river and looked for animals. All we saw was a dwarf caiman (small alligator/crocodile), but it was pretty sweet.
On Sunday, I went on a canopy walk with my hiking group. We hiked for a bit, saw a few cool plants (including one that turns your tongue blue and one that gives you mosquito bite-like bumps) and a bull spider. Then we got to the canopy walkways, which were basically rope bridges attached to trees and a canopy tower. There was one optional part at the end of one of the bridges where you had to climb a ladder up a tree to a platform, and only Amy and I were brave enough to do it. It was awesome, except for the sweat bees and ants. After that, I took another nap and ate lunch. After lunch, we went on another boat trip. On the way to our first stop, we saw a sloth, which is supposedly very rare. Later, we fished for piranhas. I failed miserably, but Kelsey and Andy caught a total of four piranhas. Then, we floated down the river in life jackets. It was amazing. I got way ahead of the group and got to see a whole bunch of birds and just take in the rain forest. After the float, we had some more down time until dinner. Dinner was amazing: sweet corn, green beans, barbecued chicken breast, real mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake. It made me really homesick. I started tearing up when I ate the mashed potatoes and the cake. After dinner, we had a presentation on the camera trap program that they just finished at Tiputini. Basically, they set up motion/heat sensitive cameras to take pictures of the animals that you often don’t get to see, like peccaries, tapiers, ocelots, and jaguars. After that, a few of us went on a night hike with some of the students who are studying at Tipuntini. We only saw a tarantula, but it was really cool to experience the rain forest at night.
Then, on Monday we went home, taking the same long journey it took us to get there. We got to Coca with plenty of time to spare, so we just hung out at this resort type place on the dock. There, we saw all sorts of monkeys. They weren’t afraid of humans, so they climbed all over us. It was awesome. We finally arrived in Quito, just in time to head to Mulligan’s to watch the b-ball game…let’s not talk about that. Overall, it was a fantastic weekend!
On Saturday, we went on guided tours of the area. First, we had to get rubber calf-high boots which made us all look super-stylin. I was in a group with Josh, Andy, Ryan, Rick, and Amy. Our guide was José, who was an interesting guy as you will see. Our first trip was a hike through the trails just to see different plants and animals. We saw all sorts of frogs, toads, monkeys, and insects. A few of the highlights: seeing mating monkeys, eating ants, and letting fire ants bite our fingers (I did not participate in that last one). That lasted all morning. After a nap in the hammock cabin and a great lunch, we went on the lagoon/canopy tower hike. We trekked for a short while to get to this river bank, we all piled into a slightly jank canoe, and José paddled us around a lagoon where we saw a whole bunch of birds. Andy was terrified and it was hilarious. Then we hiked to a canopy tower. We climbed it and saw a whole bunch of birds, and a howler monkey. One the way back from the canopy, José showed us a vine that looked like male genitalia, and someone in our group brought some back for another girl as a joke. While we were waiting for our boat to take us back to camp, José taught us some useful phrases in Kichua and some dirty ones in Spanish (the latter of which was at the request of some members of the group). After that hike, we chilled a bit more, napped, ate dinner, and went on a night float. For the night float, we slowly and quietly took the canoe down the river and looked for animals. All we saw was a dwarf caiman (small alligator/crocodile), but it was pretty sweet.
On Sunday, I went on a canopy walk with my hiking group. We hiked for a bit, saw a few cool plants (including one that turns your tongue blue and one that gives you mosquito bite-like bumps) and a bull spider. Then we got to the canopy walkways, which were basically rope bridges attached to trees and a canopy tower. There was one optional part at the end of one of the bridges where you had to climb a ladder up a tree to a platform, and only Amy and I were brave enough to do it. It was awesome, except for the sweat bees and ants. After that, I took another nap and ate lunch. After lunch, we went on another boat trip. On the way to our first stop, we saw a sloth, which is supposedly very rare. Later, we fished for piranhas. I failed miserably, but Kelsey and Andy caught a total of four piranhas. Then, we floated down the river in life jackets. It was amazing. I got way ahead of the group and got to see a whole bunch of birds and just take in the rain forest. After the float, we had some more down time until dinner. Dinner was amazing: sweet corn, green beans, barbecued chicken breast, real mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake. It made me really homesick. I started tearing up when I ate the mashed potatoes and the cake. After dinner, we had a presentation on the camera trap program that they just finished at Tiputini. Basically, they set up motion/heat sensitive cameras to take pictures of the animals that you often don’t get to see, like peccaries, tapiers, ocelots, and jaguars. After that, a few of us went on a night hike with some of the students who are studying at Tipuntini. We only saw a tarantula, but it was really cool to experience the rain forest at night.
Then, on Monday we went home, taking the same long journey it took us to get there. We got to Coca with plenty of time to spare, so we just hung out at this resort type place on the dock. There, we saw all sorts of monkeys. They weren’t afraid of humans, so they climbed all over us. It was awesome. We finally arrived in Quito, just in time to head to Mulligan’s to watch the b-ball game…let’s not talk about that. Overall, it was a fantastic weekend!
Mom and Pete come to visit
This past week my mom and my brother Pete came to visit me in Ecuador. They arrived Saturday the 28th at night. I met them at the airport, we took the shuttle to their hotel together, and I took a taxi home. On Sunday, we went to the Brasil v. Ecuador fútbol game. It was crazy. We got there two and a half hours before the game started and there were no seats, so we stood the whole time; we also got rained on for part of the time. But the game was awesome!
On Monday, we attempted to go the Museo del Banco Central, but it was closed. So, Pete and Mom wound up coming to campus with me for a meeting I had for my Tiputini trip. We ate on campus, and they wandered around while I was at my meeting. After that, we went to Museo Mindalae (Ecuadorian artisan crafts) and the artisan market.
On Tuesday, we had lunch with my host family, Mom took a walk with Juli around my neighborhood, they came with me to the travel agent, and Pete and I went bowling with Deanna, Lacy, and a bunch of my Ecuadorian friends.
On Wednesday, I went to class while Mom and Pete took a tour of the city and went to Mitad del Mundo. After that, we grabbed dinner and went to the Ballet Folclórico Jacchigua. It was basically a blend of traditional dances with choreography meant to tell the story of the indigenous people of Ecuador. It was set, of course, to a live band. It was pretty much awesome.
On Thursday, the three of us went to Cotopaxi. It was super clear out, and we could see a whole bunch of volcanoes while we were driving to Cotopaxi. Pete and I climbed up to the first refuge (just shy of the snow line) and played in the snow. It was pretty sweet. When we got back to the hotel, I had to say good bye because I was leaving for Tiputini Friday morning and couldn’t come with them to the airport.
On Monday, we attempted to go the Museo del Banco Central, but it was closed. So, Pete and Mom wound up coming to campus with me for a meeting I had for my Tiputini trip. We ate on campus, and they wandered around while I was at my meeting. After that, we went to Museo Mindalae (Ecuadorian artisan crafts) and the artisan market.
On Tuesday, we had lunch with my host family, Mom took a walk with Juli around my neighborhood, they came with me to the travel agent, and Pete and I went bowling with Deanna, Lacy, and a bunch of my Ecuadorian friends.
On Wednesday, I went to class while Mom and Pete took a tour of the city and went to Mitad del Mundo. After that, we grabbed dinner and went to the Ballet Folclórico Jacchigua. It was basically a blend of traditional dances with choreography meant to tell the story of the indigenous people of Ecuador. It was set, of course, to a live band. It was pretty much awesome.
On Thursday, the three of us went to Cotopaxi. It was super clear out, and we could see a whole bunch of volcanoes while we were driving to Cotopaxi. Pete and I climbed up to the first refuge (just shy of the snow line) and played in the snow. It was pretty sweet. When we got back to the hotel, I had to say good bye because I was leaving for Tiputini Friday morning and couldn’t come with them to the airport.
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