A Birthday to Remember

This was a birthday to remember for several reasons.
Number 1: I was in Ecuador.
Number 2: I left my teens.
Number 3: I have some pretty amazing friends here.

Another friend in my BCA group, Julie, had her birthday on Monday, March 21. We celebrated on Tuesday by going out to Crepes and Waffles to eat ice cream and play Bananagrams. It was on Wednesday that Hannah (another BCA friend) said that the week had turned in favor of celebrating my birthday. So Wednesday, I guess, is when the festivities really began .

Not many birthday-type things happened on Wednesday, but there was one activity I did that was better than any present I could have asked for. It was about 8:30 in the evening when Andres called me to see if Wesley and I wanted to go play soccer with them. They rented out a field at Plaza Deportiva, which is where the little kids that we volunteer with play their games. There was no way I was passing up a chance to play soccer with some real players. So Galo (director of the volunteer program) drops by my apartment complex at 9:30, we swing by Wesley's place to get her (by this point there are 7 people in Galo's 5 person SUV), and then we head over to Plaza Deportiva by 10. Andres and Galo have managed to round up ten players, so it's 5 v 5. I'm on a team with Galo, Andres, Seppe (from Belgium), and Alex (from France). Wesley's on the other team with an Italian, a German, and two more guys from Belgium. As Andres said afterwards, we played an international soccer game. Haha. I don't think I have ever had more fun playing soccer. Holy cow. These guys were legit. And the game was close. We won like 9 to 8 or something like that. Wesley and I each scored one goal. Obviously we weren't as good as the guys. I was tired after 5 minutes, but then another 5 minutes and my body got accustomed to being tired. The guys learned my name and would always look to share the ball with me. They trusted me on defense, and I will proudly say that I made some pretty stellar stops. Against Belgian guys whose legs were longer than I am tall. Seriously. By the time we finished at 11, I was exhausted but happier than a kid in a candy store. Galo took Wesley and I home, and on the trip back we managed to fit 9 people in Galo's SUV, long legs and all. That was when my birthday celebration actually started.

On Thursday I had a little get together in my apartment with my closer BCA friends: Ashley, Wesley, Hannah, Rachele, Julie, and Joi. My family had wanted to celebrate with me and since I already had plans for Friday night, we celebrated on Thursday. My brother Sebas and his friend Nicolas also hung out with us, which was really cool. My mom made pizza, had a chip buffet set out, and bought us ice cream. We hung around chatting and eating and then we played some games. The first game we played was Ashley's idea. We all wrote down the names of four famous people on slips of paper and put them in a bowl. My people were George W. Bush, Fidel Castro, Santa Claus, and Jesus Christ. We then divided ourselves into three teams. In the first round, a person would draw a name and then describe the person (without actions). His or her teammates would guess the name and once they got it, another name would be drawn. Each person had a minute to describe as many people as possible. After all the names had been described, the slips of paper go back into the bowl. In the second round, when you draw a name, you can only say one word. It might sound easy because you already know all the names, but there happened to be a lot of cantantes (singers). And my brother and his friend put a lot of rock and roll names in the bowl that not many of us were terribly familiar with. After that round was over, the names went back in the bowl and in the third round, we had to act out the person without using words. Needless to say, it was a very entertaining game. Especially when Brittany Spears gets messed up with Jesus Christ. Then we played charades with movies. All in all, it was a super successful and fun night. Lots of laughing. Lots of memories.

The gang (Yes, there are candles in the pizza)

Friday. March 25. My birthday. Set my alarm for 8 because my only class is soccer at 10. Seven thirty rolls around and I find myself woken up to the sounds of a mariachi band. My mom and Sebas walk into my room. My mom has a mariachi band youtube video up on her laptop and has her camera in hand to take pictures of my I-just-woke-up face. She then proceeded to post those pictures on fb. Thanks, mom. Haha. Turns out they got me a card, a Japanese chocolate cake thing, a Galapagos t-shirt, and a stuffed dog that looks like Bibi. They're great. Got ready for school. Went to school. Hung out and chatted with January (BCA girl) before soccer class. Went to soccer where we stood around for about half an hour deciding whether we should play in the gym or outside. It was a long decision process because it was raining and then it wasn't raining and then it was raining. We finally played inside for about 20 minutes. Then I hung around and passed around with a girl from my class until the boys who have soccer class after us came. I don't have class at 11, so when they asked if I wanted to play with them, I was like "Why not?" Not as fun as playing with the Belgians, but better than sitting around waiting for my friends to get out of class. Hung out with Wesley and Rachele from noon until 1, when Ashley finishes class. Then we all went to the Empanada company where I got an Extravaganza (peppers, mushrooms, cheese, ham) and a dessert one with strawberries and chocolate. Delicious. Then it was off to Iomi, a frozen yogurt place where I had a cup with strawberries and chocolate chips. It was my birthday. I'm allowed to splurge. Don't judge. We hung around chatting for awhile because we were all done with class. Then we headed home where I chilled until it was time to head to my party.
 
Picked up Julie and Ashley in the taxi and headed to La Chacha. Got there and were ushered upstairs, which was outside, but still covered. Very classy and cute and we had the upstairs to ourselves so that was chill. Lots of BCA people came so it was nice to know that I'm loved. We all ordered pizza and then Andres brought out the cake. Not as good as the cake we had at Wesley's birthday celebration, but delicious nonetheless. I love the atmosphere at La Chacha. Andres and Galo are such great guys. They made me feel special on my birthday, the service is great, and the food is wonderful. They hung around with us for awhile just chatting and laughing, too. I'm really going to miss volunteering with them when I have to go back to the States. The party had nearly winded down when Wesley took a chunk of cake and smeared it on my face. Haha. Oh Wesley. I'm gonna miss her, too. After La Chacha, the party kinda broke up. Wesley, Ashley, Rachele, and I went club hopping, but they were all kinda empty and lame. So we went home. End of my birthday celebration. And what a celebration it was. One that I'm never going to forget.

Thanks, Wesley. Haha

 The gang

Front Row (Left to Right): Me, Andres, Wesley, Ashley
Back Row: Galo

Liga, Centro Historico adventuras, y Cumpleañeros!

Thursday, March 17
I was just chilling on Facebook when Andres Facebook chatted me and asked if Wesley and I wanted to go to the Liga game tonight. Andres volunteers with the little soccer kids like Wesley and I. He's like the 2nd in command after Galo. So there's some background. I hadn't been to a Liga game yet, and I didn't have any homework due the next day, so I was like "Why not?" We invited Ashley to come along as well because she had been to a couple of the little kids' games with us and she didn't have anything else to do on a Thursday night either. I caught a cab to Ashley's place and then we headed to Wesley's. From there we took the bus to the stadium which is in the north of the city. The plan was to meet Andres at the South General Admissions entrance, but of course, us being gringas and him being Colombian, we arrived before he did. The atmosphere was crazy and we were only outside the stadium. I couldn't imagine what the inside was going to be like. There were policemen and police horses everywhere! There was a line of like 30 policemen keeping the line of entering people organized. And amongst the policemen were scalpers. Just mingling. No big deal. Toto, we're not in Kansas...wait...we're not in AMERICA anymore. Andres finally found us and had already bought us tickets thankfully. The place was getting crowded, people were already drunk, and the sweet sounds of Liga cheers were ringing from every corner and crevice outside the stadium. Andres also brought his girlfriend and three guys from Belgium who are working/on vacation here in Ecuador. We all got really acquainted with each other really fast. We hopped in the line and had to fight off line-cutters. Then we were swept into the flow of the line and were jostled this way and that, all while being squished against each other like sardines. Quite an experience. Got in and headed to the General Admission section on the bottom level. Stationed ourselves, standing of course,  behind the goal and towards the left. America hadn't prepared me for the savage dedication these people have for Liga. There were shirtless men climbing the fence behind the goal and swinging their shirts around. The ENTIRE stadium was screaming Liga chants. Toilet paper was being strewn everywhere. A true soccer environment.
The opposing team, Peñarol from Argentina or something like that, entered the field and the stadium erupted in whistling (apparently that's like booing here). Then Liga came out and mass chaos ensued. Yelling, fireworks, toilet paper, cheering, jumping, more shirtless men. Excitement and energy was spilling from every pore on my body. Why can't America have this sort of passion for soccer? Anyway. Kickoff. Liga was dominating. Apparently we (yes, my allegiance is toward Liga de Quito and I am now authorized to refer to them and me as one entity, "we") lost to this team 1-0 last time we played them. Not this time. Don't know how long it took, but Liga scored first. Locura (madness). People threw beer. No joke. Beer. By the time the game was over and Liga had finished them off with a 5-0 win, we were mojados (soaking). But man, what an atmosphere. What a game. It's more than a past time for these people. It's a way of life.

After goal number 1 I believe:

From left to right: Wesley, me, Ashley, Andres (ignore the strange man who snuck in the back of the picture) 

Saturday, March 19
Met up with Hannah, Wesley, Julie, and Alex at the Rio Coca station and then we headed down to the centro historico (the old part of Quito). We ate lunch at a restaurant just outside of the Iglesia San Francisco. I had locro (potato soup). Then we walked our way over to the Basilica. Took a look around inside. Gorgeous architecture. Incredible stained glass windows. Breathtaking. We were getting ready to climb to the top when it started to rain. We didn't really have an interest in getting soaking wet  in the climb, so we chilled at a nearby cafe/restaurant until it stopped raining. We headed back to the Basilica, found the entrance that would allow us to climb to the top of the church, and were told by the guard that we were too late. The gates close at 4:30. I kid you not, Wesley's watch read 4:30 and 20 seconds. Really, Ecuador? Really? You're not gonna run on Latin American time? LATE!?!?! Needless to say, we were a little upset, but we had fun hanging out. We'll have to come back another time.

Sunday, March 20
Today we were having a surprise birthday party for my host grandma. Her birthday isn't until April, but she'll be in the states visiting family, so they decided to celebrate now. It was also kind of a birthday party for other people who had birthdays in March or April. The party was held at the house of some aunt or uncle of my host mom's (I can't keep them all straight; tio (uncle) this, tia (aunt) that, primo, prima (cousin), blah blah blah). We were there earlier than most of the family members, so Sebas (my brother) and I spent like 45 minutes playing fetch with the dogs. Took a tour of the house. Then my cousins showed up. I'm lucky to have the coolest cousins in the world back in the states, but how lucky is a person when they have cool cousins in Ecuador, too? Once Nicolas (7) and Ignacio (6) had finished exploring the roof of the house and all the greeting each other was over with, Nico, Nacio, Gabriel (13), and I proceeded to play soccer for approximately 2 hours straight. Like I said...I have cool cousins. Around 3:00 the parents started nagging us about eating lunch, so we paused the game and got some grub. There were like 5 different types of meat and when I only took 3 of them, people were like "Don't you want this meat? You're meal isn't complete!" Actually, in case you're blind, my plate is already piling and I don't believe there is any room for more food. Thanks, though. Haha. The best part of the meal? Fried platanos. Popped those like popcorn. After lunch it was back to the cancha (soccer field, which in our case was just a small square of grass next to the driveway), where the four of us played for another hour until the mariachi band arrived. That's right...mariachi band. Provided us with a solid 15 minutes of entertainment. The lead singer took his sombrero off and we all had to take turns passing it around and trying it on and then of course everyone had to take pictures. The band left, and the cake came out. Ignacio (birthday March 23) and I were the lucky ducks who got to blow out the candles. Then it was cake eating and story swapping until we left around 6:00. Gotta say, I've got a pretty awesome Ecuadorian extended family.

Three of my four cousins; from left to right: me, Nicolas, Gabriel, Ignacio

Me and Ignacio blowing out the candles 

From left to right: Erik from Sweden and his wife, Angy (my mom's cousin), Sebas, me, my mom, my grandma 

Up next: A Birthday to Remember 

GALAPAGOS! part 2

Hope you all have recovered from the excitement of part one. Now it's time to buckle up your seatbelts because here comes part 2!

Sunday, March 6

Had to be at breakfast at 7 this morning so we could be done with our hike by the time the rain came in the afternoon. We loaded up the chiva (truck-taxi), picked up our sack lunches, and made the 45 minute drive to the base of Volcán Sierra Negra, the second largest active volcanic crater...in the WORLD. Freaking awesome. The first 40 minutes of the hike were fairly steep, cloudy, and chilly. The we reached the top and had the most incredible view of the magnificent crater.

Yeah. It's ginormous. The last time it erupted was in 2005. It's still hot enough that we could see water vapor rising from the lava rocks. We took a group photo here. Instead of William taking the picture, though, which he had done a trillion times this trip already, Daniel took the picture so William could be in it.

William: "Alright everybody, digan whiskey!" (Say whiskey!)

Us: mumbling 

William: "Digan whiskey!"

Us: louder mumbling

William: "DIGAN WHISKEY!!!!!"

Maximo: "Cerveza!" (beer!)

Hahahaha

We hiked around the east side of the crater for about 3 hours. Then we stopped for lunch and bathroom breaks (the whole world is our bathroom!) under a large tree called Jaboncillo. The fruit of the tree can be used to make jabón (soap). Then we were off again. The weather was gorgeous. Sunny, but clouds here and there. Not too hot, and enough wind to cool you, but not enough to make you chilly. Daniel said it was the best weather he had ever had for this hike. Awesome blossom. The crater has underground "tubes" that feed a smaller volcano (Volcán Chico). So we visited that lava field. Volán Chico isn't a crater like Sierra Negra. It's just hills of lava, so we actually got to walk on the lava rocks. We were able to see, up close, how the lava hardened not only on a small scale, but on a big scale as well. There were also holes we could stick our hands into where we could feel the heat and water vapor escaping. Chevere.

Some of the lava rock is also very shiny. This picture doesn't do it justice. Especially when it's covering the ground. I wish I could have brought some home, but if airport security finds and plant, rock, or animal in your luggage, they remove it from your possession and put you on a list of people who are prohibited from ever again visiting the Galapagos. Didn't want to risk it. 

Finished at the top of Volcán Chico where we had a glorious view of the northern portion of Isla Isabela. Que hermosa (How beautiful).

Then we headed back the way we came. Ten miles total. Didn't feel that long. It's fun hiking with friends. Got back to the hostal around 3:00. Ashley and I put on our smokin' hot swimsuits and headed out to the beach. The tide always seemed to be particularly strong during the afternoon hours. After about 10 minutes we had both mastered body surfing, in the process accumulating a lot of salt water in the mouth and nose and a lot of sand in the swimsuits. Showered and chilled until supper. After supper, Julie and I went to find Magnums (ice cream). Felt like we deserved it after like six hours of hiking. Finished up the night with girl talk on the beach with Ashley, Wesley, Rachele, Hannah, and Kaitlin.   

Monday, March 7

Last full day in the Galaps :(  Breakfast. Then it was back on the fishing boats. We had the same boat and the same capitan, so that was fun. We headed over to some lava tunnel/bridges. On our way over, we saw this little island where the birds like to hang out. Incredible waves.

We also stopped a few times when our capitan would see a manta ray. They're kind of hard to see, but you look for the dark spot just under the surface of the ocean and that's them. Sometimes if you're lucky, you'll see the tip of their wing break the surface. The difference (for those of you who are curious) between a manta ray and a sting ray is basically that a manta ray is A LOT bigger. So yeah. Here was our final destination:

Cool. Our expert fishermen capitanes maneuvered the boats through the maze of tunnels and bridges until we stopped in a little alcove. From there, we climbed onto the lava. This area of the ocean is really calm, so we were able to see lots of wildlife. 

There were loads of sea turtles: 

an Angel Ray:

And a white-tipped shark. I don't have a picture because he moved so fast and was pretty sneaky, but we saw one. They aren't a very large species. Probably only 3 feet long. From there we moved back out into the rougher waters and did some snorkeling. More sea turtles and lots of fish. At the second place we snorkeled, we were able to feel the two currents that collide in the Galapagos (the warm Panama current that comes from the north, and the cold Humboldt current that comes from the south). Literally, swim 10 yards and you go through hot-cold-hot-cold. Crazy. So many unique species exist on the Galapagos BECAUSE both of these currents meet here. It allows for warm-water dwellers and cold-water dwellers to find sanctuary in the midst of these incredible islands. Then it was time for lunch. Me, Ashley, Rachele, Wesley, and Lily had already gotten back in the boat and our capitan had put away the ladder. When William came to get back in, our capitan told him to climb in by himself and that all of us girls had done it (which we hadn't). Haha. So William climbs in, panting, and says to Rachele "I saw the most beautiful sirenas (mermaids), and they're all on this boat!" Hahahaha...haha...ha...creepy. Time for lunch and then we headed home. On our way back, all of the sudden our boat jerked like we had hit a speed bump. One of the motors seemed to be having trouble after that, so we stopped the boat. As the capitan was fixing the motor, William looked at us all solemnly and said, "Sea turtle." Later our capitan told us that it was just a simple mechanical malfunction. NO turtle was harmed in the making of this story. Because we were held up with the malfunctioning motor, we had lost some ground on the other boats. I guess our capitan doesn't like to be last because once he got the motor running, he floored that bad boy and we went careening over the waves at a breakneck speed. There was legitimate fear oozing from our pores. You get thrown out of a boat going that fast and it's like hitting concrete, but as Daniel would like to say, "If you don't risk your life every day, you're not really living." We were all very much alive that day.

Got back to Isabela where some of us went out for an ice cream snack and a chat. At 4 we headed to a tortoise center where they raise and release giant tortoises back into the wild. We got to see the little baby ones! They're only 3 to 4 years old and will be released when they are between 5 and 7. Que precioso. (How precious)

In one of the baby tortoise exhibits, there were some tortoises eating paper.

Kaitlin: "Why are they eating paper?"

Maximo (the cool guide): "Porque tienen hambre." (Because they're hungry)

Kaitlin: "But are they supposed to be eating paper?"

Maximo: "...no."

Hahaha. Turns out, the chart book had fallen down and the baby tortoises were eating all the data. Kids. Such troublemakers. Finished the tour, headed back to the hostal, chilled until supper. I did a photo shoot with the BLUE FOOTED BOOBIE!!!!!! I heart boobies. Seriously. My. Favorite. Galapagos. Animal. This one was hanging out on the beach right in front of the hostal. Unfortunately, he was bleeding a little bit under his right wing and that's why we could get so close. He was gone the next morning, though. Hope he's ok. 

Notice how blue the feet are. I mean, man, there aren't many things cooler than that. 

I also couldn't pass up taking sunset pictures on the beach.

Supper was panela, which is rice with shellfish. Then Maximo and William had a little trivia session with prizes. Maximo asked the first question which was "Where was the first place we went after we got on the bus on the first day?" I answered with "Los Gemelos." Out of his pocket Maximo drew a small blue-footed boobie figurine. I can imagine that the look on my face was priceless. It may seem like nothing, but this figurine means so much to me. For it to be my favorite animal and for it to have come from the cool guide...whew....I don't have words. I seriously teared up a little. I freaking love this place. Afterwards, Daniel bought us all ice cream. Yummy. Then Ashley, Wesley, Rachele, Kaitlin, Hannah, and I hung out on the beach again. Reminiscing. Girl talking. Dreading leaving this beautiful place. Went to be early, though. Long day ahead tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 8

Woke up before the crack of dawn. Had to be packed and ready to go by 5:00 AM. Headed to the dock, got on the speed boat, and made the two-hour trek back to Isla Santa Cruz. I actually slept this time, so the trip seemed a lot shorter. Once in Santa Cruz, we got on a bus and headed to the Charles Darwin Research Station where we saw Lonely George, the last tortoise of his kind. 

He's the big one. The other one is a female of a different species. George is incapable of mating, though. They've tried everything to no avail. People were pretty tired and grumpy and hot and sweaty by this point. When William told us all to give him our cameras, "Group photo! Group photo! Everyone's cameras! Give them to me!", we had finally had enough and just said NO. Haha. Back on the bus, off to the ferry, across the channel, to the airport, 15 minutes of souvenir shopping, on the plane, lunch, nap, landed in Quito. It was weird to leave. I had come to care for those islands so much. To think that I probably will never get the opportunity to go back there. ever. is a sobering thought. The islands have so much to offer. There was never a dull moment. I can say, hands down, best vacation ever. Inspirational. Incredible. Amazing. Breathtaking. Magical. The Galapagos. 

GALAPAGOS! part 1

Yeah. You read the title right. Los Galapagos. Charles Darwin. Finches. Tortoises. Yeah. Be jealous. I'm two-parting this adventure because we crammed a lot of actividades into six days. Let me first start off by saying that Ecuador and many other Latin American countries celebrate what's called Carnival. It's the days leading up to Ash Wednesday. Schools are closed Monday and Tuesday. La gente (the people) celebrate by throwing water, flour, foam, and eggs at people. Luckily, I was never targeted. Many people also celebrate by going to the beach. What did BCA do? The Galaps. No big deal. Just the BEST VACATION OF MY LIFE!

Thursday, March 3: Day 1
We skipped school on Thursday and Friday for this trip. Totally worth it. Ashley, Julie, and I shared a taxi to the airport and got there around 8:15. Checked our luggage, hung around, went through security, sat there anxiously, and finally left the runway at 11:00. The flight takes two hours, but the Galapagos are one hour earlier than Quito (just like Kansas!), so we landed at 12:30 GT (Galapagos time). 12:30? Yes, for those of you who have mastered basic math skill, that means the flight took 2 and a half hours. Why? Well, we made an unexpected stop in Guayaquil because the airline was short planes so we had to pick up some more passengers. Anyway, we land in the Galapagos. I am on the brink of tears because this place is absolutely incredible. Here I am, 19 years old, traveling to a place that some people would die to visit. A place that some people never get to see. I am truly blessed. The airport is like a large, land-down-under shack. We make it through security and whatnot and get herded onto a bus by our two tour guides (Maximo and William). Though they were complete strangers at the time, we got to know them very well over the next 6 days. You'll hear stories later. We drive for about 7 minutes until we reach a channel that we cross via ferry. On the other side of the channel is Isla Santa Cruz, the most populated Galapagos Island. Ninety seven percent of the Galapagos is Official National Parks. At this point, I am in utter awe of the naturaleza (nature). If you've ever thought "Galapagos. Island chain. Like Hawaii," you're wrong. Reddish-brown rocks, green plants sprouting in all the cracks, cacti everywhere, water bluer than the sky. Sometimes Dr. Seuss-like. Sometimes Mars-like. A magical land.
On the ferry ride we saw our first pelicans and sea turtle. Excitement would be an understatement, but little did we know that we would see more pelicans and sea turtles than we had ever dreamed of. Got on a bus which took us to a place called Los Gemelos (The Twins). There we saw two large craters that were formed when lava bubbles collapsed.

We also saw a Darwin finch. Chevere. Then it was back in the bus and off to our hostal, Cafe Escuba. Very nice accommodations. Ashley, Wesley, Rachele, Hannah, and I stayed in a loft-like room. We had to climb a very wobbly, tight-fit spiral staircase to get to our room, but it was cool and we had a little balcony. Ate lunch. Got fitted with scuba gear. Headed via boat taxi and walking to a little channel where we could cliff jump and snorkel. Yes, Mom. You heard right. Cliff jumping. I'm here typing, so I AM still alive. Just FYI. Don't worry, I wasn't as crazy as Daniel who jumped from the top of the cliff. I was about 2/3 of the way up. And it was awesome.

Practiced snorkeling for the first time ever. I thought it would take a lot of practice, but it's just getting over that initial breath when your face is under the water. I caught on really fast. There wasn't much in the channel to see, but it was exhilarating just to be able to see so clearly under the water. Went back to the hostal. Showered. Supper. Walked into town. Just a really chill place. Julie and I hung out on the pier with the pelicans and just talked about life. Some other BCAers joined us and then we headed back to the hostal. By ourselves. We thought we had paid good attention on our way in, but we got lost on our way back. Asked help from the locals and eventually got back. Bed by midnight.

Friday, March 4: Day 2
Breakfast. Then we went and toured a lava tunnel, one of many that helped birth the island. I learned that a lot of the rocks on the island are red because of the iron in the volcanic rocks. Iron oxidizes the fastest and has a reddish tint. Interesting. It reminded me of a mine shaft. It was about 300 meters long and at one point it had collapsed so we had to army crawl. After the tunnel we went to see the Galapagos tortoises. The giant land ones. They live at this park, but they are free-range, so they can basically go wherever they want.

That reminds me. They are super protective of the Galapagos because of it's biological importance and whatnot, so we aren't allowed to touch any of the animals and we have to stay on paths. That's why we have guides. We have to have a guide everywhere we go. Makes this place seem almost fragile. Handle with care. After viewing the tortoises, they had a shell that we got the chance to climb in and try to walk like a tortoise. Hard stuff. It's pretty heavy and inconveniently bulky.

Headed back to the hostal. Lunch. Then we loaded our stuff on a speed boat and headed two hours to the west to Isla Isabela, the largest in size and third most populated island. It is also in the shape of a caballito del mar (seahorse). It started raining on our way over and it was still raining when we arrived. On our way over I was lucky enough to see two dolphins playing in our wake. Only one other person saw them. Everyone else was sleeping. Loaded up the chivo (large truck-like taxis) and headed to our hostal. Right on the beach. Not even kidding. Dream come true. Ashley and I room together and by luck of the draw, we end up with the "honeymoon sweet." Two queen-size beds, a thin balcony facing the ocean, spaciousness, and...a hole in our wall. I guess they weren't quite done renovating. Oh well. We loved it. We were kind of bummed that it was raining, but some of us headed to a nearby store to get some pan (bread) for a snack. Then we went back to the hostal and chilled until supper. We ate at this restaurant right around the corner every night for supper. They also packed us our lunches. We were always treated with plenty of food. Back to the hostal. Bed.

Saturday, March 5: Day 3
This is what I woke up to. No joke. Hard to beat.

Breakfast at a hostal the street behind ours because ours doesn't do meals. Then it was off to the pier. We split up into 4 fishing boats. I was with Wesley, Ashley, Rachele, and one of our guides, the loco (crazy) one, William. He knows bastante (plenty) ingles, but we also know bastante español. He would tell us things in Spanish and then, thinking we didn't catch it all, he would repeat everything in English. Annoying. After he told us some thing he would say "Preguntas?....Questions?" Yes, William. We have lived here for two months now. We know what "preguntas" means. Anyway. We headed over to Isla Tortuga which looks like a turtle, hence the name. There's a big part that serves as the shell, and then a smaller island nearby that serves as the head. The walls of the island are too steep to land on, so we just boated around them, but man was it gorgeous. The island is home to many birds.

Then we got to snorkel around the island. There were lobos marinos (sea lions) and cangrejos (crabs) and marine iguanas just chillin' on the side of the island. There were also three penguins that were swimming around us. Daniel said he had never been that close to a penguin here. Chevere. While I was snorkeling I saw a sea lion swim under me, a manta ray, and schools and schools of the most beautiful fish I had ever seen. It was like jumping into Finding Nemo. There was one that was royal blue with shinny light blue spots all over. Incredible. Then we headed over to Islote Tintoreras, an island composed of very chunky, dark lava rock. First we snorkeled around the island where I saw a sting ray, a sea turtle, and a lobster (which are apparently rare finds). We were able to then tour the island, which is home to several marine iguanas. They blend in with the rocks, so sometimes you didn't see them until you were walking right by them. 

William: "Say it fast...marineiguanamarineiguanamarineiguana. Hahahahahaha."

Me: "...it sounds like 'marijuana'."

When we got to the beach-half of the island, it was littered with iguanas. Daniel said he had never seen so many. 

There was also a baby sea lion pup that was looking for his mommy. He hopped straight towards our group, we parted, and then he passed right through us and continued on his way. Adorable. This was also the point where William told us that sea lions could live up to 30 years, just like dogs...

Back to the boat. Sack lunch. Back to Isabela. We had a little bit of time to hang out on the beach. Let me tell you, I have never been to a more beautiful beach. Not crowded. Sand finer than silk without ANY rocks, shells, twigs, or anything. Water bluer and clearer than Jake Gyllenhaal's eyes, and cold enough to be refreshing, but warm enough to be comfortable. But...no rest for the weary because then we headed off to a lookout point where we could see across the northern part of the island. Absolutely breathtaking.

Our final stop for the day was at the Muro de las Lagrimas (the wall of tears). Convicts had been sent to the Galapagos because there aren't many places to go if you escape. The scary thing was that they sent 300 convicts to an island with a population of 120 at the time. Talk about fear of an uprising. The general in charge of the convicts decided to keep them busy by having them build a wall out of rocks. He was going to make it a square block and keep the convicts inside, but the mainland heard about what he was doing and stopped him. There are supposedly eight dead bodies in the wall. The Great Wall of Los Galapagos. It was said "Here the strong cry and the weak die." Sobering.

From there it was back to the hostal for supper. Afterwards, some of us girls hit up the town (all 3 streets of it) for some ice cream. Headed back to the beach and had our own private dance party to the music that was playing at the beach party next door. Good times. Halfway done with the Galapagos and I didn't want it to end. 

"Nos vemos entonces"....in the cloud forest

I know this is probably my most obscure blog title so far, but by the end of this post, you will understand.

Saturday, February 26

Improvisation performance en el Centro Historico. We were supposed to be there at 10:00. Hannah and I got off the Ecovia at like 9:55. We had called Daniel (our program director and Improvisation professor) on our way and thought we knew where we were going. We ended up heading in the wrong direction, called Daniel again, and headed further South like he told us. Hit a dead end, called Daniel again, and found out that he had meant to tell us North instead of South. Awesome. We finally arrive at the Plaza del Teatro at 10:30. Thankfully they waited for us to start. Ecuadorian time. You know, it all works out. It would take me FOREVER to explain all the activities we did, so I'm not going to try. At this plaza, though, we did a lot of activities based on movement, sounds, expression, and exploring the space. Apparently, a tourist stopped to watch us and made a comment to Daniel that "Boston isn't this cool." Haha. Chevere.

On our way to the next lugar (place) we had to interact with the public with an object. I brought an umbrella. I didn't say much to people, but I would walk up behind them until I was right next to them, shading them. One middle-aged man looked at me like I was crazy. Another older and much smaller gentleman beamed and thanked me profusely for the shade. Haha. Then I walked through the middle of the street twirling my umbrella. Yeah, that part was a little awkward. It was very entertaining, though, to watch Hector (who brought a police hat) stop traffic and wave us across the street. Sebastian, another guy in my glass pretended to be blind and actually got some money from people. Haha

We stopped at a smaller plaza and did two completely improvised activities that Daniel never warned us about. We did a slow motion race where the winner was the person who got last place, but you always had to be moving forward. I was in that race. The rest of my classmates who weren't racing were the audience, and they were also in slow-mo. I didn't win, but I didn't lose, if you know what I mean. The other race was a drunk race. Both the participants and the spectators had to act drunk. Entertaining for sure.

Then it was just a quarter of a block to our next "stage." We performed in the lobby of a burned theater. Here we did a lot more structured activities, less abstract. More talking, less walking. The audience laughed a lot more and my friends said this half of the program was more enjoyable. The audience wrote down objects, we split into groups, and then as a group we had to act out the object. Anteojos, glasses. Rata, rat. Huracan, hurricane. Mierda..."poop." We had a very creative audience. Haha. We stayed in these groups for most of the rest of the program. The audience also wrote down phrases. Each group was given six phrases and had to create a scene using only those phrases. No other palabras (words). While one group was working on a scene, the other group was doing "Open Scenes." We had basic conversation but with different scenarios.

The conversation:

A: Hola

B: Hola

A: Que hiciste anoche?

B: No hice mucho. Y tu?

A: Vi un poco de tele.

B: Algo de bueno.

A: Pues, no.

B: Nos vemos entonces.

A: OK

For those of you who are Spanish challenged:

A: Hi

B: Hi

A: What did you do last night?  

B: Not much. You?

A: I watched some TV.

B: Anything good?

A: Nah

B: See you later, then.

A: OK

Notice the reference in my blog title. People say "Nos vemos entonces" a lot, so every time I hear that phrase in a normal conversation, all I can think of is improv. It has become a running joke among those of us BCA members who are either in the class, or came to this performance. Haha.

We each had to do two scenarios with different partners. My first: we both had to go to the bathroom really badly. The second: a hypochondriac at the doctor's office. Funny stuff.

We did some more activities, but that would take more explanation than I have the patience for. Overall it was a success. I had fun, and I think it was a good bonding experience for our class. We each had to invite a guest so that we would actually have an audience. Haha. Five BCAers came and there are only three of us in the class. Daniel was very impressed with the BCA turnout, and my friends enjoyed themselves, so it was definitely a success. Afterwards, we headed back to Quicentro (the mall), ate at a pretzel place and then finished up with some ice cream at Crepes and Waffles. Went home. Homework out the wazoo.

Sunday, February 27

Met at the Rio Coca station at 8:00 to head to Bomboli, the house of a couple who lives in the cloud forest. The cloud forest is in the process of being destroyed and this couple is doing what they can to protect and maintain at least a portion of it. When we arrived, on the side of the highway, there were some Bomboli workers in the process of slicing a tree trunk with which to make table tops. Chevere. Split into two groups because only half of us could fit into the pick-up truck that would take us up into the mountain. I was on the first shift up. Took a little tour of the house while we waited for the second group to come up. They had about nine dogs there and they were the most well-fed animals I had seen in this country so far. There were twins that had been puppies the last time Daniel saw them last semester. Now? You wouldn't have known they were so recently removed from puppyhood except for their immaturity. I guess that's how it works with college boys, too.

A volunteer there took us on a tour. He looked Ecuadorian and spoke English like he learned it in Ireland. Weird. Apparently he was born in California and moved to Ecuador when he was one. His mom is Californian. That doesn't explain the Irish accent, but we decided not to pry. When the other group arrived at the house, we went on the same tour. Basically. Kinda lame, but educational. They recycle the trees for everything there. The guest housing has mirrors mounted on sliced trunks, clocks mounted on smaller sliced branches, cabinetry, tables, and shelves all made out of trunks. They showed us their garden where they talked about a lot of the plants they were growing there. I found it actually somewhat interesting because I had just been on my Botany field trip so things were looking and sounding familiar. Chevere. There were a lot of beautiful orchids there. The main idea I drew from the experience was that all forms of life need agua, comida, amor, y un ambiente sano (water, food, love, and a healthy environment). The male half of the couple that owns this place really takes this to heart, and kisses the plants every time he plants them. Haha. Loquito (little crazy man). We hiked further into the cloud forest and saw a lot more plants I recognized from the Botany field trip. We were also shown how the couple uses natural fences. There was a cleared out circular cove in the forest where they train horses. The fence around the place was just a conjunction of trees, orchids, and ferns that all grow and thrive together.

Went back to the house to eat. This family makes their own cheeses and manjar (carmel spread). Their Parmesan cheese? Yeah they let it sit in their cupboard for a year and a half. No big deal. Just hardcore dedication right there. We had  locro (potato soup) with mozzarella cheese and a looser cheese that I can't remember the name of. Then it was rice with chicken and veggies and salad. Then it was crepes with manjar on top and homemade chocolate sauce. So. Good. They offered more, so I had thirds. Haha. When it was time to go, the group that went up first (my group) went down first to check out a waterfall. By then it had started to rain. The ride was bumpy and peligroso (dangerous) if you weren't watching the branches that were dangling in front of your head. We passed the time by singing. Let me tell you, nothing beats spontaneous singing parties with some great friends. Nothing. I mean we covered everything. Backstreet Boys. Taylor Swift. Katy Perry. Big and Rich. Avril Lavigne. And I don't even remember what else. Time flew, though. Singing does that. The waterfall was pretty cool. It's right by the highway and had to have been at least 50 feet high. Then we hung out in the bus and did a lot more singing while we waited for the second group to make it down the mountain. That was Bomboli. That was the weekend.

Orchids: