Ok, so I have been absolutely horrible and not blogged for quite some time - in my defense....ok, I have nothing. Sorry!!
I am home now, back down under, which is really lovely to be home again!
My finals days in South America were wonderful and hard. I finished the mural before leaving South America, so that is still there, and it is kind of exciting to think that I got to leave that behind. Then all too soon, we were leaving. I won't lie, I cried as we walked across the tarmac to our waiting plane. The thought of leaving was hard, but not as hard as the actual leaving. We arrived back in Quito to cold and wet weather, but it was lovely to be back with my host family. The next day was my 21st, and I was surprised with a lovely lunch with some friends and a lovely cake at that evening's farewell dinner. After the dinner, we all returned to the hotel in Quito where we hung out until the wee hours of the morning, when, at 3:30am, the first bus to take people to the airport arrived. My gosh, I had never wanted to go through the devestating goodbyes I had to have in Tanzania again, but this was just as difficult. Having to say goodbye to these lovely people after such a long time together. I was very drained, emotionally and physically. I went home after that, to get a little shut eye and grab my joggers before heading back to the hotel, as some of my friends had told me that I was theirs at 9am that morning, and that I needed joggers. When I arrived back at the hotel, I discovered that they had very sweetly organised a surprise for my birthday, with a trip up to the top of Pichincha mountain. However, the weather was not cooperating with us, and the rain and fog had closed in, meaning we would have seen nothing from the top. So instead, we headed out to the markets and to grab some lunch. That afternoon, the rain really set in, so we retreated back to the hotel, where we had set up our GAIAS refugee camp. The hotel very kindly had allowed us the 6th floor, as people who were leaving on the 8pm bus would need showers etc, and somewhere to stay during the day. So we all bundled ourselves up, chatted, flicked on a movie and got some pizza. It was great!! And then all too soon, time for the next bus load of people to leave. So another devestating farewell as we got on the bus with them and were dropped off in Cumbaya.
My last few days were spent in the company of the remaining few GAIAS members, and we had some lovely moments. And then all too soon, I was off. At the airport, which let me tell you was an experience and a half! I never realised it would be so difficult leaving South America O.o. I had troubles with my bag, a police interrogation (mind you everything up until England was done in Spanish) which ended with the question as to whether I was a natural read head, and then a random full bag check for drugs which led to my being taken out of the airport and down into its bowels, where armed guards with dogs were waiting with my bags. Needless to say, I couldn't believe it, and I hadn't even gotten on the plane!! I eventually made it to Bogota, and then from there to Madrid, where I only just made my connecting flight! And lost my scarf :( And then finally coming into land in England, where my mother was awaiting me!!!
And so began Annie and Louise's epic UK adventure (with a small pop over to Paris). But more on that a little later. Or maybe not, I dunno, maybe I will never end up getting it fully written up, except to say that it was the most amazing time! I absolutely loved travelling with my mother, she is amazing and we just had the best time! And we got to catch up with family and friends and it was just truly wonderful, a blessed experience!!!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
At Journey's End
Wow. It's still hard to process. I leave Galapagos this Friday.
I have had the most amazing last few weeks here. Since my last entry, we had a week in Santa Cruz for class, I was offered to co-author a paper with my professor, started our final module and I went on the trip of a lifetime - the 7 day diving cruise to Darwin and Wolf, with diving visits to Fernandina, Isabela, Bartolome and Santa Cruz. This was by far one of the most, if not the most amazing experience I have had here. I swam with hundreds of sharks, false killer whales, giant manta rays, turtles, marine iguanas, penguins, sea lions, dolphins - I dived in some of the most amazing underwater ecosystems I have ever seen. The sheer number of fish and of life that I saw was breathtaking. I had an absolutely magnificent time. It was a truly beautiful way to end my time here. But while others received closure and felt ready when we returned on Monday to leave,it simply fuelled my desire to stay, realising there was still so much I wanted to see, so much that could be seen. And that I don't think this will be my only time to this place.
My time here has been so incredible. I have been so blessed to be able to live here for 3 months. It's whole new world when you live here. There is an outside view of this place, of this pristine environment so perfectly protected. Even some of the tourists that visit for only a brief time see the islands in this light. But I can say that living here, I have seen the darker underside of the Galapagos, the real problems that the ecosystem is facing and the threats to its continued survival into the coming centuries. Sewage and domestic animals threatening the health of marine life. Oil spills from boats coming into port. Invasive species crawling their way through the archipelago. But, it is one of the most unique and amazing places I have ever visited. I don't think there will be much that can compare to what I have been able to see here, particularly in the underwater realm. That's where the magic of the Galapagos truly happens. When you are 5 metres underwater, lying across a rock with a marine iguana feeding in front of you; when you have a sea lion pup who has likely never seen humans look at you with those huge, round and inquisitive eyes; when creatures that exist only here are metres away from you - that's when you feel it. You feel this overwhelming peace, this moment of clarity where you see these incredible places, these incredible things - you see the beauty of God's creation. You see the shear power of mother nature. You feel the incredible strength of the oceans. And diving down, when you stop breathing for just a moment and you hear this complete silence, broken only by the sound of dolphins calling to each other. Those are the moments where I sit back and really thank God that I am able to study what I study, that I am able to pursue my passion for the ocean, and that we have these incredible oceans. There is still so much to explore, there is so much that we don't know. And I love that mystery. It is hard to describe what I feel, looking out over the ocean at sunset. On the ship, in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight. The sun sets and the sky presents it's bounty, spewing forth these beautiful glistening orbs that hang in the sky. And when you anchor in still waters, you lose sense of where the ocean ends and the sky begins as it all just melts together. It's just incredible.
My last few days here are shaping up to be very busy. I have the mural to finish, work to do on the paper, as well as a paper to finish for class. We don't have class tomorrow (Thursday) which is nice, just to have the day to do what I need to do. And to walk along the malecon again, to listen to the sea lions. To just embrace these last moments before returning to the bustling world, to the hectic reality that is my other life. It will be hard to leave all of the amazing people I have met here, the wonderful people with whom I have been able to share this experience.
I am very excited, though sad to leave, that in less than 8 days I shall be seeing my mother in London and be able to travel the UK and have an amazing adventure with her for a month! I cannot wait for it, it's going to be amazing!
Ok, I think I am making myself sad now. I have to keep going and packing and organising things. My next post will likely come when I am back on the mainland of Ecuador.
God bless to all. And please, go out, experience life, embrace it, grab it with both hands and never let go. There is so much to see in this incredible world.
I have had the most amazing last few weeks here. Since my last entry, we had a week in Santa Cruz for class, I was offered to co-author a paper with my professor, started our final module and I went on the trip of a lifetime - the 7 day diving cruise to Darwin and Wolf, with diving visits to Fernandina, Isabela, Bartolome and Santa Cruz. This was by far one of the most, if not the most amazing experience I have had here. I swam with hundreds of sharks, false killer whales, giant manta rays, turtles, marine iguanas, penguins, sea lions, dolphins - I dived in some of the most amazing underwater ecosystems I have ever seen. The sheer number of fish and of life that I saw was breathtaking. I had an absolutely magnificent time. It was a truly beautiful way to end my time here. But while others received closure and felt ready when we returned on Monday to leave,it simply fuelled my desire to stay, realising there was still so much I wanted to see, so much that could be seen. And that I don't think this will be my only time to this place.
My time here has been so incredible. I have been so blessed to be able to live here for 3 months. It's whole new world when you live here. There is an outside view of this place, of this pristine environment so perfectly protected. Even some of the tourists that visit for only a brief time see the islands in this light. But I can say that living here, I have seen the darker underside of the Galapagos, the real problems that the ecosystem is facing and the threats to its continued survival into the coming centuries. Sewage and domestic animals threatening the health of marine life. Oil spills from boats coming into port. Invasive species crawling their way through the archipelago. But, it is one of the most unique and amazing places I have ever visited. I don't think there will be much that can compare to what I have been able to see here, particularly in the underwater realm. That's where the magic of the Galapagos truly happens. When you are 5 metres underwater, lying across a rock with a marine iguana feeding in front of you; when you have a sea lion pup who has likely never seen humans look at you with those huge, round and inquisitive eyes; when creatures that exist only here are metres away from you - that's when you feel it. You feel this overwhelming peace, this moment of clarity where you see these incredible places, these incredible things - you see the beauty of God's creation. You see the shear power of mother nature. You feel the incredible strength of the oceans. And diving down, when you stop breathing for just a moment and you hear this complete silence, broken only by the sound of dolphins calling to each other. Those are the moments where I sit back and really thank God that I am able to study what I study, that I am able to pursue my passion for the ocean, and that we have these incredible oceans. There is still so much to explore, there is so much that we don't know. And I love that mystery. It is hard to describe what I feel, looking out over the ocean at sunset. On the ship, in the middle of the ocean, no land in sight. The sun sets and the sky presents it's bounty, spewing forth these beautiful glistening orbs that hang in the sky. And when you anchor in still waters, you lose sense of where the ocean ends and the sky begins as it all just melts together. It's just incredible.
My last few days here are shaping up to be very busy. I have the mural to finish, work to do on the paper, as well as a paper to finish for class. We don't have class tomorrow (Thursday) which is nice, just to have the day to do what I need to do. And to walk along the malecon again, to listen to the sea lions. To just embrace these last moments before returning to the bustling world, to the hectic reality that is my other life. It will be hard to leave all of the amazing people I have met here, the wonderful people with whom I have been able to share this experience.
I am very excited, though sad to leave, that in less than 8 days I shall be seeing my mother in London and be able to travel the UK and have an amazing adventure with her for a month! I cannot wait for it, it's going to be amazing!
Ok, I think I am making myself sad now. I have to keep going and packing and organising things. My next post will likely come when I am back on the mainland of Ecuador.
God bless to all. And please, go out, experience life, embrace it, grab it with both hands and never let go. There is so much to see in this incredible world.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Lots to tell...
Hello!! I know many of you have been asking when my next post would appear, and here it is!! My apologies for the lateness of this post. So, where I last left off was during our 3rd subject. We finished that and then it was lecture recess!!! Yay! I had organised to head over to Isla Isabela, and left on the Monday, spending the weekend chilling on San Cristobal. The Island hopping kids had left on Saturday, as had the group heading to Santa Cruz for the week. So Monday morning, Taylah, Sarah and I were at the dock by 7 am, having our bags checked and then hopping onto our boat. It took two hours for us to get to Santa Cruz. We arrived in Puerto Ayora and had a few hours to kill there, so wandered around a bit, grabbed a bite to eat, as well as bought our tickets for the next stage of our trip. At 2pm we were back at the docks and on a boat to Isabela! It was another two hour ride to get there. When we arrived in Puerto Villamil, I was ecstatic, it looked so beautiful! The only downside was that I was not going to be able to snorkel here, as I had gotten an ear inflammation and been advised to stay out of the water while I took my drops. Bit of a bummer, but there was lots to do on the mainland. A basic run down of my week went like this:
Monday - travelled to Isabela, organised accommodation, met awesome people living at our hotel, had an exceptionally late night hanging out with said awesome people
Tuesday - slept in after exceptionally late night. Chilled out in the hammocks at the hotel until after lunch, then went out to a great snorkelling spot, where I hung out on the shore and chatted with some lovely travellers
Wednesday - slept in, went out to the wall of tears (Wall of Tears is the wall that was built by the prisoners brought out to Isabela. Their guards believed that by building the wall, the prisoners would be well contained. But the prisoners rioted as they were treated harshly and starved. After a great deal of death, the remaining prisoners fled. It was said that at the wall of tears, the strong cried and the weak died), walked along the beach, saw awesome things!!!
Thursday - hiked up Sierra Negra, the largest active caldera in the Southern Hemisphere and walked along out to Volcan Chico, all the while comparing it to walking through Mordor - lots of lava rock! I also woke up that morning to discover that there was blood on my pillow. Using my fantastic skills of deduction, I realised it must have come from my ear, as when my nose bleeds, it really bleeds, and there was no trail on my face. And it was highly unlikely I bled from my eyes or mouth and had no cuts or anything on my face. Conclusion, ear. Second conclusion, that's not that good! Anyway, had an awesome night chilling out with all the island hopping students who were also on Isabela
Friday - had an amazing morning sitting in a hammock (quite literally all morning) talking with my mother and sketching. Then went horse riding for two hours in the afternoon! Best day!
Saturday - travelled back to San Cristobal
So that was my week off, and here are a few happy snaps from my awesome week in Isabela:
So after a wonderful week in Isabela, I returned to San Cristobal to begin my next subject. We are currently 2 weeks into it, and only have one week left. It has been a very enjoyable subject, and I have even been given the opportunity to co-author a paper with my professor, so it is exceptionally exciting. My ear inflammation also turned into a full blown ear infection, so once again, back on tablets and put onto antibiotics to try and clear it up, and told to remain out of the water. it's cruel, asking a marine biologist to stay out of the water. Seriously!
I also had the opportunity to volunteer with the local vet clinic that was set up for 4 days, to de-sex the animals in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and the town in the highlands El Progreso. I had an fantastic time volunteering for them, and it was exhausting at times, but was incredible fun and an amazing learning experience. I was taught so much! I even was allowed to assist with surgeries. In the end, 102 animals were de-sexed free of charge for the locals. It was an amazing thing to be a part of! I also really loved scrubbing up and being able to wear a mask - made me feel all official :P I was really funny, as the head vet has a microchip in his arm, and offered one to all of us that volunteered. We all declined because, well, have you seen the size of those needles? But one of our friends decided to do it! It was hilarious, we all gathered round and people were photographing and videoing. It was quite the event and a brilliant way to end our volunteering there.
Well, that is pretty much all from me for the time being, hope you enjoyed the update and I do apologise for how late it was. We are off to Santa Cruz on Monday to spend a week there for class. And also, I received the all clear from the doctor yesterday, my ear infection is gone and I am good to go in the water again! Woohoo!!
Monday - travelled to Isabela, organised accommodation, met awesome people living at our hotel, had an exceptionally late night hanging out with said awesome people
Tuesday - slept in after exceptionally late night. Chilled out in the hammocks at the hotel until after lunch, then went out to a great snorkelling spot, where I hung out on the shore and chatted with some lovely travellers
Wednesday - slept in, went out to the wall of tears (Wall of Tears is the wall that was built by the prisoners brought out to Isabela. Their guards believed that by building the wall, the prisoners would be well contained. But the prisoners rioted as they were treated harshly and starved. After a great deal of death, the remaining prisoners fled. It was said that at the wall of tears, the strong cried and the weak died), walked along the beach, saw awesome things!!!
Thursday - hiked up Sierra Negra, the largest active caldera in the Southern Hemisphere and walked along out to Volcan Chico, all the while comparing it to walking through Mordor - lots of lava rock! I also woke up that morning to discover that there was blood on my pillow. Using my fantastic skills of deduction, I realised it must have come from my ear, as when my nose bleeds, it really bleeds, and there was no trail on my face. And it was highly unlikely I bled from my eyes or mouth and had no cuts or anything on my face. Conclusion, ear. Second conclusion, that's not that good! Anyway, had an awesome night chilling out with all the island hopping students who were also on Isabela
Friday - had an amazing morning sitting in a hammock (quite literally all morning) talking with my mother and sketching. Then went horse riding for two hours in the afternoon! Best day!
Saturday - travelled back to San Cristobal
So that was my week off, and here are a few happy snaps from my awesome week in Isabela:
So after a wonderful week in Isabela, I returned to San Cristobal to begin my next subject. We are currently 2 weeks into it, and only have one week left. It has been a very enjoyable subject, and I have even been given the opportunity to co-author a paper with my professor, so it is exceptionally exciting. My ear inflammation also turned into a full blown ear infection, so once again, back on tablets and put onto antibiotics to try and clear it up, and told to remain out of the water. it's cruel, asking a marine biologist to stay out of the water. Seriously!
I also had the opportunity to volunteer with the local vet clinic that was set up for 4 days, to de-sex the animals in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and the town in the highlands El Progreso. I had an fantastic time volunteering for them, and it was exhausting at times, but was incredible fun and an amazing learning experience. I was taught so much! I even was allowed to assist with surgeries. In the end, 102 animals were de-sexed free of charge for the locals. It was an amazing thing to be a part of! I also really loved scrubbing up and being able to wear a mask - made me feel all official :P I was really funny, as the head vet has a microchip in his arm, and offered one to all of us that volunteered. We all declined because, well, have you seen the size of those needles? But one of our friends decided to do it! It was hilarious, we all gathered round and people were photographing and videoing. It was quite the event and a brilliant way to end our volunteering there.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Sentiment
Hello hello
This may seem rather random - today, my bracelet from Tanzania, from 2010, broke on the way to uni. Unfortunately, tiny beads on a road with lots of cracks does not end well and I only managed to salvage a few beads. And I found myself realising how deflated I was that it broke. But, it was just a bracelet right?
This particular bracelet was made by a Masai woman in Ndarakwai, a small reserve I visited in Tazania. I helped her put the last beads on it, before she put it around my arm. Since that day, it has never left my wrist, save for one or two formal occasions. I found myself rather frustrated that the loss of this would make me feel so upset, I mean, I shouldn't be putting such stock in material possessions - at the end of the day, physical belongings fade away, but faith and your soul remain. But, on the other hand, I guess I am just so used to seeing it on my wrist, as a reminder of the amazing time I had in Tanzania. And as silly as it sounds, it almost felt as though I had lost a connection, watching these beads bounce along the ground and disappear. So why do we put such stock in some of our material possessions? Well, it's the sentiment. I think at times, we realise how fickle our minds can be, and so we look to those possessions that can bring back our memories. Remind us of things past. I know for me, this bracelet was always a constant reminder of that trip, of the amazing experiences I had, of the personal growth I received, and of the amazing and blessed life I have. It reminded me of the lovely and kind woman that I had met, and that even though she spoke no English, and I no Maa, we managed to get a little across in our broken Swahili and share a smile and a laugh while stringing beads together. It reminded me to live each day to the fullest, to thank God always for what I had and to pray for others around me. It reminded me that life is precious and amazing, and that there are so many amazing people in this world. I know, it's a lot for one little bracelet to handle I guess.
At the end of the day, I will always have my memories of Tanzania. But I guess I had just really become attached to that constant reminder.
So you're probably sitting there wondering where on earth I am going with this....to be honest, not entirely sure. I guess it's more of an observation of the things we consider important in life. I try to not be a materialist person, as in the end, all fades away to dust and all that remains are our immortal souls. But I think it is ok to put sentiment and value behind possessions. And not because they are expensive, or really flashy - this bracelet was very simple and plain, it was not some prized piece of jewelry. But it had a story.
Random, I know.
God bless all.
This may seem rather random - today, my bracelet from Tanzania, from 2010, broke on the way to uni. Unfortunately, tiny beads on a road with lots of cracks does not end well and I only managed to salvage a few beads. And I found myself realising how deflated I was that it broke. But, it was just a bracelet right?
This particular bracelet was made by a Masai woman in Ndarakwai, a small reserve I visited in Tazania. I helped her put the last beads on it, before she put it around my arm. Since that day, it has never left my wrist, save for one or two formal occasions. I found myself rather frustrated that the loss of this would make me feel so upset, I mean, I shouldn't be putting such stock in material possessions - at the end of the day, physical belongings fade away, but faith and your soul remain. But, on the other hand, I guess I am just so used to seeing it on my wrist, as a reminder of the amazing time I had in Tanzania. And as silly as it sounds, it almost felt as though I had lost a connection, watching these beads bounce along the ground and disappear. So why do we put such stock in some of our material possessions? Well, it's the sentiment. I think at times, we realise how fickle our minds can be, and so we look to those possessions that can bring back our memories. Remind us of things past. I know for me, this bracelet was always a constant reminder of that trip, of the amazing experiences I had, of the personal growth I received, and of the amazing and blessed life I have. It reminded me of the lovely and kind woman that I had met, and that even though she spoke no English, and I no Maa, we managed to get a little across in our broken Swahili and share a smile and a laugh while stringing beads together. It reminded me to live each day to the fullest, to thank God always for what I had and to pray for others around me. It reminded me that life is precious and amazing, and that there are so many amazing people in this world. I know, it's a lot for one little bracelet to handle I guess.
At the end of the day, I will always have my memories of Tanzania. But I guess I had just really become attached to that constant reminder.
So you're probably sitting there wondering where on earth I am going with this....to be honest, not entirely sure. I guess it's more of an observation of the things we consider important in life. I try to not be a materialist person, as in the end, all fades away to dust and all that remains are our immortal souls. But I think it is ok to put sentiment and value behind possessions. And not because they are expensive, or really flashy - this bracelet was very simple and plain, it was not some prized piece of jewelry. But it had a story.
Random, I know.
God bless all.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Introduction to Tumblr
So, Erin has introduced me to the wonderful world of Tumblr, another blog site, but mostly re-blogging photos, quotations etc...and I can say, it is rather addictive!!!
I even created my own, feel free to check it out :) http://curiosities-and-inspirations.tumblr.com/
On another note, it is raining here today. I love the sound of rain! It's so lovely. Just having a really nice quiet afternoon, getting some sketching done and just generally loving life!
Hope you are all well, wherever you may be and whatever you may be doing
God bless
I even created my own, feel free to check it out :) http://curiosities-and-inspirations.tumblr.com/
On another note, it is raining here today. I love the sound of rain! It's so lovely. Just having a really nice quiet afternoon, getting some sketching done and just generally loving life!
Hope you are all well, wherever you may be and whatever you may be doing
God bless
Monday, March 4, 2013
Halfway marker
Unbelievable! Where is the time going? I cannot believe that today is the official halfway point of my exchange! I have completed 2 months, and only have two more months to go before I will be leaving Ecuador and off on another adventure, in the UK with my mum. I just cannot believe where the time is going?
The experience so far has been amazing. An opportunity to grow, and opportunity to make new and wonderful friends, to experience new things - it's just been amazing! I am so excited for what the coming months will bring!
Tomorrow we'll meet our new professor who we will have for the last two weeks of our third class. I am excited and nervous at the same time, as Judith, our previous professor for marine life and the first week of marine ecology was amazing, I really enjoyed her lectures. In 2 weeks, it will also be our 'spring break' where we have a week off. I am very excited for it, I intend on doing a bit of travel to the other islands - I would love to go to Isabela and Fernandina, Espanola and Floriana, so just looking into that now.
In other news, I had been sketching one afternoon when someone approached me and started talking to me. He introduced himself as Jimbo and said that he was a dive shop owner and was opening a new office. He then asked if I would be willing to paint a mural in his new office. So yesterday, I met with him and he showed me the new office - I am thoroughly excited!! It's all white and plain, so I have a complete blank canvas to work off - I cannot wait! I think I shall be starting this week, as he wants to open his new office in 15 days. Challenge accepted. I cannot believe I get to paint a mural though!! So excited!!
That's just a brief update from me :)
Hope you are all well out there in the cyber world, and loving life!
God bless
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
3 Weeks in the Galapagos
Sorry for the lack of blogging, we have been very busy here!! I have just completed my second subject, and begin my third subject tomorrow!! We have had so many amazing field trips; we have been out diving two times, snorkelling, and just generally having an amazing time! We've had lots of presentations, our research paper and all our field reports so I have been very busy doing all those and just generally loving my time in the Galapagos!!
I have really enjoyed this second subject, and am very excited to start our next one!! Life here is so amazing, even when busy, there is still a beautiful pace to everything here. Midday, expect to get very little done, as it is siesta time and most all of the places in the small town are closed! The people here are really lovely, and my Spanish, while still a bit shaky, is slowly improving. I think. Erin has been wonderful with helping me when I get stuck, as she is exceptionally good at Spanish. She is a brilliant roommate, and we have worked very well together on all the projects we have done.
Here are some photos of where I am now living and studying :D it is pretty amazing being here!!
Monday, February 11, 2013
Galapagos!!!
Ok, so I have been super busy and haven't had the time to blog, so just ridiculously quick recap from when I last left off - The second trip down to the coast was amazing, we got to spend a wonderful few days in Puerto Lopez, doing intertidal surveys and getting some diving in (though when we went out, if was pretty hectic, there was a ridiculous surge that basically tossed us all around like rag dolls, and then we had about 2 metres visibility, so definitely one of my more challenging dives haha!)
We returned to Quito/Cumbaya on the Wednesday morning, after driving through the night, and then had a few more days during which we finished a subject, packed up our lives on the mainland and had to say goodbye to our host families of 4 weeks. All of this, to head to...
THE GALAPAGOS!!!!
Sunday morning, we had to be at the university front gate at 4:30 in the morning. We were shipped off to the airport in a bus, and quickly put through all the security checks etc, grabbed out tickets and were suddenly on a plane to the Galapagos. It was all a bit of a blur for me, to be honest, as I was so tired, and slept most of the way.
Arriving here was amazing, we were taken to our university building, which quite literally is situated right across from a beach, which is also home to a small sea lion colony!!
We had a town introduction, as well as our GAIAS orientation, had a lovely lunch and then were picked up by our host families. Erin and I got to be put into a house together, and I am very excited to be roommates with her, she is pretty awesome! We get along very well, both two crazy marine biology students :P our host father, Antonio, drove us to his house, which is not far at all from the university, which will give us lovely walks to and from each day. We met our host mother, Denise, who is really sweet, and of course, they speak very little English, so this will really help to improve my Spanish (so long as I stop cheating in French).
Denise and Antonio showed us to our rooms and also provided us with an unexpected blessing - we have internet in our host home. We had fully prepared to not have much internet access except when at the university, which is not an issue at all - I had internet once a week during Tanzania, and really much preferred it, as I wasn't glued to a computer all the time. However, as this is university, internet is substantially useful when it comes to researching for presentations and for papers, so we were amazingly blessed to have access to wireless internet.
This entire last week, we have been at class, which has been amazing. Our professor is a marine mammal expert and so this class has more of a marine mammal focus, which is perfect for me!!! Our class has consisted of lectures, as well as time out in the field - it is wonderful that packing for a day at uni involves making sure all my snorkel gear is with me and that I have my togs on :) two times we have gone snorkeling after class, as part of our class, which has been wonderful!!
We have also been instructed to design a research project which we will carry out over the next 2 weeks, which I am exceptionally excited about!! I have partnered with Erin and we are looking at the feeding behaviour of sea turtles off two beaches, so we'll be snorkeling a lot!! And then we write a paper and give a presentation. I am so excited for it!!
Friday saw a slightly more interesting turn - a lot (and I mean a lot) of students from the program got very ill. our professor even got ill over the weekend!! We all had this very intense stomach bug, which could have been a number of things, from food poisoning to simply adjusting to the new food and bacteria in the area. Whatever it was, thankfully we are all ok, and I am feeling so much better. But Friday was pretty rough, and I spent most of Friday and Saturday being quite comatose and living in between my bed and the bathroom. It was rather reminiscent of Tanzania to be honest :P
So that's a quick update from me, I will try to upload some photos a bit later on another post, but for the moment, this is what has been happening in my life!!!
I shall try to update again soon!!
Cheers and God bless to all!!!
We returned to Quito/Cumbaya on the Wednesday morning, after driving through the night, and then had a few more days during which we finished a subject, packed up our lives on the mainland and had to say goodbye to our host families of 4 weeks. All of this, to head to...
THE GALAPAGOS!!!!
Sunday morning, we had to be at the university front gate at 4:30 in the morning. We were shipped off to the airport in a bus, and quickly put through all the security checks etc, grabbed out tickets and were suddenly on a plane to the Galapagos. It was all a bit of a blur for me, to be honest, as I was so tired, and slept most of the way.
Arriving here was amazing, we were taken to our university building, which quite literally is situated right across from a beach, which is also home to a small sea lion colony!!
We had a town introduction, as well as our GAIAS orientation, had a lovely lunch and then were picked up by our host families. Erin and I got to be put into a house together, and I am very excited to be roommates with her, she is pretty awesome! We get along very well, both two crazy marine biology students :P our host father, Antonio, drove us to his house, which is not far at all from the university, which will give us lovely walks to and from each day. We met our host mother, Denise, who is really sweet, and of course, they speak very little English, so this will really help to improve my Spanish (so long as I stop cheating in French).
Denise and Antonio showed us to our rooms and also provided us with an unexpected blessing - we have internet in our host home. We had fully prepared to not have much internet access except when at the university, which is not an issue at all - I had internet once a week during Tanzania, and really much preferred it, as I wasn't glued to a computer all the time. However, as this is university, internet is substantially useful when it comes to researching for presentations and for papers, so we were amazingly blessed to have access to wireless internet.
This entire last week, we have been at class, which has been amazing. Our professor is a marine mammal expert and so this class has more of a marine mammal focus, which is perfect for me!!! Our class has consisted of lectures, as well as time out in the field - it is wonderful that packing for a day at uni involves making sure all my snorkel gear is with me and that I have my togs on :) two times we have gone snorkeling after class, as part of our class, which has been wonderful!!
We have also been instructed to design a research project which we will carry out over the next 2 weeks, which I am exceptionally excited about!! I have partnered with Erin and we are looking at the feeding behaviour of sea turtles off two beaches, so we'll be snorkeling a lot!! And then we write a paper and give a presentation. I am so excited for it!!
Friday saw a slightly more interesting turn - a lot (and I mean a lot) of students from the program got very ill. our professor even got ill over the weekend!! We all had this very intense stomach bug, which could have been a number of things, from food poisoning to simply adjusting to the new food and bacteria in the area. Whatever it was, thankfully we are all ok, and I am feeling so much better. But Friday was pretty rough, and I spent most of Friday and Saturday being quite comatose and living in between my bed and the bathroom. It was rather reminiscent of Tanzania to be honest :P
So that's a quick update from me, I will try to upload some photos a bit later on another post, but for the moment, this is what has been happening in my life!!!
I shall try to update again soon!!
Cheers and God bless to all!!!
Friday, January 25, 2013
Tiputini and the Amazon
The Friday after returning from our field trip, we embarked on an amazing adventure into the Amazon! We were so blessed to be able to take this trip as we did not know if it would end up happening. But it did and I am so unbelievably blessed to have gone on it!
We were up at 5 am to go to the airport for a 5:45 meet. Our flight was at 7am, so once we were all through security we waited patiently. We jumped on a bus that took us over to our plane. Our flight was 30 minutes and took us to the city of Coca. Now I should mention that prior to leaving, we were given a fairly hefty set of instructions, part of which stressed the danger of Coca and that once we arrived at the hotel on the river, from where we would be taking our boat, we were not to leave under any circumstances. And that was bolded too! We were quite comfortable waiting for our boat, though the humidity was certainly becoming more noticeable! Once our boat arrived, we hopped on and travelled for nearly 2 hours along the Napo River. We arrived in a place called Pumpeye, where we had to pass through an oil checkpoint (as apparently they 'own' the road - I thought it was a bit suspicious that they should have their own checkpoint but hmm). After passing through their security screens, we hopped onto a modified truck and drove for 2 hours to the Tiputini River, where we were met with another boat. From there, we travelled for just over 2 hours and arrived at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station. This place is LITERALLY in the middle of the jungle! There are no roads - you get here by boat only! It is incredible!
Once we had found our cabins, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon exploring the station, looking at the lab and checking out the library - and naturally, sweating a lot!! It is pretty humid in the middle of the jungle!! We had dinner at 7pm and then broke into groups and went out for a night hike! Which was really wonderful - except for coming face to face with my greatest fear - spiders! And let me tell you, spiders in the Amazon are not like normal spiders. Basically this is what happens when nightmares form into reality!! They are absolutely terrifying!!
But after crying, hyperventilating and generally being petrified, I did manage to finish the night hike and walk within mere metres of these......creepy creepy animals....seriously, this has to be the creepiest animal God ever made!!!
The next morning we hiked through the jungle, enjoying the sights and sounds on our way to a lake. We had many stops, where we would dash into the jungle following a troop of monkeys. We saw Spider monkeys and enjoyed the sounds of the many birds. We arrived at a small lake where we were exceptionally fortunate to see an anaconda in the water! It looked as though he had fed and had curled up in the water, under a tree in order to digest in peace. We also saw many huoatzin birds and a caiman! it was fantastic! We hiked back to the Tiputini River and were picked up by a boat and taken back to the station for lunch. After lunch, we headed out again, this time to the Canopy walkway, which is right up in the canopy of the forest. And I hiked up a fairly precariously looking ladder to the very top to this platform, from where I could see the entire jungle. it was breathtaking! And while it was raining, there was absolutely nothing that could dampen my spirits! It was amazing to watch the wall of rain coming towards me and when it hit, it was quite refreshing. We enjoyed hanging around and walking across the numerous bridges through the canopy for nearly 2 hours before we descended down and raced back to the station to watch the sunset over the river. And what a sunset it was!!!
That night we had a great presentation from the director of the station, who showed us his research with the camera traps. The photos they had were amazing and it was a great night!!. The next morning, we woke very early as we were heading to the canopy tower that morning, and we decided to leave to be there for sunrise. While cloudy, it was so beautiful watching the mist over the top of the forest!!! Absolutely breathtaking!! We stayed up in that tree for over 3 hours!!!
From the canopy tower, we were able to see many birds and a distant troop of woolly monkeys, which we then set off to find! It was great fun running through the jungle. We finally found them and I must say, I now have so much more respect for wildlife photographers - I have always respected their work and thought they were amazing and thought how much I would love to do it! But I can tell you, it is hard!!!!!
We finished up in the jungle and headed back to the station for lunch, and then after headed off on a boat to travel up river for a look and then a swim in the river. Yes, I have officially swum in a river in the Amazon. And it was pretty awesome :)
That night, we went out on the boat and looked for caimans, which we saw many, and also caught a brief glimpse of a capybara!!
The next morning was sadly time for us to leave. Our time was definitely too brief. I lay in bed the night before thinking just how much I would love to do this, to be out in the jungle. I met some amazing people who had been out there for months and months. It is a simple and wonderful life!! I would be exceptionally keen to return as a volunteer or as a field assistant and am seriously considering it!
We returned via the same route we had taken to come out to the station and eventually found ourselves back in Coca - where I had a close encounter of the primate kind!
A small squirrel monkey decided my back was the best place to come and hang out, and proceeded to gnaw on my back and on the back of my neck. Thankfully it was only play biting, and I saw no drawn blood so I am all good. Besides, I have my rabies shots anyway. It was just such a funny experience!!! He was a very cheeky little monkey!!!
Then all too soon, we were back in the city, which was really nice as I hadn't really seen my host family for quite some time. But I really missed the jungle! I missed running after monkeys and bush-bashing my way through the jungle!
But there are always more adventures to be had. I cannot believe that today, I will have been here for 3 weeks - and the things I have done so far. I am so blessed to be here and thank God for every day I am able to be here and enjoy this incredible experience. And to my wonderful and always supportive family :) I could never do anything without them!
Now that we have been back at uni for a few days, we have had a chance to get some uni work done, and had a presentation today and have a test tomorrow. Then on Saturday we head off down to the Southern coast of Ecuador for our second dive trip. I am very very excited!!!!
Until next time!!!
God bless to you all and remember that life itself is an adventure :) every day of being alive is an incredible blessing and miracle! Make every day an amazing memory!!
We were up at 5 am to go to the airport for a 5:45 meet. Our flight was at 7am, so once we were all through security we waited patiently. We jumped on a bus that took us over to our plane. Our flight was 30 minutes and took us to the city of Coca. Now I should mention that prior to leaving, we were given a fairly hefty set of instructions, part of which stressed the danger of Coca and that once we arrived at the hotel on the river, from where we would be taking our boat, we were not to leave under any circumstances. And that was bolded too! We were quite comfortable waiting for our boat, though the humidity was certainly becoming more noticeable! Once our boat arrived, we hopped on and travelled for nearly 2 hours along the Napo River. We arrived in a place called Pumpeye, where we had to pass through an oil checkpoint (as apparently they 'own' the road - I thought it was a bit suspicious that they should have their own checkpoint but hmm). After passing through their security screens, we hopped onto a modified truck and drove for 2 hours to the Tiputini River, where we were met with another boat. From there, we travelled for just over 2 hours and arrived at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station. This place is LITERALLY in the middle of the jungle! There are no roads - you get here by boat only! It is incredible!
Once we had found our cabins, we enjoyed a lovely afternoon exploring the station, looking at the lab and checking out the library - and naturally, sweating a lot!! It is pretty humid in the middle of the jungle!! We had dinner at 7pm and then broke into groups and went out for a night hike! Which was really wonderful - except for coming face to face with my greatest fear - spiders! And let me tell you, spiders in the Amazon are not like normal spiders. Basically this is what happens when nightmares form into reality!! They are absolutely terrifying!!
But after crying, hyperventilating and generally being petrified, I did manage to finish the night hike and walk within mere metres of these......creepy creepy animals....seriously, this has to be the creepiest animal God ever made!!!
The next morning we hiked through the jungle, enjoying the sights and sounds on our way to a lake. We had many stops, where we would dash into the jungle following a troop of monkeys. We saw Spider monkeys and enjoyed the sounds of the many birds. We arrived at a small lake where we were exceptionally fortunate to see an anaconda in the water! It looked as though he had fed and had curled up in the water, under a tree in order to digest in peace. We also saw many huoatzin birds and a caiman! it was fantastic! We hiked back to the Tiputini River and were picked up by a boat and taken back to the station for lunch. After lunch, we headed out again, this time to the Canopy walkway, which is right up in the canopy of the forest. And I hiked up a fairly precariously looking ladder to the very top to this platform, from where I could see the entire jungle. it was breathtaking! And while it was raining, there was absolutely nothing that could dampen my spirits! It was amazing to watch the wall of rain coming towards me and when it hit, it was quite refreshing. We enjoyed hanging around and walking across the numerous bridges through the canopy for nearly 2 hours before we descended down and raced back to the station to watch the sunset over the river. And what a sunset it was!!!
That night we had a great presentation from the director of the station, who showed us his research with the camera traps. The photos they had were amazing and it was a great night!!. The next morning, we woke very early as we were heading to the canopy tower that morning, and we decided to leave to be there for sunrise. While cloudy, it was so beautiful watching the mist over the top of the forest!!! Absolutely breathtaking!! We stayed up in that tree for over 3 hours!!!
From the canopy tower, we were able to see many birds and a distant troop of woolly monkeys, which we then set off to find! It was great fun running through the jungle. We finally found them and I must say, I now have so much more respect for wildlife photographers - I have always respected their work and thought they were amazing and thought how much I would love to do it! But I can tell you, it is hard!!!!!
We finished up in the jungle and headed back to the station for lunch, and then after headed off on a boat to travel up river for a look and then a swim in the river. Yes, I have officially swum in a river in the Amazon. And it was pretty awesome :)
That night, we went out on the boat and looked for caimans, which we saw many, and also caught a brief glimpse of a capybara!!
The next morning was sadly time for us to leave. Our time was definitely too brief. I lay in bed the night before thinking just how much I would love to do this, to be out in the jungle. I met some amazing people who had been out there for months and months. It is a simple and wonderful life!! I would be exceptionally keen to return as a volunteer or as a field assistant and am seriously considering it!
We returned via the same route we had taken to come out to the station and eventually found ourselves back in Coca - where I had a close encounter of the primate kind!
A small squirrel monkey decided my back was the best place to come and hang out, and proceeded to gnaw on my back and on the back of my neck. Thankfully it was only play biting, and I saw no drawn blood so I am all good. Besides, I have my rabies shots anyway. It was just such a funny experience!!! He was a very cheeky little monkey!!!
Then all too soon, we were back in the city, which was really nice as I hadn't really seen my host family for quite some time. But I really missed the jungle! I missed running after monkeys and bush-bashing my way through the jungle!
But there are always more adventures to be had. I cannot believe that today, I will have been here for 3 weeks - and the things I have done so far. I am so blessed to be here and thank God for every day I am able to be here and enjoy this incredible experience. And to my wonderful and always supportive family :) I could never do anything without them!
Now that we have been back at uni for a few days, we have had a chance to get some uni work done, and had a presentation today and have a test tomorrow. Then on Saturday we head off down to the Southern coast of Ecuador for our second dive trip. I am very very excited!!!!
Until next time!!!
God bless to you all and remember that life itself is an adventure :) every day of being alive is an incredible blessing and miracle! Make every day an amazing memory!!
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