Good bye to Ecuador

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I cut my stay in Ecuador short by 3 weeks to fly back to Vancouver for a job interview. I was happy to arrive back in Vancouver; it`s always nice to come home.
To sum up the experiences from my trip; it was about what I expected. I anticipated having both negative and positive experiences, and I did. The worst experience was getting mugged in Quito. A warning to those planning to go to Quito in the near future .... tourists are currently a target in Quito. Do not walk around alone any time of day, but especially not after dark which means after 6:30 p.m.

The highlights for me in Ecuador were learning about the culture (education system/ family life, etc), and seeing the unique birds and marine life on the Galapagos Islands. As we know, through human behaviour the oceans are becoming more and more polluted. The Galapagos Islands are still somewhat unaffected compared to other parts of the globe, and I wanted to swim and snorkel there before that too is ruined. It was glorious! It was amazing to swim with an abundance of giant sea turtles, sharks, sea lions, rays, etc. who glance at you with a mild curiosity when you are close by.
While in Ecuador my ability to speak Spanish did not improve as much as I had hoped, but I`ll keep working on it.
Being away really makes you appreciate what we have at home. I have never taken what we have here for granted, and a trip away often reinforces that.
I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. I really enjoyed writing it.

Adios amigos!
Linda V.

the town of Peurto Ayora

Peurto Ayora is by far the largest town in the Galapagos with a population of 12,000. It is located on Santa Cruz island. The major industry, perhaps the only industry besides a bit of fishing, is eco-tourism. Hardly anyone owns a car on the island. People use bicycles, scooters, and taxis (white trucks) to get around. It costs one dollar to get anywhere in town by taxi and they are in abundance.
There is a short supply of water in Puerto Ayora. While there I showered in brackish water (a mixture of rain water and seawater). This is the main source of water for the town.

What the `Frig` is that?

The male `frigate` has a red pouch on their throat. When they want to attract a female they pump it up with air so it looks like a balloon. They leave it inflated all day and hang around on the ground showing off and calling out to female birds flying overhead. They can`t dive in the water for food like the other birds; they can become water logged and die. Instead they steal food from other birds. During the boat trip there were often frigatebirds soaring above us.

Blue Footed Boobies

There are some amazingly interesting birds on the Galapagos Islands. One of my favourites is the `Blue-footed Boobie`. It is named after the Spanish word for clown; bobo. They have bright blue feet. Males show off their feet during the courtship dance in a high stepping ritual. They nest on the ground keeping the egg warm on top of their feet.
They catch fish by diving into the water from mid air. Air sacks in the skulls protect them from the impact; sort of like air bags in a car.

Teaching `English` at the Laundromat

I met some young children at a local laundromat and gave an impromtu `English` lesson to them. They were the children of the woman who worked there. They were very bright and keen to learn. They enjoyed the books I gave them.

Sorry, this bench is occupied.

A Good Day at School

I currently work with 2 other volunteers at school. One is from Quebec and the other from Philedelphia. Together we experienced a very successful class today. With the 3 of us it was easier to keep the children engaged and focused. The children were attentive and keen to learn. It was very rewarding. Hopefully we can have more experiences like this one.