Galapagos!

In my last post, I posted a video of our program’s trip to the Galapagos Islands, a childhood dream come true for me and one of the deciding factors of me choosing the IES Quito program for my study abroad experience. It was a trip of a lifetime, five days away from the city on these remote, exotic islands. I felt like I was living in an episode of a BBC or Animal Planet wildlife show, practically waiting for Jeff Corwin or some British guy to narrate the behaviors and wildlife. I loved how the wildlife were so curious, especially the sea lions, which were more abundant than the stray dogs in Quito and much more daring towards humans. While snorkeling, I saw marine iguanas feeding underwater, chased sea turtles and swam over/under/around them (Crush from Finding Nemo dreams…check!), and got chased by sea lions. We saw sting rays, neon colored parrot fish, penguins, and more. It was a dream, and the scenery was pristine. We traveled between islands by boat, where I discovered that after a particularly rocky boat ride that I am indeed succeptible to sea sickness…there goes my dreams of sailing around the world someday.

We stayed 2 nights on Isla Santa Cruz, and 2 nights on San Cristóbal, and it was hard to leave after spending 5 days in paradise knowing I would be going back to a big, bustling, slightly chilly city.

Here are some pictures of the trip, and be sure to check out the video from my previous post!