During the first week, I fell into an after-school routine of lunch followed by homework, internet, and general chilling at the only Wifi-equipped ice cream shop in town. I was not happy about it. Who surfs Facebook on the Galapagos, for goodness sake?
The next day after school I walked into the computer lab in my bathing suit and announced, “I’m going hiking right now. Anyone want to join?” Happily, two people said yes! The three of us left our one-building college campus (me in hiking boots, Olivia in flip-flops, and Jacob in bare feet) and walked less than a minute to the trail-head for Tijeretas, or Frigatebird Hill. Tijeras means “scissors” in Spanish, so the name is a tribute to the bird’s scissor-shaped tail. The trail was built to overlook the nesting grounds of both great and magnificent frigatebirds. Apparently the birds prefer solitude, because when the tourists starting coming, the birds moved their nests around the point and just out of sight. It’s still a gorgeous trail.
As soon as we started hiking I was overcome by happiness. Depending which fork in the path we chose, I could be at a snorkeling reef, surfing beach, or ocean outlook in 10 minutes. I promised myself I wouldn’t spend another afternoon indoors.
The following photos are a small sample of what we found that afternoon.
Nina Finley
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">Nina Finley is a sophomore at The Ohio State University. She ventured to the Midwest from her hometown of Seattle, Washington to major in Animal Sciences and Evolution & Ecology. She would like to become a livestock vet or marine biologist. When she’s not studying, Nina loves to play ultimate frisbee, watch birds and raise meat rabbits. She’s passionate about agriculture, nature and Spanish, all of which she hopes to explore in Ecuador. Join the journey as Nina traces Darwin’s path and explores the natural wonders of the Galapagos Islands!</span></p>
