Panama and Italians - June 29

There is a dude on the flight with a dozen Dunkin Doughnuts.

Panama, I'm afraid the best reason to visit you is moving to Paris in March. More on that later.

Yesterday I sat out to explore more Panama, this time with a tour set up by Jungleland at Lake Gatun. Carl from Missouri is who I want to be when I grow up. When you ask him how he got to Panama his first few answers are jokey, cheesy but as you pester him more (which of course I'm so so good at) you'll see a man who wanted to built a floating hotel (it's a moving ship) off the grid, live in nature, tell you about every plant around, provide you one hell of an experience and of course, make you pay.  

This was by far the best thing I've done in Panama. Carl's crew picked me up from the apartment and brought me to the dock. Along the way, I got a great tour of the city as we picked up a family of 4 Swiss, 4 high school girls from Oregon, and a couple from New York who met on OkCupid.  

Once in our boat, we got loads of history on The Panama Canal, glided through the mangrove jungle, fed three types of monkeys and made our way to the Jungleland itself. Food? Best I've had in Panama (for which I paid ;)) hammocks galore, swimming and drinks followed. Then we all got into a kayak and made our way through the swamp or creek or who-in-the-world-knows to get to the rainforest. It was beautiful and when we got to where the water was too low to kayak we had to walk. It started to rain and the howler monkeys went nuts. We got to a waterfall and after some instructions, climbed up the rock into the waterfall and jumped back down. I didn't die!!! But you'll never see proof as my GoPro bailed on me about an hour prior to it. We all know if there is no proof it didn't happen. 

Back at Jungleland, the conversation kept flowing, Marshall (the 20 something University of Vermont student from New Jersey) made us random rum drinks and fun was had by all. Have you heard of Work Away? I know a lady from Berkeley who lived at an orchid farm in Hawaii for a month. In exchange for a few hours of work she got to stay in Hawaii for free. Marshall is hanging out at Jungleland with his girlfriend and together they help out Carl in exchange for everything Panama has to offer. Food for thought for 2017 for sure.

It took us three hours to get back from the dock in what was some of the worst traffic I've ever experienced. The New York girls were missing the metro, the Swiss got out and walked and I stayed in the van and smashed my phone between seats. What would it be like if I didn't break my phone on a long trip, I wonder? #goals

Highlight of Panama? Undoubtedly, my Airbnb hosts! Not only were they the most accommodating people in the universe, I'd like to think that I made actual friends. Absolutely the sweetest, kindest, funniest, most genuine couple I've been around in a while.  They are just like my favorite people in London and I cannot imagine what would happen if the entire world consisted of people like that. I'd list the things they did but in the end it's not a list, it's *how* they did it. Yes, I got a glitter filled welcome note and a parting good luck charm but it's how they were in between those moments. We have a date when they visit San Francisco and I can't wait to hang out again. Visiting Panama before March? Stay with them. Don't leave the house, there is not much to do, just stay with them and restore you faith in humanity. After March they are moving to Paris.  I guessing I'm heading there soon!

As I land in Cartagena, I'm glad I went to Panama if for no other reason than to see something new. Pete and I have 24 hours in the old town next weekend and I hope that will up my love for that city. In the meantime, off to Colombia, country #43!

San Blas Islands - June 28

Mission: Get out of Panama City
Action Plan: None
Operation: Almost complete

As what is a personal first, my AirBnB hosts hate Panama City. As a host myself, I try to make Downtown Hayward sound appealing and we know that's a stretch. So here I am, trying to pick the brains of this fun cute Italian couple (who hates the French and made sure to make fun of their cheese immediately) and all they tell me to do is get out of the city. They are amazing hosts (made me breakfast, broke $10 bills, made phone calls for me, offered a ride) but just not very well versed in all/any things PC.

With their apartment booked for three nights, I knew whatever I decided to do had to be day trips. As it can be suspected, it is much more expensive to move around than it is to stay and enjoy where you are at. At this point, I've spent more in 3 days than in Asia in 10. Thailand, where are youuuuuu? (In Thailand).

Destination: San Blas Islands

I got picked up at 5:30 am in front of a local market. Eeearly! Drivers in Panama City don't do street names or house numbers. You need to find me?  I am in front of the Super99 market.

I spent the following hours in the car with three couples: Czech, Israeli and German. Isn't that how some "3 guys walk into a bar" joke starts? All the guys spoke English, none of the girls did. In the end I got some tips on Cartagena.

I will say that I feel older and older by the minute.  I'm too old to hang out at a hostel and too uncomfortable to be solo in a hotel room. So AirBnB is a great middle. I can meet people yet not have crazy music and booze during the wheeee hours of the night.

That being said, a lot of people doing these types of trips are much younger students.  When I told them that I was super stoked about my apartment for $30/night in a great location in Cartagena the silence was deafening. I know, I know, I could have done a hostel for $10. 

Note: monkeys are especially awesome if you don't expect to see them.

Upon arrival at the pier (and I use this word loosely) people were waiting to get on their respective boats. A group of Swiss and Danish (Danes?) started making fun of England since it lost to Iceland the day before. And of course, a British couple materializes from the back of room. "We are bad at everything these days" he says (#Brexit) and the Danish lady has the. Best. Response. Ever.

-Just pretend you are an American when you speak.

Well, there ya go, ladies and gents! For as long as I've been traveling Americans have been attaching Canadian patches to their backpacks (not me, I own it) and here is an Englishman being told to play an American. Ouch.

The islands are gorgeous but the tour pathetic. I hate to complain about the whitest sand and clearest water most people have only seen on the Windows wallpaper but it wasn't a tour. We were taken from one island to the next without anyone EVER saying a word to us. No history, no names of islands, no how long we had at each one, nada. Seems like an incredible opportunity completely lost. Who are the Kuna? Where did they come from? Why are they so elusive? I guess I'll google it.

Beautiful, heavenly, yes. Worth the fee? Pfffff.

On the way back to the city I was in the car with three really nice Russian girls. I may have plans for tomorrow eve's dinner! 

When you travel, you will see things that blow your mind or make you go "meh."
Some days you have the best fish ever (Isla Taboga, I'm still dreaming of you!) or a totally boring meal. 

But whenever you meet cool people it makes your day and it sticks with you. Thank you, Danish couple, for letting me have your piece of plastic to hide my day bag from the wet Caribbean Sea.

Panama/Isla Taboga June 25/26

Solo travel? Planned travel? WHAT AM I DOING?!

Every so often I think spontaneity is fun. Then I remember I'm me and quickly change my mind.

Day 1:
After sending kids to 'Murica I knew I wanted to go to Panama City downtown. Whatever the hell that means. $30 for a taxi. $1.25 for a bus.

I had looked at hotels and maps of Panama City aplenty in the last month and all I learned is that I want to stay in Casco Viejo (old town) but that its hotels are near bars and I won't be able to sleep. After virtually no sleep in Ecuador I knew the only thing I really wanted in PC was sleep.

Per map, Calidonia seemed close enough to Casco Viejo and also had many hotels. I asked the bus driver to drop me off there. Maybe I should have taken a hint since every other tourist got off at the stop before that, but there I was, dropped off in the middle of the ghetto, suitcase in hand and no hotel reservations.

Panama Problem #1: streets aren't labeled. Whatever my map was telling me really didn't matter. I had no way to actually check my path and soon the area got worse and worse. I snuck into a restaurant asking if they had wifi and cold drinks. They had one and not the other so I spent an hour figuring out my next step while drinking hot coffee in 90 degree weather and humidity percentile just as high.

Air. Let's discuss. In Quito, we would walk up ten feet and  my strong athletes were trying to catch their breath. Women double their age were running up hills making them feel inadequate. Yes, altitude of 9300 feet kills you.

Panama City: elevation 7 ft. You can breathe! But do you want to??? Humid as fuck and big city smells everywhere. I'll just have to breathe elsewhere. Advice solicited.

In El Cangrejo area, I found a hotel which is one of the most expensive in the city (I'm not including the Trump Tower or the Sheraton in that sentence). Undoubtedly, one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. For $72.33, I am staying at equivalent of the Clift Hotel in SF. It's ridiculous.  Ok maybe others are used to gorgeous urban design, air conditioning, elevators, gyms, pools, jacuzzis, pools, bell boys, views galore, breakfasts, rooftop bars and etc but I never stay at places like that. In order to travel as much as I do, I never spend much on accommodations since I only sleep there. Damn it, if I'm gonna pay double of what I expected I'm using it all! 

            

I took a nap and booked the rest of my hotels in Panama. Strong wifi makes the world go round, let's be honest. I felt a bit guilty not seeing Panama City but my ghetto walk scared me enough and I told myself that it's my first day without students so it's ok to do absolutely nothing. I checked out the map of my surroundings (some posts suggested I leave El Cangrejo, others talked about the area's great red light district) and headed out to the main church. I did a loop around Via Argentina and completely unimpressed, walked into a Spanish restaurant.

Panama Problem #2: tapas are not tapas but a full size meal. 24 hrs later I am still bitter about the waitress not warning me that each tapa is an actual meal. I ordered way too much food, it wasn't good and I was pissed.

A sangria later, I headed to the local theater hoping to do something. Nope, that's closed.

Back at the hotel, a rooftop jacuzzi had to suffice and I was asleep by 10. In retrospect what a great way to start my vacation: with absolutely nothing. But we all know that's really tough for me.

Day 2: 
Having lost 29 lbs over the last 6 months I'm paranoid I'll gain it all back. I always gain weight when I travel and I'm sure this summer won't be much different. In Galápagos we did so much walking, swimming, hiking I wasn't worried. The second part of the Ecuador trip, we did a lot of sitting. On bus, plane, dinner, breakfast, shows, etc. I slowly feel the weight coming back.

Fancy hotel = gym. It felt good to get on a treadmill but it's so damn hot I didn't do nearly as much as I had hoped.

Yummy breakfast followed and then I took a taxi to Amador Causeway, where the Taboga Express takes people to Isla Taboga.

I got a ride in a taxi with a driver I met in the lobby yesterday and his friend from Venezuela. Nothing like getting in a car with two males in a strange city. The other dude was Venezuelan with Italian descent. He biked from Venezuela to Uruguay and thought the ugliest place in South America was Ecuador. Yo, dawg, I'm coming off an amazing two weeks there and your country is too dangerous to step a foot in, shut your pie hole? I didn't actually say that.

Panama Bonus #1: I haven't spoken anything but Spanish in the last 24 hours. Granted I haven't spoken much at all (the struggle!!!) it's been fun to talk to people on the bus, taxi drivers and hotel personnel in Spanish. AKA I haven't met a single soul to actually talk to. Solo travel is fun when it's not actually solo. Here's to meeting someone cool tonight!

Panama Bonus #2: if you like anything reggaeton-y, bachata, merengue etc this place is your heaven. If not, this is your hell. My Ecuadorian group was pretty lame when it came to dancing so every time we walked by a place with music they didn't want to stop. Well, here I don't need their permission and more importantly, music is everywhere. Buses, beach, stores etc. I'm happy. Not dancing but happy.

Panama Problem #3: What is going on with this Spanish?! Puerto Ricans are bad enough at pronouncing half of the word but my god, Panamanians don't bother with 90% of the word. I can't imagine bringing students here and expecting them to understand anything.

Beach Observation #1: Everyone is wearing a two piece. No matter age, size, whatever. Except me. Leave it up to Zilberman to be Virgin Mary. Need a new bathing suit stat.

Beach Observation #2: a young American couple in front of me has been sitting there for hours and haven't exchanged a single word. Thank you for reminding me that it's better to travel alone than with lame company. I thoroughly enjoyed leaving my sombrilla to go for many swims, buying my pineapple lunch and kayaking. On my own schedule.

Beach Observation #3: There is no water to drink. My drinks choices are Panama (beer), Panama Light, Balboa (beer), Balboa Light and Piña Colada. They ran out of soda long ago.

Beach Observation #4: I read multiple reviews that there was nothing to do on Isla Taboga and that it's overall disappointing. So I decided to check it out. At the beach today I saw a few tourists (talked to an old Argentinian man who let me use his snorkel gear and yep, there was no reason to rent my own) and the rest are locals from PC.  The beach was lively but nothing insane. The last boat to PC left at 5 pm. Around that time I went to my room to shower.  When I came back out to dinner there is literally no one but island locals left (all ten of them).  I walked down the main strip and they looked at me like I'm nuts. I'm the only guest at my two story hotel. Totally deserted. I love it.

So yes, there is nothing to do other than lay at the beach, kayak, eat entire fish, drink mojitos and piña coladas. I'll take this for my Sunday night.

                   

Oh and apparently watch history. As I type this, the first ship to go through the expanded Panama Canal is floating by, fireworks and all.  Good way to end the eve.

Ecuador 2016 - Day 7 - June 24

Today we woke up in San Andres (small town in Riobamba region) and got ready for our last day in Ecuador.

We drove to a local school, which was no more than a five minute drive from the hotel. There were 6 different classrooms, ranging from 5/6 year olds in first grade to 7/8 year olds in third.  We rehearsed what we wanted to say (in Spanish) as we visited each classroom and were ready to deliver the goodies.

Each class had 23-29 students, all working on art, math or language. They were SO excited to have us. We spent a few minutes in each classroom where Loganites got down to chat with the little ones and I spoke with every teacher. The kids at this school come from many little areas, some from indigenous communities in the mountains.  All teachers were very thankful, a couple specifically said that they were so thrilled for the students because their parents don't have the ability to buy such things.  One asked for a baggy for her own daughter. Another asked for my email and wanted a picture with us. Prianka's kiddo almost made us cry! While everyone was opening up their bags and excitedly switching supplies with their friends, a little boy told Prianka he wasn't going to open it. He wanted it to be a gift for his sister. THAT is one awesome six year old!

Though the whole visit went really fast, we were all very happy to have done it. It was neat to see the littles' reaction, to know they will have a great story to tell their parents tonight as well see my own students' meeting locals and making a difference.

After the school, we went back to Palacio Real, the community where we met Manuela and Messi yesterday. Today we had two jobs: feed the large animals and feed the small ones.

The students were taught how to cut cabuya negra and feed it to the cows. The smaller pieces went to the sheep. After a while some definitely became pros. Next job was to cut the alfalfa plant and carry it over to the guinea pigs and the bunnies. Rosario knew how to do this quickly and efficiently but I'd like to think we helped too. We tied our alfalfa plant on Manuela and carried the rest to the "pet" area. The guinea pigs were less than thrilled to see us, after all a lot of them don't come back to the pen after people visit them. A few of us were able to catch them and have a petting party. We also got to feed the bunnies and those were so cute! Fluffy and hungry, they were happy to see us.

Rosario let us smell a few plants today, such as eucalyptus, lemon grass and toronjil. We also tried golden berry and it was yum. Visiting this community really does change the way you look at food and its preparation. The quinoa we had for lunch? Walked by that. Strawberries? They grow them a block away.

After another tasty lunch, we headed back to Quito. Today was our last trivia and it was a good one. When no one knew the names of the six provinces we visited, Fabian came to the rescue and earned a keychain himself! By the way, they are Imbabura, Pichincha (where Quito is located), Chimborazo (wjere Riobamba is), Galápagos, Tungurahua and Cotopaxi. All named after major volcanoes, Ecuador is made of 23 mainland provinces plus Galápagos.

This eve we had our dinner in the Historical Center and went to see a high energy Folklorico Dance Performance. I couldn't have imagined a better way to end the trip: us dancing with the pros and one of the students on stage, in Ecuador, responding to questions in Spanish, reading off the raffle numbers.

As this trip comes to the end, I want to thank everyone for their patience, flexibility and overall awesomeness. Sometimes we weren't sure what our next task was or we had to wait two hours for pizza. But no one ever complained and for that I'm very thankful. Oh wait, one complaint! These guys have a ridiculous amount of hideous pictures of me. "Thanks" for Snapchat-ing them all over the place!

This group was always on time and I *never* had to remind them about tardies. Though it may seem like such a minute thing, it really can make or break your day when you are traveling with a bus full of people.

We walked by many loud groups along the way and each time I thanked our group for always talking in human voices and being courteous tourists.

Lastly, I'm so glad these guys were adventurous eaters! I appreciate that every time I stopped at a random corner and purchased who-knows-what everyone was always willing to try.  Sometimes we liked it, sometimes not (that sweet tree tomato was a questionable dessert!) but there is no better way to find out other dive in when you travel.

This was undoubtedly one of my favorite student trips and I can't wait to relive it all through the photos. When your kids come home, they will sleep, eat the food they've missed, share the many pictures they took and share their journals with you. Some have written a ton, others a couple of sentences. But even those few words can jot a memory of the many many things we've done in the last 13 days.

Ecuador 2016 - Day 6 - June 23

Last night was spent at a hotel with another EF group.  I was so excited to go to bed because we had no evening activities and didn't need to be at breakfast until 8. Sleeping in was on the menu! Alas, some people had other ideas. There was a group of really loud obnoxious guests. It didn't help that we are staying at a super small old hotel where everything echoes galore. When I went downstairs to ask them to quiet down I realized they were the leaders of the other EF group. Drunk.  Unfortunately, they were also from the Bay Area. A couple of hours later, the hotel finally ran out of alcohol and they went to bed. A lot of sleep was not meant to be. (For me. The students got theirs).

This morning we visited Palacio Real,  a community of 400 indigenous people (100 families) living in the Andes.  We hiked up to the Mirador, the community's look out point where we were surrounded by the Chimborazo, Tungurahua and Altares volcanos. A breathtaking view.

Manuela came with us. Who is Manuela you ask? A llama! She was a great companion and we took turns walking her along. Rosario, our guide for the day, discussed many plants, their medicinal as well as culinary uses. The love of the land and everything it gives to the indigenous communities cannot be overlooked.

We then visited El Museo de Llamas. Rosario demonstrated different sounds made by llamas, talked about the four different types of "camels of the Andes" and much more. We were getting a bit tired at this point, and were looking forward to playing some soccer with local kids after lunch.

But first, we went to the market where 35 local women sell their handmade scarves, sweaters, gloves etc. Each tag had a price, type of fur used and the woman's name. All the people in the community help out one way or another and this was a demonstration of how these particular women contributed.

For lunch we had... llama. We were a bit concerned we ate our friend Manuela but we saw her after dinner and she was alive and well.  Some students had quinoa for the first time as well. We had seen it earlier on our hike and now it was on our plate. This community definitely brings the whole farm-to-table idea to another level.

We went to play soccer but at first only one kid showed up. We quickly named him Messi, he was so so good! Watching him score on our very tall high schoolers (and do it with style!) was very cool. Others came by to play but our little Messi (real name: Eric) made our afternoon. His little sister Estefanie had a great time with Nicholas on the swing and the see saw as well.

We left the community at around 4 pm and went to the center of Riobamba. I offended a guy for taking a selfie (didn't mean to, I promise!) and then we got kicked out of the central church. An event was going on and we weren't very welcome. Instead we bought some yummy street food (tortilla de verde, papi huevo, salchipapas) at the main plaza and went back to the bus. Destination: shopping mall!

As you recall, we got some incredible donations through our fundraiser drive in April. My original goal was to use the funds for the victims of the April 16th earthquake but we are not visiting any area affected by it. So, just like in the past, I've asked the tour director to find us a school that would need some school supplies.

We got to the mall just to discover that markers are $10 and erasers are $3. We had about $8 allotted per student and at no point did I expect such crazy prices. Fabian decided to take us to a family run small papelería to see if the local brands would be cheaper than the expensive stuff at the mall. Was he right!!!

The papelería was a  family affair and we spent over an hour getting all the materials we need.  Each of the 158 kids we will visit tomorrow is getting a set of colored pencils, pencil sharpener, set of markers, coloring book, notebook, scissors, glue stick, set of paints, 2 pencils, eraser and a ruler. And we still have money to spare.

       
          (One of two huge boxes of supplies)
    
Together, we chose the items, loaded them up onto the bus and brought them to the hotel. There, we created 158 identical baggies of goodies. I'm so excited to see a local school and have our Logan students have a non touristy experience  which undoubtedly will create a special morning.

We did journals after dinner and possibly practiced a song we *may* sing at the school tomorrow. We have one more trivia night left but I decided to leave it for the long bus ride to Quito tomorrow.

One more full day of adventure and then we wrap up this incredible experience.  Time has gone by quickly and I can't believe we are almost at the end.

Ecuador 2016 - Day 5 - June 22

Today was a travel day with some fabulous stops throughout the day.

Stop #1: A look out point of Quito as we were getting on the Pan American Highway to head south to the Chimborazo Province.  It was super early and we were mostly asleep.

Stop #2: La Hacienda Cienega, an old home of the prosperous Lasso family. The mansion is now a hotel with a restaurant and a chapel and beautiful colonial architecture and exquisite gardens. We toured the site (llamas and alpacas met us as we entered the property, obviously) and continued on our merry way.

Stop #3: A landslide diverted our next stop so the rest of the day happened but not in the original order. We went to Aguas Termales; a group of hot spring pools at the feet of the Tungurahua Volcano. We spent an hour and a half soaking, relaxing and going in and out of various tubs.

Stop #4: Lunch was pizza in the quaint town of Los Baños. I can picture myself coming back and spending several days exploring this area and Yusuf is planning on buying a house here. It is a nice pleasant town with lots to do. It is also a gateway into the Amazon and has lots of tourists coming through to white water raft, zipline and admire many waterfalls. We had lunch at a very pretty pizzeria though they did forget our order.  The Euro Cup game was on TV and by the time we left we had watched almost 80 minutes of a soccer match. Long lunch it was!

In the main plaza, we went to the church of Agua Santa. Because of many volcanoes and hot springs in the area people consider this water sacred and come here to bless themselves and sometimes their newly bought cars. We realized we entered the church as a funeral was beginning and headed out right away.

Here we also watched how caramelos (local candy made of sugar cane farmed in this area) are made. Of course, we had to try them too!

Lastly, we drank jugo de caña, juice squeezed from the sugar cane. We tried regular, with lime and with a tangerine. Nicholas bought it for us and we appreciated his generosity.

Stop #5: We had to try what Los Baños is famous for - nature and adrenalin.
6 of us gave it a go on a zipline across the canyon. One cable, loads of fun. GoPro footage to come! Nick and Michelle tried it for the first time and it was very cool to see their reactions.
                         

Some opted out of the zip line and went across the canyon in Tarabita, a metal basket which carries many people at a time across the canyon. The whole thing was ah-mazing.

On the drive to San Andres (village near Riobamba which will be our home base for the next two nights) we drew a variety of animals on the fogged up windows, played all (!!!) of the instruments Travis has purchased and slept. Since we are now on a small shuttle bus that's just ours, we don't have to worry about bothering other groups and that's been really nice. 

Another awesome day. Tomorrow off to the community to meet the locals!

Ecuador 2016 - Day 3/4 - June 20/21

There wasn't much to share yesterday as we flew to Quito (via Guayaquil again) and got to our hotel at 7:15. We had a couple of minutes to change and we were off to dinner, this one was at a local restaurant, not in the hotel. It was yummy and I think I speak for most of us when I say mainland food is much better than Galápagos'.

Because 8 pm is no time for bed, I got the students out to La Ronda, where we did an evening walk on our first night in Quito. This time we were joined by the mini MI group so we were the tour guides. We showed them around like the pros that we are.

Today it was time to explore the northern part of Ecuador. We left the Pichincha province (where Quito is located) and headed North to the Imbabura Province. The home of the Otavalo Market one of the biggest textile markets in South America. The kids had a chance to see local goodies, practice their Spanish bargaining skills and walk around a small town. 

We then headed to Peguche and visited a local family. There we watched a woman make alpargatas, hand made shoes from an aloe plant.  Women wear blue and black ones while men, traditionally, wear white. While the maker's brother and sister know how to make alpargatas as well, they work in a different business. The sister who presented is keeping the family tradition alive so that the machine factories don't make such products extinct. She also spoke Spanish, a sign of her being educated as most in this indigenous community only speak Quechua.  The husband showed us his pets: guinea pigs and chickens. We all know what he uses them for...

Speaking of lunch, we went to Cotacachi, a small town known for its leather goods. And... drum roll.... we tried guinea pig! Ok, not all of us and it was a creepy sight but delicious.

The Florida group is leaving tomorrow so they are all hanging out and saying bye. For our last eve together we went on a party bus that drove around Quito. We danced, tried cadelazo (non alcoholic version!) and waved to many locals passing by. We got to see many beautiful parts of Quito we haven't seen yet.

It's this time of the trip that kids are having a great experience but also are starting to miss home and their beds. Yet we have a lot more to see and they are surrounded by wonderful company. I'm proud of them for being just the way we are!

Tomorrow we start our two day adventure to the Riobamba region of Ecuador.  Stay tuned for more!

Galápagos 2016 - Day 3 - June 18

Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. -C.S. Lewis

Picking up a random lady's suitcase when it falls down.

Sharing your band aids when a fellow member of your group trips.

Talking to a girl sitting alone at a table.

Translating for others and using our Spanish for a good cause.

Picking up items others left on the bus and delivering it to their rightful owners.

Calming down those who are scared of turbulence and shaky boats.

Those are just some of the things I've observed in the last few days.  To top it all off, I had a member of the other group tell me that he wishes he were in our group since we interact so well. I will take it!

After a bumpy boat ride (it was all lies that this was the smoothest one!) we arrived of the island of Santa Cruz, Charles Darwin's playground for all things research.

We had a couple of hours free and found a local breakfast joint. It had some very questionable juices and a coffee I won't soon forget but the kids didn't complain and just watched me get mad about the nasty food. On the bright side, Nicholas has been looking for ceviche and this one dish didn't disappoint.  We found the only shop that was open that early and as Fabian calls it "contributed to the local economy."

We checked into our hotel which was full of smaller type cabins tucked in between luscious gardens.  The travelers who went to Costa Rica last year immediately said "Tortuguero!!!" Yep, beautiful place, bugs and nature.  Just want you want when you are exploring these islands.

After lunch, we headed out to the Charles Darwin Research Center.  We were warned that we would only see a small part of it since it's going through restoration. While we didn't see as many tortoises as the day before in Isabela, what we did see was good enough for a Mexican telenovela. Ask your students for footage.

Next stop: flat walk down on the beach to swim and kayak. Oh so many lies. It wasn't flat. Mostly it wasn't on the beach. Did I mention it wasnt flat?! Later on when I called out our local guide for the "flat" comment, he shrugged and said it wasn't rocks and it was paved. Well, there is a difference!

We were rewarded when we made the final turn onto Tortuga Bay, it's pristine white beaches is what you see in pictures. I was immediately drowned by an unnamed student but hey, I know that's the price of admission.

We rented kayaks and some kayaked for the first time ever. Sea turtles, (vegetarian) sharks and sea lions were in the water. Lots of pretty birds in the mangrove trees.

On the way back from the beach people started dropping like flies. Tripping, steps, air, who knows. Traveling with us now is one in a wheelchair and another covered in ice. Since it was none of the California 9, I must concur with the statement the night before: "we are fit!"

Back at the hotel, we had dinner and relaxed. Our days are so so busy that by the time we get back we are hot, sunburned and ready to hang in our rooms. Even on nights when Logan students' room becomes the travel central since the Florida group joins our kids to hang out in their room. What can we say, we are likeable!

Galápagos 2016 - Day 4 - June 19

When I told the kids that tomorrow they don't have to be up until 8 the excitement was evident. Yes, we are tired.

We started out this morning with a 5:45 breakfast and then onto the boat to leave Santa Cruz.  We were off to see the capital of the Galápagos and our last island, San Cristobal.

First stop: La Lobería beach, where sea lions (sea wolf in Spanish!) hang out by the beach and we snorkel. Ahead of time we were told how the water was really really cold and we needed wetsuits. Some of us sprung the $5 for it while others decided to brave the elements. When we got to the beach our Floridian counterparts were freezing! We decided that pshhh, we have way colder water in Monterey and went for it.

Some of us saw so many turtles. At one point, three different people in three different locations yelled "TURTLES!!!" so I know we didn't just see one that kept moving around ;).

We headed back to the hotel for lunch and then off to snorkel. If you are counting, we've snorkeled three times in the last 24 hours. Not a bad way to live.

Before the walk to the beach, we made our way through the Centro de Interpretación where we read about how the islands were formed, who lived here first and how tourism is affecting the nature. I thought the museum was well done. Informative but not overbearing, interesting and very accessible to the students.

When we finally made it to Playa Mann, we needed those wet suits! The water was cold cold cold but we got rewarded with swimming with sea lions and turtles, fish galore and nice rock formations.

Hungry? Hello, food carts! We may have gone a little nuts trying every single item available. Grilled banana, chicken on a stick, sausage on a stick, corn (you guessed it, on a stick!), empanadas, ice cream and slushies.

Since we stayed so late eating everything in sight, the sunset was starting. We sat on the beach watching the sun go down as many sea lions hung around us.

Back at the hotel lobby, the kids started watching the game I probably shouldn't mention and then decided that they better move to their room as to not get too passionate about the events in the main lobby.

Once the sobbing subsided, we went on a night walk to the pier area. Because someone of us got burned, farmacia for aloe was necessity #1.  We found the aloe, had ice cream, and didn't get back to the hotel till 10:30.

Trivia night was by the pool tonight and the kids won calendar bookmarks, pencils from the Darwin Research Center and local bracelets.   I love doing trivia questions, especially when students get into it!

Tomorrow we have a free morning and then a flight to Quito. Our Galápagos adventure ends but the memories we made here won't be leaving us for a while.

Galápagos 2016 - Day 1/2 - June 16/17

Two days in one? I possibly chose the worst two days to do in one write up since We. Did. So. Much.

Yesterday we met at the lobby of the hotel at 3:45 am to hop on a bus to the airport. Zombies we were! The plane took us on a 34 minute flight to Guayaquil, the biggest city in Ecuador (population 3.5m), where we got more passengers and then we were on our way to Baltra, one of many islands of Galapagos we are visiting this week. Once in Baltra (the island has a military base, a major airport and nothing else) we took a bus to the ferry that took us to Santa Cruz. There, a bus (are you keeping track of the morning's transportation?!?!) took us to Manzanillo, a land tortoise farm. The radiator on the aforementioned bus worked whenever it wanted to but we were prepared to push if we needed to.
Instead of pushing though, our entertainment was an unnamed student terrified of wasps who jumped up so high that he ended up on the floor between the seats of the bus. Pics were taken.

Manzanillo: The tortoises were everywhere and it was pretty amazing to see them hanging out in the bushes, beneath trees, out and about just camouflaged with the rocks. At any point in time you'd bump into something not sure if it was a tortoise or a rock.

We had a delicious lunch at the farm and then (wait for it!!!) got on a bus that took us to a water taxi that took us to a boat. The infamous boat which was going to be bumpy, shaky and uncomfortable. Most of us were prepared with Dramamine and were ready to go. No one in our group puked so we were off to a great start of many more boats to come. Other group wasn't that lucky.

When we got to Isabela island (about 15 hours after we started in Quito!) we were greeted by many sea lions, marine iguanas, penguins, zayapa crabs and that was just by the pier. We dropped off our things and had a relaxing second part of the day. Some students rented bikes to ride around the island, others went to buy souvenirs. After dinner it was time to recharge our batteries and get some well needed rest.

Breakfast is at 6:25!

We awoke in Galápagos islands well aware that today will be a full packed day. Hi, understatement of the century.

By 7:15, we learned about flamingos in the wild and were pretty excited when we saw them fly over us. This is no zoo and it was very cool to see flamingos in action. Wr have videos of them dancing too!

Our local guide, Martin, spoke to the students in Spanish. After each portion, I asked the students to tell me what they understood. Martin and Fabian were both impressed! We have a variety of levels of Spanish and with everyone paying attention and participating we understood everything that was said!

Next, we were off to a birthing center of tortoises. The sheer amount of tortoises was awe-inspiring! We saw 500 lb ones and tiny babies, we saw them get fed (we were lucky since they only get fed twice a week), we surely saw two tortoises procreating and lastly, we saw the naturalist dig up the eggs that were laid yesterday so that they can move them to the incubator. Wow, there isn't a single thing we missed, I think!

Next up: hike to Volcán Sierra Negra. While the view of the 12x9 kilometer crater was out of sight in the fog, the hike was great. The greenery surrounding us was gorgeous and the sprinkle rain kept us cool. Even Prianka rocked the hike with her not-so-awesome knee!

After pizza lunch, it was the walking tour on the volcanic rocks of Islote Tintorera. We saw hundreds and hundreds of marine iguanas. They blend so incredibly well with the rocks, I dare you to really look at your kids' pictures to see how many you can spot. A sea lion performed for us, Tintorera sharks swam all around and a few giant sea turtles popped their heads from the water. The only thing left to do was to swim with them!

With snorkeling gear on, we spent some time in the water swimming with turtles,  admiring beautiful fish and seeing stingrays swim by.

What a day. By the time we got home we have been out for 10 hours and it was just four pm. Our group decided to head to the beach before dinner.

Before I get to the beach, here is a side note: earlier this week, I've been complemented on how nice, polite and respectful our kids are. Today, I was told that wow, our kids are in such good shape (we chuckled since hey, we are from the Bay Area, we can hike!), and that we are a great group to travel with since our Spanish is so useful.

And that takes me back to the beach...

While the kids were playing in the water (I could only wish I had a video of Nick and Yusuf running and then Yusuf face planting in the water. Oops, he asked me not to tell), drawing in the sand, hanging out without their phones and with their new and old friends, there was a group of people that sat behind me. 

They were Australian and British. And they talked. And talked. And talked. About how Americans are awful. Rude. Annoying. Arrogant.

And it made me so grateful for being with these kids. As parents, you give this opportunity to your kids so that they can travel and see how others live. So that they can open their minds and go beyond the stereotypes. So when they encounter people who think about them in a certain way before ever talking to them, they can maybe change their minds, even
if for a second.

So there I was, sitting on the beach with a group of jaded individuals behind me and a group of incredible teenagers in front of me. I know exactly which group I rather be a part of.

Tomorrow, we leave for Santa Cruz island at 5:25 am. Charles Darwin Research Center is the first thing after a two hour boat ride and more snorkeling. I think we can do it!

As for wifi, who knows. New island, new hotel, new adventure.

Ecuador 2016 - Day 2 - June 15

Wimps.

That's right, I said it.  My little 14-18 year old teenagers wanted to get back to the hotel room to get some beauty sleep instead of exploring the beautiful downtown. Yo, really? Sleep when you are dead.

Fabian and I had an early meeting this morning where I met the other tour leaders from the Florida group. There is supposed to be another group coming from MI but they missed their flight yesterday. And today. As of now they are missing three days of their 10 day trip. Man, oh man, glad our trip has been uneventful so far!

We drove for 45 minutes to the middle of the world. Latitude 0 0.  The equator! The Museo de Sitio Intiñan sits along the equator line where we were given lots of information about the local history and different indigenous communities around the country.

Then we got on the equator itself! Did you know that when your sink water goes down the drain it swirls one way because we live in the Northern Hemisphere? Move the water to the Southern Hemisphere and it goes down the drain the other way. Keep it on the equator line and it goes straight down. Yeah, we were amazed.

It's harder to walk a straight line when the line is on the equator which pulls you in different directions. BUT you can balance an egg on a nail. Just ask Travis as he is the holder of the egg placement diploma.  Nicholas was able to move my hands down with one finger no matter how much resistance I gave.

Next we drove to the historical center where we went to La Basilica de Voto Nacional, one of the biggest places of worship in all of South America, clearly inspired by the Notre Dame.  From there on, we walked several blocks admiring the colonial architecture to the center of the city. La Plaza Grande is the religious and political center of Ecuador with the Presidential Palace on one side and Vatican's connection to Ecuador Palacio Arzobispal on the other.

We toured the monastery and saw some incredible gold leaf work and carvings on the altar. The students who have been to Spain are getting to make some very neat connections with the moorish palace of Alhambra that we toured in Granada.

During all this walking we tried local bunuelos (dough smothered in honey), fava beans (some salty, some sweet) and scheduled the day we will try cuy. Google it, I'm not telling you what that is! I always love when students are open minded and try random things I shove at them as it is the best way to try something local.  We learned that popcorn is used like crackers here and so just like the locals, we threw it in our soup. Yum!

Today was also our first trivia night. Students had to answer a variety of questions about Ecuador. Anything Fabian or our local guides teach us is up for grabs. For each correct answer they got to choose from several local gifts. We will do this every couple of days so hopefully everyone is paying attention!

After dinner at our hotel (beef soup, rice, chicken, steamed veggies and cookie ice cream with strawberries on top), we got into taxis and went into the old part of town. My personal highlight of Quito for now. We walked La Ronda, a narrow cobblestone street with cute shops, music coming out of every establishment and beautiful vistas of Quito lit up at night. There weren't many people out and we enjoyed the eve at our own pace.

As I write this, the students are hanging out in their rooms. Bed checks are at 11:30 tonight and we leave at 3:45 am to the airport. Gotta love it!

Mañana: Galápagos! Internet: who knows.

Here we go again! Student Travel - Ecuador 2016 Day 1 - June 14

I'm pretty sure when I decided to do three student trips back to back the only person who thought I was normal was my saleswoman at EF. Everyone else (moi included!) thought it was a terrible idea but if people want to see the world then who am I to stop them?

This is the fifth EF tour I'm leading but first to a place I haven't been. With the tiny group of 7 I have never been more excited for a trip and today went exactly how I imagined. Easy, quick and smooth. I don't want to jinx it but last year's Costa Rica trip started on a terrible note with student(s) trying to escape through the balcony on the first night. It made me bitchy and paranoid the rest of the week and here I am hoping for something different.

Onto today! Everyone slept on the red eye
and was in awe of the views as we were landing in Panama City.  We flew over the Panama Canal and the busy financial district full of skyscrapers. It was gorgeous!

We did absolutely nothing at the Panama City airport since it's small and the only thing to do was eat American food. Someone did have Domino's Pizza but I'm not saying who.

Our second flight was short and shaky but we landed in Quito surrounded by beautiful mountains. The landing is a bit of an adventure in of itself since there is not much time to descend once you've gone over the mountains. But in the end it was smooth and we were safe!

We got our Ecuadorian stamps, met Fabian, our tour guide, and checked into our rooms. The rooms are more like suites, wifi works and there is hot water. We are living the dream!

http://www.quitoadventure.com/espanol/relax-ecuador/lugares-turisticos-quito/naturaleza/teleferico-quito.html is where we went next. Quito is one of the highest capital cities in the world sitting at 9,300 feet about sea level. Surprisingly, we all handled the altitude change well. A few comments were made but overall we weren't super bothered by it. The Teleférico took us up to 13,450 feet and we were rewarded with a view of a lifetime. On one side, Quito. On another, multiple volcanoes and  volcanic craters with mostly clear sky above. Wow.

The students tried local meat empanadas, almost froze (it's cold up there!), took lots of selfies and we headed down.

From there we visited Vulqano Park, Ecuador's biggest amusement park. Hrmmm, let's say it's a tad smaller than the fair that gets set up by Southland Mall but who are we to argue with such titles? The kids went on several rides, happily almost killed me on bumper cars and played foosball.

We ended our eve in our hotel by having a delicious dinner (I don't often say that about EF food so yeah!!), journal writing and nice conversation.

We decided we were too tired to go to the Centro Historico and made the mature decision to hang back and go tomorrow once we've had some sleep.

And with that, I'm off to do room checks.

Happy Tuesday!