Home at last....

Well.....its very early Sunday morning and we have been traveling since 11:30am. Our flights were wonderful and we would totally reccomend Taca/Lasca airline- they were great. We pssed quickly through immigration and customs and headed straight to the bus. It feels good to be home, but we miss it already!! More tomorrow after sleep, there are still some pics that need to be added from our days on the Galapagos! Sleep well!!

And We are off!!

Just wanted to add a quick note... We are leaving the from the airport in a few minutes......Homeward bound!! Wea re taking Lasca/Taca flight 660- We arrive in JFK at 2:30 am!! I will call when we land!

Hot hot hot!!

Well .... we have finally arrived in the Galapagos!! We left Quito this morning on a 9.30am flight and arrived at our hotel around 2pm island time, after a 2 hour flight, a short bus ride and a 5 minute ferry ride, and another 45 minute bus ride...... Whew!!
We settled into the hotel and got to dip into the beautiful pool before walking over to the Charles Darwin Research Station. We were able to get within inches of tortoises and iguanas. We got some great pics, but the computer here is very slow...hopefully we will be able to post them tomorrow.
We have a 4:30am wake-up call tomorrow for our day long excursion to Bartolome Island. This island is know for many unique species, but we are hoping to see some of the peguins!!! Off to sleep and more tomorrow!!

A day in the life...

Hello everyone!!
Just want to start out by explaining the following: Yes, a volcano erupted on the Galapagos Islands yesterday; No we are not there until tuesday; and No we will not be near the eruption-we will be a 10 hour boat ride away from that island. We just wanted to clear that up! Now, about today....
We had a wonderful day completing our community project. We drove about 30 minutes to a small village in Quito called Santa Isabel where we took part in 2 different community service activities.
First we helped dig 3 new planting beds for the community garden and then we went to the local child care facility. This area of Quito is very different from what we are used to here in CT and the kids really enjoyed themselves. While the girls were helping to feed the little ones lunch, the boys played soccer with some of the older children. It was a very rewarding, yet eye opening day that was enjoyed by all.
Tomorrow we have a 5:30 am wake-up call for our early flight to the Galapagos!!! We will try and post as often as we can but the internet can be unpredictable. Now off to bed for an early start!!!

Just a neat shot!!

Just wanted to add a nice shot of us overlooking the city of Quito!!!

Volcano Time!!!

Greetings from Ecuador!! Today we had a great excursion to the Cotopaxi National Park where we toured at over 12000 feet. We took some great pictures and got to hike around and view all of the natural wildlife and scenery.
Afterward some of us headed to the Iglesia de la Paz, a beautiful church on a hill with brilliant stained glass windows. It was a nice service and a great opportunity to experience the culture.
Tomorrow we head out early for our community project which should be a great time. Its getting late, so we will be in touch soon!!

To market, to market....

Hola from Ecuador!!! We had a long and busy day today. We started out with a tour of Old City Quito and viewed the main square, goverment buildings and gardens. We had a beautiful, sunny day and when we finally reached the Santo Domingo monestary we were able to take some great pictures in the gardens.
We traveled about 30 minutes to the Mitad del Mundo, or the Equatorial Museum. We got to try all sorts of experiments that illustrated the Coriolis Effect on the Earth. We watched water go down a drain in different directions in each hemispere and tested our strength against the effects of less gravity at latitude 0'0".
We ate lunch at a cute place called the Coffee Tree. Some of us were more adventurous with our meal choices, but for some the "Nuggets de Pollo" were just fine. :)
Finally we shopped til we dropped spending the rest of the afternoon in an authentic cultural market before heading back for some R&R at the pool.
We head out to Cotopaxi National Park early tomorrow for a day at about 14000 feet. It should be a tiring day!
We will be posting pics, once we can figure out the computer vs. camera issue we are having... Buenos Noches!!

Bienvenidos Ecuador!!!

We are here, in beautiful Ecuador.....at least some of us are. The 4:30 am flight arrived a little before 2pm, Ecuador time. The 5:30 am Miami flight was delayed for over 9 hours, so those passengers are still in the air and should arrive by 10pm.
They have all settled into their rooms and have even had time for a dip in the pool!
We just finished a dinner of a traditional Ecuadorian bean soup that is served only during the Easter Holiday. Some liked it more then others..... :) We will be able to post some pics of food tomorrow.
They are off to bed early this evening, most of the students are very tired and adjusting to the high altitude. We have had lots of water and they are keeping their feet up to avoid the cankles.
We begin tomorrow with breakfast and then a city tour of Old Quito, churches, and the Plaza. Hopefully we will get a chance to explore the local market and try some more local food. Ok.... now the altitude is taking effect and bed is calling. More tomorrow!!!
PS....the pic above is the view from the hotel rooms... :)

Not long to go....

Well..... Here we are on the "eve" of our trip putting the final touches on packing and hoping you are all finished!!
This trip will be an exciting adventure, full of nature and culture...and can you believe that we are leaving in less then 30 hours!!!
We will update this blog every chance we get.... Hopefully with lots of pics to keep everyone in the loop!
Off to get some beauty rest...its going to be a long day tomorrow!