Off and Away

I am burnt. Sun burnt that is. I am finally on the Galapagos Islands and I am loving it. Before I get into anything about the islands, I should wrap up my last days in Quito.

As soon as I returned from Riobamba I immediately tried to contact Molly and was able to be with her for the remainder of my time in Quito. For our Tropical Ecology Exam we all agreed to do a field practical where we would go out on a hike and attempt to describe and explain particular ecological processes. My topic of interest was highland vegitation and the adaptations utilized to withstand the various biotic and abiotic conditions. The hike itself was about 6 kilometers and started at the very to of a mountain, from the top we hiked down. By doing this we were able to observe the changing landscape with respect to the altitudinal gradient of vegetative zones. The temperature was rather cold and the air was moist with fog and clouds. During the hike we were able to see plenty of amazing plants along with some white tail deer. Overall it was a great experience with plenty of wonderful views, in addition to its beauty it was the best final exam I have taken.

So we left Quito early on Sunday morning and arrived on San Cristobal Island around noon. As soon as we arrived at the university campus we were set free to play in the ocean. The campus is across the street from the beach and is extremely accessible. I went swimming in the Pacific Ocean for the first time and the water was great. After a short swim, our host families came to pick us up. My family is extremely nice and provided me with a wonderful room to stay in. The house is set up like a motel where the only door I walk into is my bedroom. The house is located close to campus with some amazing views of the bay; I have no complaints so far. I have gone on a few hikes and have done some snorkeling; on each of these trips I have gotten some great photos of the wild life. We started our classes of Monday and our first module is Introduced and Native Plant Species of the Galapagos Islands. So far this class is great and our professor is very knowledgeable. I will post some more photos of the exam hike and the islands so far. Love you all.