Vida Tranquila

Greetings from the Galapagos!

So i'm finally here, right now about a few feet from the ocean! I guess I should start with cotopaxi though.
I did actually get cold in Ecuador, believe it or not, in Riobamba and Cotpaxi, which are a crazy high altitudes. I got a chance to practice my spanish with some students in Riobamba, and I presented a project on the problem with invasive goats in the galapagos and the enormous eradication effort. It was great to read about an eradication that worked (in Isabela), since the situation with invasive species sometimes seems impossible to fix. It was frustrating this summer, working all day in the field with a chainsaw, herbicide, sweat, poison ivy, etc etc to drive home for the weekend and see Russian Olive all over the highway on both sides, all of the way across 195.
We stayed for a night in an indigenous community. These women ran a hostal and made us dinner. Apparently the men used to run the hostal, but it didn't work. Generally, women are not as well-respected in Ecuador as in the US, and the indigenous women have it worse. It made me happy to get to talk with them and support them.
The next day was hiking rock climbing- a lot harder than it looks! I didn't get very far, but i felt pretty accomplished afterwards.
Saturday we went horseback riding and some hiking. We got to an altitude of 4,800 meters! That's like 3 miles! Boy, was it cold.
Sunday was the polar opposite- the trip to the islands. We took a plane, stopped in Guayaquil, and flew into Baltra, where we saw a lot of iguanas just hanging out. It really seemed like a desert. Then we took a 2.5 hour boat ride to San Cristobal, where I met my host family. They seem great and very accommodating of my limited Spanish.
The way of life is so different here. People walk slowly, and everyone knows each other. Everything is so much more calm and tranquil. It is quite a change for me, and I love it. There is wildlife everywhere- interesting birds, SO MANY SEA LIONS, plus crabs, lizzards... I went for a run this morning and got to explore some of the town/island, which was fantastic. Running should be a great way to explore. This is going to be a great 3 months!
Ciao!