Day Numero Catorce:

We survived the Amazon!! Hallelujah thank the Lord we're back. Not that I didn't enjoy the Amazon it was incredible, however I love electricity all the time and water that's NOT from Piranha Lagoon. So today we woke up to a downpour on our heads. After breakfast we headed out in our big canoe and made our way home. However as we began our travels, our boat got slightly sick and decided to die for 45 minutes. We got it to work and we were soon our way again. As we began again, the rainforest truly lived up to  its name. A torrential downpour soon began and I think its safe to say that not a single person on the canoe was dry. My leggings soon became a wetsuit and the rest of our boat ride was slightly uncomfortable. We stopped for lunch at another lodge and then completed our five hour canoe ride. We arrived at the airport in a cloud of stench and we all felt slightly disgruntled. We boarded our thirty minute flight and safely made it back in Quito, where we have began to call home. Tonight we ate at our favorite dinner hot spot, Foccia. Basically it's straight American food i.e. french fries and sandwiches, but we welcomed it with empty bellies and thankful minds. We came back to our hostel and packed for adventures tomorrow in the Galapagos Islands. Tomorrow can't come fast enough because all I want to do is see the SEA LIONS!! Goodnight everybody.

Day Numero Quince:

Today we arrived in San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Wow that's a lot of place to be described in one sentence. This morning we arose in Hotsal Arupo and had breakfast of eggs, toast, and juice (just like the past two weeks) and finished up our packing. We made our way to the airport and took off on our three hour flight off the coast of Ecuador. When we finally broke through the clouds covering all the islands, the view was absolutely incredible! Blue, blue water that you only picture in movies and small islands that look like they are painted graced the view from the plane. We met the people who will stay with us for the duration of our stay in the Galapagos Islands. After meeting up with Julian, Max, and Carly, we went off to eat lunch. We headed back to the hotel/hostel (we aren't really sure which one it is) and changed into our swim suits. We headed to the Galpakiwi headquarters where we were fitted with snorkel gear, wet suit, snorkel, and fins included. After being fitted with the goods we went to the opposite side of the island where we learned about the history of the islands before we headed down to Darwin Cove to snorkel around for 45 minutes. While we were swimming around, a very curious sea lion decided to swim with us. We were told if you would swim in circles and dart back and forth along with it, that it would play with you. So when it would come close to me I would dive down with it and swim with it. It was so cool! Since the sea lion was so curious, fun, and cute, I would have to classify today as one of the best days of the trip. However our day just got even better when one of our leaders, Sam, called us over a little ways out in the cove. He had found a sea turtle. It was so interesting to watch it feed and just function that soon we left the sea lion and just watched the turtle. The sea lion was not very happy to have its playmates leave him so he decided to come and watch the turtle as well. Soon we had both the sea lion AND the sea turtle right in front of us. How many people can say that? Well nine students can now say they have. After we were done swimming we went to Lovers Beach, where there were sea lions and we had an opportunity to photograph them at sunset. I have decided that I want to keep a sea lion because they are just so stinking cute. I think I'm just going to shove it in my bag and sneak it back into the US. I mean let's face it, my bag already smells fishy due to the piranha jaws, it's not like a sea lion would make it much worse! Dinner tonight was unbelievably good and all of us ate like we hadn't seen food in three weeks. Tonight we go to bed exhausted from snorkeling and stuffed full with delicious food, and anxious for our fun-filled last night in the great country of Ecuador. Goodnight to all, sweet dreams.