Spring 2007 Trip Reports
The School was in South America for Spring 2007
Feb 14, 2007 - From Gennifre Hartman
Mar 5, 2007 - From Samantha Mora
Mar 15, 2007 - From Samantha, Cara, Claire, and Heather
April 16, 2007 - From Samantha, Cara, Claire and Heather
Here's the crew:
I just returned from spending the first two weeks in the Ecuadorian jungle with TTS9. My eyes are trying to adjust back to the monochrome winter landscape after being filled with the riotous colors of the jungle. The group is strong, adventuresome, and wonderful. They are kind and helpful to each other, and they are rapidly practicing their developing Spanish skills to everyone they meet.
This semester has the following vibrant cast of eleven characters:
1.) Emma from Vermont: Emma is cerebral and intelligent, quietly summarizing difficult concepts with adept and concise detail. She has a shy smile and a beautiful singing voice, and can-t wait to improve her Spanish skills.
2.) Josie from Australia: Bright and beautiful Josie is back for a second semester with TTS, and is just as engaged as before. She is thoughtful and kind, and always ready for a good chat or a dance party. Her writing is extraordinary and this semester promises to bring her even more to write about.
3.) Jessica from Montana: Enthusiastic Jessica is enthralled with the jungle. She is athletic and a great team-player, always available to help the other girls. She is strong and outgoing, willing to teach a dance routine at a six o-clock workout or laugh with the girls on the back of the bus.
4.) Sophie from Oregon: Sophie is taking the world by storm with her wicked sense of humor and her candor. She is fun loving and has a beautiful laugh, which draws all of the other students to hear her tales. Her strong Spanish skills and her sense of self have already made her a natural leader.
5.) Rachael from Montana: Rachael is a quiet presence who is happily enjoying every minute of this adventure. She has a calm energy and a positive outlook which both help her to take in everything around her. When talking about South America, her voice is filled with joy and she fills the group with energy about the adventure they are experiencing. Rachael is ready to make this her adventure!
6.) Lizzie from Maine: I adore Lizzie-s laugh. It is full and bright and from her core. When Lizzie laughs, it bubbles into the rest of the group and into the community where we are staying to set the positive tone for everyone. Lizzie is back for her second semester with joy, awareness and a great sense of self which she has generously given to the other students.
7.) Hannah from Washington: Hannah is kind, compassionate and smart. She has an incredible attitude about South America and is always the first to point out, "Yeah, but can you believe we are in the rainforest?" She is thoughtful and clearly aware of the opportunities that have landed her in the Amazon.
8.) Christine (Hannah) from Michigan: Christine has an incredible, easy-going attitude. Although she-ll be the first to tell you that she is often nervous about what is going to happen this semester, you-d never see it on the surface. She is gentle and kind and has the kind of energy that makes people want to hang-out and talk with her for hours.
9.) Lindsey from Montana: Lindsey is back for her second semester and is just as in awe of her surroundings as she was the first semester. As the jungle screeches and squawks around her, Lindsey calmly takes a few moments to take pictures and take everything in with a quiet smile. Lindsey isn-t a chatterbox, instead, her calm, warm energy lets everyone know that this is exactly where she wants to be at this moment in time.
10.) Holly from North Carolina: Holly is impulsive and fun. The other girls love to be around her because she can switch from telling jokes to being a good listener in a heartbeat. She is outgoing and makes others feel comfortable immediately. She has taken to the schedule easily, and this flexibility and motivation earned her the Academic Award this week.
11.) Devin from Washington: Devin is outgoing and a natural leader. Although she is the youngest, the other girls are drawn to her warm and positive energy. She loves to laugh and makes others feel good with her optimism and cheerful attitude. She is thoughtful and non-judgmental, and her comments in class are insightful and kindhearted.
ACADEMICS
Classes are in full swing and the girls are immersed in reading, writing, and learning about life skills and the importance of education. In the History and Government of Ecuador and Peru course, the students have started reading Savages, a journalist-s commentary which chronicles the devastating effects of the petroleum industry on the local Huarani tribe. Both Emma and Christine have decided to join the class for the Savages reading, even though neither of them are taking history. They are both simply fascinated by the subject matter. The rest of the history class has also started an exploration of the development of cultures and countries in the Andean region. This week began with a "Greatest Hits" narrative tracing ancient history to the election last month of Ecuador-s newest president.
In Natural Science, the students are beginning a section on rainforest ecology to prepare them for their upcoming jungle trip in the Amazon. The students are about to become experts in various flora and fauna, and begin a study of different ecological areas within South America. Lindsey began studying the parrots and monkeys that live near the bungalows, and was the only student who studied the animals from a scientific aspect, and completed a beautiful drawing of them during her free time later that day.
In Mathematical Applications, students are learning currency conversion and budgeting techniques. This course is designed to prepare students with the mathematical skills they need outside of the classroom and in their lives. Last week began with budgeting and financial management. All students are required to maintain a complete record of their spending and savings while traveling. Algebra 2 has started with studying the properties of logarithmic functions, and is moving to polynomial functions and their graphs.
In Spanish, the students are learning the basics of how to communicate. The first skills they all need to know are how to politely ask for something, greet someone, ask how to say something in Spanish, and introduce themselves. With this knowledge, the students are expanding in different directions, depending on their ability. Sophie, with her beautiful understanding of Spanish and culture, is quietly leading the other girls in speaking with locals. The Intermediate and Advanced classes are both tied together with Spanish language songs the girls uploaded to their iPods before leaving the country.
In Andean Literature and Composition, the students recently started reading The Alchemist, a beautiful novel written about how to follow your dreams. They are also developing their descriptive writing techniques as they prepare for their first paper - a descriptive essay about a place or thing.
The Photography Course has been snapping away, there are more subjects than anyone could imagine! The students are learning about the technical aspects of digital photography and learning about their cameras. Josie became everyone-s most popular subject for her willingness to pose for pictures, not to mention the beautiful results everyone had because she is so photogenic!
The Global Studies course has started a study on women, culture and leadership. They started with several classes to define culture and community, and are moving on to several leadership activities. Hannah kept laughing as she worked through the leadership activities - when that girl is having a good time, she really throws herself into it!
CULTURE
The village where the girls are living is on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. The students walk down the dusty road and can stop and talk with people as they go about their day. The girls have interviewed locals, and are asking all sorts of people for words in Spanish for their language journals. Our girls have also generated lovely compassion and warmth in many locals. The people are so happy to have The Traveling School girls back for another adventure.
Lizzie got a whole crew of locals to join the girls during a dance party one evening and was the first to learn how to salsa dance. Holly quickly joined in, and the two of them will be force to be reckoned with because of their salsa-dancing skills!
And, as part of the introductory orientation activities, Devin became a natural leader for the rest of the girls. They had to work through all sorts of team-building challenges, and Devin led everyone with a great sense of humor. One of the local women said to me, "she has a beautiful smile!"
OUTDOOR ADVENTURE
The girls have been sweating through a new routine this semester - Boot Camp. They wake every other morning to a drill instructor workout filled with rigorous exercise, routine and games. Christine walked away from one of the first workouts saying, "I-ve never worked so hard in my life - and it was fun!" The girls are creating fitness goals, and beginning a study of nutrition and overall health. In addition to the circuit training, Ultimate Frisbee, yoga and running, we have a great deal of additional outdoor activity to get the group in shape!
Last week, the girls had a full day on the river for a white-water adventure. They learned specific safety techniques, how to use paddle the raft, proper safety procedures, and how to swim to safety if they were thrown from the raft. They were initially nervous, but after the first splash of river water hit their faces - they were all in for the adventure. Devin was the most nervous, but she ended up choosing to "ride the bull" (when the raft surfs on a wave and bucks everyone out) more than anyone else!
Over the weekend, the girls visited Jatun Sacha, a wilderness bio-reserve tucked deep in the Amazon. Jessica was the first in line to climb a 100-foot tower high above the jungle canopy, keeping herself safe with a climbing harness and carabineers. After visiting the botanical garden that afternoon, the group happily swam in the river to cool down. Emma swam across a swiftly moving tributary - and we were all proud of what a strong swimmer she is! We took pictures, hiked in a jungle filled with vines, and played in a picturesque river.
Tomorrow, the girls plan to spend three nights and four days exploring the jungle by canoe, foot and swinging from vines.
The colors are beautiful in the jungle without season. Thank you for your support and we-ll write again soon.
Sincerely,
Gennifre Hartman
Executive Director/ Principal
Greetings from Quito, Ecuador!
This trip report comes to you from a trendy internet cafˇ in the youthful district, the Mariscal, where travellers from around the world conglomerate to enjoy the many attractions of this beautiful city. The girls are busy typing up their descriptive essays for English class, and I finally have a moment to sit and ruminate about our amazing trip so far...
After having spent two weeks with her in Tena, we sadly bid Gennifre goodbye, and headed into the jungle with Gerson, our playful and knowledgeable guide. Gerson is a Kichwa native, and knows the jungle well. He also knows how to mess with the minds of incredulous teenagers, but you'll hear more about that later...
From our lovely home, the Establo de Tomas, we bid kindly Sonia and her menagerie of parrots, macaws and monkeys goodbye and headed to Misahualli, the port town where we hopped into our long river canoe and headed down the river Napo, the third largest tributary of the Amazon. The girls were quite excited as we cruised down the river, straining their necks to take in the sights of the jungle and the boats and homes of the people who live their lives in harmony with the mighty Napo. The three days we spent in the jungle were unforgettable. We were invited into the home of a native Kichwa family and learned, among other things, how to make chicha, a beverage made from fermented yucca that the natives literally live on. We floated down the river in inner tubes and a raft made from logs strung together with ropes. We swam in rivers, we visited an animal sanctuary where poached or injured animals are rehabilitated and eventually returned to their native habitats, and we explored the Napo and its tributaries by boat. Most incredible, though, was our day-long hike through the jungle. I will let the girls tell you about it in their own words, from an activity where we played around with descriptive language in English...
Holly and Jessica:
On February 13th, 2007 the Traveling School trekked into the heart of the Amazonian jungle in Ecuador. The sights were breathtaking and unbelievable. It is hard to put into words. While hiking we saw a variety of wildlife including newborn animals, ancient trees and dangerous insects. The humidity was overbearing and left little hope of escaping the jungle with dry clothes. Bug bites were inevitable. Gerson was our Ecuadorian guide who happens to have a humorous spirit. He taught us many Amazonian lessons that relate to our travels and to our lives at home...
Hannah Penn and Josie:
...we ventured into the steaming jungle. It was epic. We observed a plethora of insect communities, twisted flora and uneasy fauna. We drowned under the blanket of humidity and our own sweat, as the bugs devoured our flesh. Gerson, our fearless leader, consumed our minds with the wonders of the forest. It was captivating...
Emma, Lindsey and Rachael:
Yesterday, we trekked through the hot and steamy jungle. It was staggeringly beautiful and otherworldly. We saw a glorious array of plant and animal species. The air was stiflingly heavy and by the end, we were peppered by bug bites. Gerson, our knowledgeable and mischievous guide, taught us the intricacies of the jungle, throwing in jokes here and there.
Devin and Christine:
Mid morning, we trekked into the great green abyss, it was spectacular. While in the living, breathing organism called the Amazon, we saw a plethora of flora and fauna. The sun glared down into the leaves making the air heavy, drenching us with sweat. The bugs were attacking us, as we were their prey. Gerson, our fearless leader taught us the meaning of living life in the jungle, and how to survive in this harsh environment. We were now part of the jungle...
Lizzie and Sophie:
Yesterday, we awoke in the new morning light and forged into the dense jungle. Between the breathtaking plants and the frightening eight legged insects we were bouncing between dream and nightmare. The humid air and the treacherous walk caused drips of sweat to trickle down our bodies which were being attacked by swarms of bugs. We became Tarzan as we swung from vines and climbed trees, trying to mimic our guide Gerson...
For our last night in the jungle, as we lay exhausted in hammocks, we were serenaded by Goyo, our fabulous cook and aspiring musician, who played traditional music for the girls on his guitar and sang us songs he wrote about the Amazon. It was the perfect way to end our jungle trip, as we stared into the flames of the bonfire and listened to Goyo and the backdrop of the sounds of the jungle...
We came back to Tena on the 14th of Febuary and were greeted by Sonia and her wonderful staff at the Establo de Tomas with a Valentine's Day party. We each received red heart-shaped balloons that were part of an intricate arrangement made of plants from the surrounding rainforest, and really enjoyed the special going away dinner. The girls, many of whom had declared they would not eat fish, devoured the local delicacy which came wrapped in a banana leaf... head and all... some girls even ate the eyeballs, said to be the best part. Lizzie and Hannah ate a few pairs. They proved to be culinary adventurers later on in Agualongo as well, but I get ahead of myself...
From Tena we headed to Otovalo after stopping at Papallarca, an incredible hot springs located en route. We made it to Otovalo just in time for the famous Saturday market, where the girls were able to use their newly learned Spanish bartering skills. From Anna Taft, the former Traveling School teacher who coordinated our community service project, we learned the magic "no sea malita" which was guaranteed to make every vendor lower their price. It worked wonders...
From Otovalo we headed up the mountain to Agualongo de Quichinche, a tiny village of indigenous Kichwa families. The entire community walked up out of town to greet our truck as we approached. We hopped off of our truck and walked with the people of Agualongo into town, girls already hand in hand with the children. We were greeted by enormous arches made out of local flowers that we walked through and into town. After a welcome dinner of soup and roasted guinea pig, the local band presented traditional Kichwa music and taught us their dance.
The week we spent in Agualongo was a gift. The girls amazed me with their openness and resilience. Holly and Christine shared a tiny corner of floor space with teacher Heather in the home of Josefina and Jaime and their seven young children. Every time I saw Holly and Christine, they were playing soccer with the kids, riding a skateboard in front of the house, playing with the baby goat, or helping with chores. Sophie, Jessica, Lindsey, and teacher Cara, had a long walk back and forth every day to the Casa Comunal, but that didn't stop them from helping their mother, Maruca, with her three young daughters. Their patience astounded me as they always had energy for Katrina, the hyperactive three year old and her equally wild sisters. Devin, Rachael and Josie were in the home of Maria and Rodrigo. Maria, confined to bed after the birth of her 5th child days before we arrived, depended on her oldest daughter to cook for the gringa visitors. It didn't take long for our girls to make themselves at home amidst the guinea pigs running through the kitchen, helping Gladis cook and entertaining themselves by chasing teacher Claire, who is afraid of rodents, around the kitchen with a guinea pig. I shared a room with Lizzie, Emma and Hannah in the home of Carlos, Virjinia and their five children. We had a wonderful time with our family, enjoying our nightly ritual of sitting in the warm smoky kitchen, listening to the squeals of the guinea pigs, and talking to our family about Kichwa life and traditions.
Our week of classes and teaching English to the local children coincided nicely with Carnival, celebrated in Ecuador as the world's largest water fight. We went into town with our families and got drenched even though we were in full rain gear. Our week ended with the community work project or minga, where we helped the villagers cement the dirt patio in front of the Casa Comunal. The girls mixed cement, hauled rocks and sand, and helped prepare the communal meal, working side by side with the community. They had a wonderful time, and built up a sizeable appetite for the final meal, which many were viewing with some trepidation, as we would be served roasted cuy (guinea pig), a local delicacy. I remember Lizzie looking at me with some fear in her china blue eyes, saying, "I don't know if I can do this Two guinea pigs later, she smiled and wiped her greasy fingers on her pants. I am not sure who won the guinea pig eating contest, she or Hannah or Christine - who held their own quite nicely too! We left that afternoon, shedding tears with our families, after our amazing week in Agualongo.
From Otovalo we headed to Quito, where we have spent the last three days in class and trying to cram in as much of the city as we can. Yesterday we wandered around historic Quito, which is the breathtaking colonial city center listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. They enacted many historical scenes under Claire's tutelage, including the infamous murder of President Moreno by machete... Today we went to the Guayasamin museum and his world-famous Capilla del Hombre (Chapel of Man), which was one the highlights of the trip so far. We are all still pondering his words "When I was a child, I wept because I had no shoes, until the day I saw a child that had no feet Tomorrow we embark on our next adventure, heading to the mountains south of Quito and the Black Sheep Inn, a world famous eco-lodge. From there we head to Cuenca and the girls to their homestays!!!
Peace! I hope all is well in your lives.......
Samantha Mora
Academic Program Director
English and Spanish Instructor
Dear family and friends of The Traveling School:
After our exciting stay in Quito, we headed south towards Cotopaxi, the tallest volcano in Ecuador, and some much anticipated R&R at the Black Sheep Inn, a world-renowned eco-lodge perched high in the Andes. We travelled on the Pan American highway to the city of Latacunga, and from there, we started on the wild four and a half hour bumpy bus journey up the mountains. Our luggage was a well-packed pile perched proudly on the roof of the colorful old bus. It was a glorious ride, our eyes drinking in the sights in and out of the bus: the spectacular views of the Andes competing for our attention with the interactions of the indigenous folks we were crowded into the bus with. Traditional Andean music blared from the speakers, Spanish and Kichwa spiralling together about our heads, as we treasured every moment of the ride.
When we finally arrived to Chugchilan, the tiny village that hosts the Black Sheep Inn, we were sore, dusty, and exhausted. Our discomforts were quickly forgotten as we surveyed our new home. The Black Sheep Inn is literally perched on the side of a mountain, with a never-ending view of a massive gorge that stretches as far as the eye could see. The girls were assigned the bunk house: a three-story wooden lodge, thatched roof, with ladders leading from one level to another. In honor of her upcoming birthday, Christine was given the best spot- a bed on the third story loft with a window view that took in the gorge.
Over the course of the week, we were to learn much about the workings of the Black Sheep Inn. Andrew and Michelle, the founders of this unique venture, are a couple from the United States who visited Chugchilan and fell in love with the area on a backpacking trip. Andrew proved himself to be a wonderful educator as he taught our group about the complexities of the permaculture system that has evolved at the Inn. Permaculture, as Andrew taught us, is a system that mimics the complex relationships that are found within an ecosystem that supports and perpetuates itself. Buildings made from adobe bricks, composting toilets complete with views and gardens fed from grey water from the sink in turn fed from tanks collecting rainwater on the roof, a solar powered pump that carried water from the pond at the bottom of the property to the top of the property, and utilizing every space available for herb and vegetable gardens, along with, of course, the black sheep grazing, all combine to make the Black Sheep Inn an award-winning leader in the growing of eco-lodges.
After a long week, we left the Black Sheep Inn to head south to Cuenca, where the girls spent ten days living in pairs with local Ecuadorian families. They were all spoiled by their families and had great tales of delicious food, watching movies, and trying to follow conversations in Spanish. During the days, we visited an all-girls school. It was so much fun that when we left the school, all of the teachers and the students were begging us not to leave! We visited a museum with shrunken heads, and even managed a few days to finish midterms. It's been quite an adventure.
The heavy grey clouds that announce the afternoon rain storms are gathering in Cuenca this Saturday, but our moods are sunny as we contemplate our adventure to come in the Galapagos! The girls are back from their homestays, full of life and stories about their weeks spent with families in this lovely city. As we prepare to leave for the Galapagos, I am astounded to contemplate that we just finished our midterm week. How is it possible that we are almost halfway through our journey? We all feel as though time if slipping through our fingers, yet if we contemplate all we have done, we realize that this has been an epic journey indeed!
And now, a few notes on classes!
ACADEMICS:
In beginning Spanish we are adding to our foundation of greetings, numbers, and basic conjugations of the verb to be. The girls can now conjugate many verbs, create sentences, and have simple conversations. All of the girls have been challenging themselves to communicate outside of class- being homestays make it impossible not to! In addition they have been filling up their language journals with new words and everyone gave a great presentation about their families in our last class.
The main goal of Advanced Spanish is to get the girls talking as much as possible to as many people as possible. To this end, the girls are creating cultural journals, in which they report on newspapers, interviews, and local traditions to clarify and augment their topic. They are also keeping language journals in which they record the new words they pick up along our travels. To increase our understanding of the language (and class excitement), we are studying and translating Latin American song lyrics. The girls love it.
In Math Applications we have moved on from learning about checking accounts, writing checks, and bank statements to discussing credit cards. We have been talking about the advantages and disadvantages of using credit cards and everyone has interesting stories to add from their own life experiences. For their midterm project the girls are creating a financial manual for college students that includes essential information such as goal setting, lease agreements, reading paystubs, budgeting, and more.
We are now a good way through the History of Ecuador, having starting with a brief introduction of the Incas (whom we will cover with overwhelming detail once we get to Macchu Pichhu), moving through the arrival of the Spanish to South America, through the fight for Ecuadorian independence, and into the political chaos that seems to have followed ever since. While in Quito, we had an incredible day exploring the historic Old Town: we visited a Jesuit church with seven tons of gold plating the ceilings and walls, a jail that held Quito revolutionaries, the place where president Gabriel Garcia Morena was hacked to death in 1875 with a machete (we even performed a re-enactment of the memorable event at the site!). The girls were enrapturedÑit is phenomenal to have history be so present, so real, so exciting. Since that brutal re-enactment, we have continued through the history up to 1925, studying the dichotomy between Ecuadorian liberalism and conservatism. We ended with a class on various other -isms, and had a ridiculously fun time analyzing what The Traveling School would be like under totalitarian, socialist, and communist systems.
In Natural Science the girls have completed two units: Rainforests, and Earth Formations. In our two weeks in Tena we began by examining the species around us (monkeys, macaws, palm trees, ants, epiphytes, etc.) to determine how their structure helped them to survive in the competitive environment of the rainforest. We even played a game of Species Survivor and finished up the unit by talking about the issue of rainforest deforestation and its causes (in particular, oil drilling in the Amazon). The transition from the rainforest to the Andes helped us switch gears: the girls spent several classes tracing the evidence for Pangaea and learning about plate tectonics. The volcanoes of Ecuador provide quite an incentive to learn! We also detoured slightly during our time at the Black Sheep Inn. The girls examined many different aspects of the permaculture-based eco-lodge and developed inquiry-based hypotheses on the way that composting toilets, rainwater harvesting, and permaculture gardens work. They are now applying that knowledge to their hometowns and will be submitting permaculture proposals based on their own climate and the topography around them.
In Literature, we finished reading Paulo Cuelho's The Alchemist which follows the journey of a boy as he searches out his dreams. The girls spent a considerable time in Socratic seminars discussing the novel and finished the unit writing a paper comparing their travels through South America to the boy's experiences on his mission. We have also been reading travel articles, and, on entering the Amazon, studied Pam Houston's "Three Lessons in Amazonian Biology" – after our trek through the jungle, the girls reflected on their own Amazonian edification. Finally, we have started reading The House of Spirits, Isabel Allende's first novel, which uses magical realism to trace the lives of the various members of a South American family through the twentieth century. The girls just adopted personas from the novel and wrote letters to each other: the end result was a collection of incredibly inventive and poetic missives.
In Global Studies, we are learning about the various aspects of and relationships between leadership, gender, and culture. We began with a thorough study of the general concept of leadership and its various styles, focusing especially on gender and leadership. We then moved on to more thoroughly analyze the role of women in today's society (as we see it at home and abroad), and created our own definition of feminism. Talking about feminism sparked a heated discussion about the pros and cons of being a feminist or being considered a feminist. We talked about discrimination against women and have now just started looking and women in the media.
And so we depart for the Galapagos!
Much South American love,
Samantha, Cara, Claire, and Heather
Teachers
To the families and friends of the Traveling School,
We made it back from the world-famous Santa Cruz trek, sore but exhilarated with what we accomplished. What a pleasure it was to spend the week with these amazing girls as they realized the many joys (and difficulties) of backpacking. You are long overdue for a trip report, but hopefully it was worth the wait. Please read on and let the Traveling School students tell you about the last month of the trip in their own words:
After the home stays in Cuenca, we took a spectacular bus ride from the Andes to the Pacific coast. In Guayaquil, we caught a flight to the Galapagos for an unforgettable week on a yacht.
Lizzie writes about the Galapagos crew:
The Galapagos is an amazing place and there is no other place like it in the world. It's a little secret joy off the coast of Ecuador. While we were there, we had the pleasure of staying on board the SeaMan. Not only was the experience amazing, the crew made it that much better.
Capitan Walter, Galo, Henry, Rony, and Enrique were the crew on our boat. At first we were all a little intimidated to talk to them, but by the third or fourth day we had warmed up to each other. There were days when Holly and I would sit by the kitchen window tasting the delicacies and helping out when we could. Henry was the main chef, while his older brother Rony helped out with dishes and preparation. Every meal was served on silver platters and was filled with many different delicious choices. Breakfast consisted of fresh fruit, hot eggs, toast, yogurt and granola or cereal and a meat and cheese platter. Lunch held a variety of local fish caught that day, pastas, fruits and veggies. Dinner had the extravagant choices of fish, meats, pastas, casseroles, steamed veggies and much more. Dessert was always something extremely appetizing. After snorkeling we would be greeted back to the boat with freshly squeezed juice as well as fruit platters. Needless to say we did not go hungry.
During our time in the islands we had the pleasure of being accompanied by some parents including Christine's mom and brother as well as my mom. It was so nice to have mothers on board and it allowed for other girls to get to know our families better. I loved having my mom on board and it was amazing to be able to share such an exciting experience with her. Our parents were a big help to the teachers as well. They used their knowledge to add to class discussions and even were able to teach a health class.
By the end of the trip some girls were able to sit in the cockpit with the captain Walter and on occasion drive the boat. The other two crewmen helped out with the dingy boat, shuttling us back and forth from island to island. I'll always remember my experience in the Galapagos, and the generosity and hospitality of the crew.
Jessica describes our guide Maria:
While in the Galapagos, our fearless leader/guide Maria paved the way for us all with her brilliant knowledge of the Galapagos Islands, its inhabitants and her typed-up schedules for each day that lay ahead of us. We all learned about Maria and her life story the second we stepped foot on the SeaMan. She is not only a guide, but she is also a lawyer, mom of three, stamp maker and a wife. Maria explained how she had enrolled to become a Galapagos guide but didn't believe that she would get the position. Once she figured out that she had gotten the job she then learned all about the Galapagos Islands and the destruction of its endemic species. After learning about this destruction Maria felt compelled to protect the species and made the decision to become a lawyer so that she could defend the astounding and magnificent islands. After hearing this story everyone was moved and amazed at her perseverance and hardworking attitude. Maria knew every detail about all of the islands that we visited and even went as far to set up power points, describing almost every island and its special characteristics. She patiently answered all of our questions and also gave us some of her own, expressing her passion for the Galapagos. Throughout the entire week she put all of our needs before her own, making sure that we would have the trip and experience of a lifetime: and we did.
Sophie describes the island visits:
Our afternoons were filled with adventures and learning on the islands of the Galapagos. With the hot sun pounding on us, sunscreen covering every visible inch of our body, we would make our way to the islands by a small motor boat that would challenge the Pacific Ocean's waves leaving a light salty mist covering us. We would walk the sandy or rocky paths of the islands all pouncing in front of each other, trying to snap the best picture of the creature that stood only feet in front of us. We witnessed the lives of many different animals on the shores of the islands- from the sea lions, that yelled and bared their sharp teeth warning us to stay way from the month-old pups to the frigate birds that inflated a vibrant red balloon on their chests and yelled to the females flying above them. On one trip to the island, Genevosa, a very remote island very few tourists get to experience, we were witnesses to the mating rituals of the frigate bird. During their mating season the birds littered the beaches turning the calm atmosphere hectic, with the sounds of their mating calls flooding into our ears. We didn't know it then but this mating ritual of sticking out your chest and shaking it while flickering your arms back and forth would soon become a favorite dance among the girls. The information about all these exquisite animals was endless, inspiring us all to learn more by constantly pestering our guide Maria.
Lindsey on the daily snorkeling adventures:
So far, for me, one of the major highlights of this trip has been our hop from the mainland to the world renowned Galapagos Islands. Everything about that desert paradise blew my mind but the one thing in particular that stood out was the snorkeling. It was my first time snorkeling and I was amazed at the huge world revealed beneath the ocean's waves. From sea lions, brightly colored fish, sea turtles, rays, to reef sharks, we saw it all through our odd looking goggled masks that made us appear almost fish- like ourselves. All of our snorkeling experiences were absolutely fantastic, but my favorite had to be the first when everything was so foreign and the taste of the salt water and the pressure from the goggle on my face were still completely new. After the first initial shock of the chilly water and the awkward flopping around in my unfamiliar flippers, I was able to gaze at the sandy ground below. Suddenly a giant brown missile shot through my line of vision and gracefully did a turn about me. The large brown eyes gazed up from below at this odd looking creature with bright yellow flippers sprawling about. The seal lions were quick to take to us as we attempted to imitate their graceful turns and flips and swim next to them as their massive figures glided through the clear water. They playfully jumped over us and swam next to us, and joined us as we did turns under the water. The fun ended far too soon as we were called to the boat. The swimming with sea lions was defiantly a fantastic way to start out our remarkable snorkeling experiences. As the week drew on and we did our daily snorkeling activities I became less awkward and by the end was able to confidently dive deep under the water gliding along side a brightly colored school of fish. The snorkeling was an amazing aspect of our mind-blowing week in the Galapagos.
After our decadent week on the yacht, we sadly said goodbye to the crew of the SeaMan, who now felt like family. Although we were sad to leave paradise, we were looking forward to the next stage of the adventure- the bus ride to Peru and surfing in a little fishing village north of Trujillo.
Let Emma tell you all about the twenty-hour bus ride and arriving to our surf camp:
Well, lets just say that our "longest travel day" from the Black Sheep Inn turned out to be our second longest travel day and the bus trip from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Haunchaco, Peru proudly took first place. The bus ride started forebodingly enough at about noon with all the rain water from the previous night's storm leaking through the roof onto our seats causing a small exodus towards the dry back half of the bus. Surprisingly the trip got better, because shortly after the bus began moving the water stopped leaking (either all been swept off the roof by wind or fallen onto the now empty seats which a calm stewardess sopped up with a towel) and they started showing movies. The first movie was a haunting and beautiful about the civil war in El Salvador followed then by half of Troy, with the logo on the bottom of the screen stating that it was for promotional use only, and then Babe, and finally Flight of the Phoenix, about which we all made bets on who would die first. The crossing into Peru was uneventful. The bus stopped on the side of the road and we all got out and showed our passports and filled out papers and we left Ecuador. Then we drove for a few minutes until we got out again entering Peru. I have no idea where we were in between; it is just one of those mysteries. After our second stop we were officially in Peru and the sun was just setting. After about another hour of driving we stopped at a check point where some of our bags were checked without any problems. We drove on into the night and all the lights over the seats were out by eleven. Throughout the night as we woke up and squirmed we passed by stretches of mud shanty towns and miles of barren desert illuminated by moonlight. After a restless night which alternated between steamy and suffocating and frigid blasting air conditioner, we reached Trujillo at 7:00 in the morning. From Trujillo we took taxis to our hostel, in Haunchaco. We stayed our first night in rooms but for the rest of our stay camped on the lawn in tents to prepare for our hiking trip but still rented one room for the bathroom and a place to put our packs. The hostel had its own kitchen where we cooked meals to the tunes of someone's iPod hooked up to Christine's speakers. The hostel was also two minutes from the beach where we would surf (I'll let Holly talk about that) and we could fall asleep in our tents listening to the sounds of the waves breaking on the beach.
Hannah describes the laid back hamlet:
Main street Huanchaco, a surfer beach bum's dream town, or to quote Emma, "What I imagine California to have looked like in the 50's". The Pacific Ocean stretches forever to the left, surfers of very degree of skill pepper the sea, and a warm salt wind is pushed onto the land. Slightly rocky beaches slope down to be slammed by surf and the occasional half-drowned surfer. The beach is covered with people of all ages: old men with their traditional reed boats, scantly clad teens, families, and the obvious smattering of sunburned tourists. Just up from the beach is the sidewalk where everyone hangs out. Ice cream vendors, people with carts selling everything from cigarettes to candy patrol the walk as people stroll by and sit to soak in the laidback atmosphere. Across the street, on which combis and buses roar by, surf shops, souvenir shops, and restaurants line the road. Music pumps from all establishments and employees entreat your patronage, approaching with a quick "Buenos dias:" Beyond this main strip, beyond our parameters is a town that hints of poverty belied by the colorful main strip. The dry, hot wind of the desert to the left sweeps down to challenge the fresh salt air of the sea, creating a contradictory dynamic.
Holly chats about surfing:
As you may already know, Huanchaco is a lively little coastal town in Peru. The Traveling School spent about six days here attending classes on the lawn of our hostel, Huanchaco Gardens. We also had the chance to visit ancient ruins know as Chan Chan for history class, meet all sorts of locals on the beach and main street, play April Fools jokes on the teachers, visit with Sophie's parents and sister at an amazing dinner, bum around town eating ice cream, and took surfing lessons for physical education class!
We went surfing on the two afternoons that permitted. Only a few of the girls had tried surfing before and not a soul really knew what they were doing. We got our bathing suits on and walked two blocks down the main strip until we reached our surf school. The surf school was a cool yellow hut on one side of the street. Each girl recognized it as the ¬hot surfer's hangout¬ that we had passed day after day as we would all try to hide our stares at the good looking surfer boys. These boys, we quickly found out, were our new instructors.
Once we had all arrived the owner took us to the back and delivered wet suits to each girl by size. We all squeezed our way into our new costumes and awkwardly walked out to the street where we were being waited upon. We were summoned across the street followed by our hot instructors. Our first instruction was to warm up, so we took a nice run on the beach. While this may seem normal, 14 white girls ("gringas") running down a South American beach in wet suits is quite the opposite. Every single pair of eyes on the beach and sidewalk followed our path precisely.
After warm-up we were delivered boards according to height. Of course Hannah, Jess, and I got the short ones while the teachers along with Lizzie, Lindsey, Emma, and Sophie got the long boards. There was one guide for two or three girls and each group headed out swimming by the pier until they drifted down the beach allowing the next group to go. Once out in the water, the beautiful waves suddenly became unnerving. Our arms were aching even before our first try at standing up. Just paddling out to catch a wave proved to be a chore. We braced ourselves for each oncoming wave by lifting our bodies off of our boards as to not become overtaken by the wave's power. My partner Josie and I had a great instructor. He helped us pick which waves would be best to ride in, and showed us exactly where to position our feet for accurate balance. For our beginner lessons it was exciting when we were able to stand up and ride the waves all the way to the shore, or even for just a few seconds. Cara, Christine, Lindsey, Jessica, and I felt like masters after our second lesson being able to ride all the way in and occasionally make a few turns on our boards. While everyone's skill level was different, each and every girl will agree that they loved surfing. It was a Huanchaco hit.
After our relaxing week at surf camp, we hopped on a night bus and headed back up into the Andes towards the mountaineer's Mecca of Huaraz. We were greeted by the snowcapped peaks that surround this bustling mountain town. We were all in a high state of excitement as we prepared for our backpacking trek though the Cordillera Blanca.
The Trekking Terror by Devin:
As fearless Christine stared out the window, eyes widened, you could see the terror in her face. The rugged wheels of the bus kicked the rocks off the side of the never-ending cliff, as we gazed down at the little ants below. None of us knew what we were actually getting into, but it was too late to turn back now. A seven day backpacking trip up the Santa Cruz trail, full of wet clothes, hail thunderstorms, snack bags, and long eight hour hiking days. This trip could make or break us.
The steep winding road finally came to an end, and we all hopped of the bus, ready to start our adventure, a little dizzy from the bus ride of course. After a few minutes of getting ready and letting the Dramamine ware off, we threw our heavy packs on our backs and hit the trail. Just ten minutes had gone by and already the hot sun beat down which made sweat trickle down from our foreheads. Digging one pole into the fierce ground after the other, we slowly, and I repeat slowly, tried to make our way to our first camp. Looking down most of the way, half of me forgot to look up and the other half was just terrified to see how much more of the steep hill I had to drag myself up. Realizing I couldn't spend the entire seven days looking at my feet, although my brand new hiking boots are rather stylish, I decided I had to pick my head up. Once I did this, I found myself stunned. I was climbing in between two mountains; hiking up a narrow valley, green trees and snow-covered mountains towering over us.
Although we came across our hard days full of snow, cold feet, and early mornings, the sights we saw were well worth it. I mean, that's what backpacking is right? Peeing outside in the snow in boxers and a puffy, having a staring contest with a curious cow while going to the bathroom just a few feet away, and who could forget the never-ending conversations from tent to tent, screaming at the top of our lungs because its too cold to go outside? Backpacking is yelling Freedom! at the top of your lungs, surrounded by the most beautiful, white, snow-cap peeks, with your Traveling School family. We didn't just trek up a 14,700 foot mountain, we ¬epicked¬ it.
Rachael writes about the Santa Cruz trek from the back...
It took to the first official water break to realize that I had somehow ended up in the back. I had already stopped about three times to take a huge gulp of water or two. Now was our official water break and my Nalgene was almost empty and no one but a few other people in the back could be seen. Thankfully I wasn't the only one who had never gone backpacking before.
We continued on at our slow pace until I could see what I thought to be the people in the front climbing over a rocky part of the mountain. I continued on after another gulp of water looking at the rocks, not knowing what would soon come.
As we approached the rocky part of the mountain, I came to realize that it was really a very recent rock slide. Panic gripped me as I pathetically started my overly careful climb across the treacherously long non-existent path. I became second to last as I made my tiresome way, jealous of the unbelievable ease everyone else seemed to have climbing over rocks. I finally made it and took an enormously huge gulp of water. We continued on past scary cows until we finally snailed into camp.
The next day, I cursed the fact that I had such a large backpack and had agreed to carry so much. I again found myself in back. I didn't really care about being so slow; at least there was one other student and a teacher with me. We slowly made our way as I took a million and one gulps of water.
Our trail wasn't steep like yesterday, but criss-crossed a river constantly instead. Soon it started to rain; so much water and we were still in the back.
We finally made it into camp past a marsh and lots of rocks. Every muscle was sore so I took another gulp. Now I sit here writing this wearing every piece of clothing I brought as we die of laughter at the insane impression that Cara put on of falling into the river while filling a pot with water. We did not know that the next day would hold more incidents with rivers such as backtracking in the rain to go knee deep through a river after taking a wrong trail, such is the luck o f the group in the back:
Josie asks the important question: "Are cows color blind?"
Knees folded under my chattering chin, clamped together by binded fingers with ghostly white knuckles, I rocked back and forth in a trance. It may have been the cold that coated my wired, sweat drenched body with goose bumps; or the wild pack of four legged beasts with spiraled daggers proceeding from their ears that waited up ahead along the trail.
Hiking on the Santa Cruz trail was a reviving experience for some alone time; as you could wander along at your own pace. As swell as a group bonding experience where stories were created that match the compelling scenery that, even if our cameras didn't catch, will be photographed in our minds forever.
It was also a trip of pushing through the boundaries of our fears. May they be walking through a herd of bulls while wearing a red rain jacket; daring cows to come closer with weapons of rocks in your hands at the ready for their charge attack; pooping in the backcountry; or reaching the top of the 15,000 ft mountain, not only alive but in a state that abled us to progress on down the other side and live through the seven day trek.
Christine on the Summit
It was a hiker's dream day. All we'd been through up until now: the freezing rain, long hiking days and freeze dry dinners; was preparing us for this stretch of the Santa Cruz trek. It was the summit: Punta Union. At 4750 meters in the air, you're practically touching Tallyrahoo, the neighboring peak and glacier, basically views that leave you in awe everywhere you turn.
That morning, we'd ascended up into the spitting clouds searching for our niche in the cliff, the niche that would "transport us to another world" as Sam had proclaimed. It was a long and laborious journey, switchbacks taking our breath away, quite literally, as we went higher and higher into the altitude.
Suddenly, with a break in the clouds, we saw it. Forty feet vertically up, the gateway to the rest of the Cordillera Blanca Range beckoned. This meant two or three more switchbacks uphill, but our destination was in sight and we moved at a slightly quicker trudge through our last obstacles.
Once reaching the summit, we waited. We'd agreed that morning that no one passes the peak without the rest of the group and we weren't about to break that commitment. So, instead we serenaded, in our loudest voices, the rest of the team as they took the last momentous steps up the mountain to the summit.
As the last of us reached the summit we took out our Snickers bars- the ones we had saved for this very moment- and in a cheer to our victory, scarfed down what tasted like the best candy bars in the world.
We then, altogether, stepped towards the other side, past the rocks that had hidden it from view and out over the edge to the continued trail. In front of us the vast mountain range extended to out of site in all directions. The other glaciers seemed so accessible and small compared to our feat, we had done it, we'd climbed the Punta Union!
It was a moment that should've lasted years.
I cannot possibly express how much fun it was to backpack with our intrepid group! I was continually impressed by the strength, determination, and wonderful attitudes displayed as our girls helped each other through the challenges and loudly shared their many life epiphanies they had amidst the rugged beauty we encountered. I can honestly say that they all loved backpacking, even though they we challenged by snow, rain, altitude, cold, and steep hiking. Those of you joining us in Cuzco for the Machu Pichhu trek will be impressed by the hard core backpacking skills the girls have learned:
We have only a month left, and though we are saddened by that eventuality, we vow to fully take advantage of the time we have left together:
Peace!
Samantha, Cara, Claire and Heather
Trip Reports
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Fall 2007 - Southern Africa
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Fall 2004 - Southern Africa
Spring 2004 - South America
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