Yesterday, Jan. 5th, having gone on our trip to Cerro Tijereta on the afternoon of the 4th, we were a bit better prepared for hikes and such, as would come in handy all day.

Our dominating event yesterday was, in fact, a trip to visit three stunning and exhilarating locales. We had our breakfast, then hopped into a bus that drove us, along with Prof. Valle and our guide Daniel, along the road that would lead us to our first stop: El Progreso.

El Progreso was more a pit stop than one of our vistas, a quaint little village, whose only point of interest for us was the old plantation of Manuel Cobos, a 19th century Ecuadoran entrepreneur who apparently enslaved the local population by, shall we say, devious *cough, capitalist* means.

We passed by El Junco, though the heavy mist deterred us from stopping at that point:

The reason for these ghostly wisps was, in fact, the start of the rainy season here. As I’d later come to enjoy, the drizzles and rains here, even the heavy downpours, are entirely refreshing. Perhaps the lack of pollutants, or the soft, non-freezing way the raindrops fall on our skin, soothing and relaxing as a gentle, silky mantle, makes me biased in my opinion, but the rainfall here dominates all others.

Now that I’m finished lauding the mundane qualities of rain ¬ .¬ , let’s continue with the rest of the day.

We went to the Gualapaguera, a sort of natural reserve designed to protect a number of species. The most important take-away was the HUGE number of tortoises that we finally got to see. And, well, there was very little else of interest, just a few other creatures, some invasive to the island, others endem-… blah, even I realize how boring this is if you haven’t been here…here’s a host of photos to entertain instead =D:

There were many more pictures than these, but I chose them to give an example of the rich diversity found in this one swath of land, on one island of many, all composing this ecologically rich archipelago…

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In all fairness now, this blog isn’t merely a photo album and report, it’s also a record of my thoughts on all this. On this particular trip, while looking over all the beauty and complexity of this one reserve, and the variety of organisms found in the Galapaguera alone, I resonated with the pressing need and desire for conservation. This resonance worked on a complex of levels for me, touching me intellectually, physically and spiritually as well.

For example, as a biologist, I view these living organisms not merely as objects of study, but as beautiful, creative and intricate works of art, meant to be enjoyed and understood the way a child interacts with the world: with innocence, and a lack of preconceptions, to be appreciated for being there, not for what they might provide.

Hand in hand with this goes my personal philosophy and faith. As a Pentecostal Christian with a firm belief in the validity of scientific research, I view evolutionary processes by natural selection as one of the many, various laws crafted and upheld by a divine creator for the functioning of our world. That flat-out implies that I see human origins as the end product of evolution from a common ape ancestor.

This is important for my dual motivations in conservation. I’ll expand on the two at a later time, because I’d prefer going back to talking about  the rest of the trip, but, in addition to the wonder I experience as a biologist, I see our relation to other species as a familial extension, and our divine calling from mere beasts to ones “made in the image of God,” demands our responsibility to good stewardship of this world, a creation from which we were made, and which has, to us, been given as part of an inheritance.

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As I mentioned, there were two more stops involved in this trip. One involved the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, if, perhaps, in my limited experience: Puerto  Chino. I’m afraid I took few pictures here, mainly because I was too busy enjoying the white sand and sapphirine waters. But the one shot I got also has our group in it, something this blog needs as well. So then, here is the Macaulay Galápagos group, 2010.

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As you can plainly see, we’re a diverse group of buggers, and I enjoy the others’ company quite well. We truly reveled in both water and sun that day, relaxing and playing and, well, losing ourselves in the waves. It was a taste of exposure to the senses of what is yet in store for us.

But, even more stunning was our climb to the misty, forlorn top of El Junco. El Junco is a crater-lake, a lagoon formed in the caldera of an extinct volcano. This particular one was most likely responsible for the formation of San Cristóbal as an oceanic island. The place was eerie and mysterious, like a hidden locale or secret, mystical place, straight out of a fantasy setting. The climb itself was invigorating, a completely surreal experience. As I mentioned, a heavy mist covered the mountain top and lake, adding to the dreamlike ambience… and making it semi-impossible to take any good photos. Still, I managed some, which I gladly share:

***El Junco***
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And, of course, being inquisitive scientists on top of curious 20-somethings, we tried our best to, hmm, “test the acoustics,” of this naturally formed amphitheater:

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With that, we ran back to the bus in rain once more, returned home, and closed our day with dinner, rest, and well-deserved sleep. Classes, of course, would come for  the next two days… somewhat discouraging, but certainly not horrible… right?

My apologies to all, I couldn’t help procrastinating on two posts, for each of two days, due to the actual work I had to do for class. But I have now a moment’s rest, so, given that, I’ve decided to stay up a bit and update. This will be in two parts, for two different days (Jan. 4 and 5).

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On Mon. the 4th, we at last had the opportunity for our first class of this trip. How glorious. Is it safe to say that the “study” portion of our study abroad is now in full swing? >.<’

Before the mud-flinging starts, I have to point out something quite significant. I knew, and still know, coming in to this trip, that there would in fact be studying and learning happening. I came prepared to do so. But this past semester I have gone through both Tartarus and Hell (as I affectionately call Orgo and Physics), and have absolutely ZERO tolerance for any sort of classwork, whatsoever. That being said, I’ll still do my work to the best of my ability, but I’ll be damned before I enjoy even an inkling of this schoolwork.

This rant aside, the rest of the day was still enjoyable, as we took a long trek through the arid zone of San Cristóbal, around Puerto Boquerizo Moreno. We saw and learned to identify the different sexual and developmental characteristics of the lava lizards along the way. I took insane numbers of pictures, here are a couple:

The actual hike was long and a bit arduous, but the rewards were great. We saw much wildlife, both plant and animal, and got a chance to climb the highest local lookout point: Cerro Tijereta, or Frigate Bird Hill, so named for the nests and roosts of the Frigate Birds (Tijeretas or “scissors”, because their tails form a scissor shape). The view from this point was phenomenal: sunsets and white waters, frigate birds and the whole of the port town. Words just won’t do to describe all the beauty…

After we arrived back to Boquerizo Moreno, we quickly changed and refreshed ourselves before heading out to dinner once more (spaghetti, of sorts, with chicken!) It was, by that point, the close of the day, and I did little else but rest, so, I believe that closes this post. I leave you with another sleepy-eyed friend (besides myself) to keep you company:

**Author’s note: Forgive me the late entry, I had no access to the internet yesterday, so I had to wait to update.

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Regardless where or under what circumstances I find myself in, my old habits apparently like to flaunt their blatant disregard for death…

One of these, I’m afraid, is my ridiculous internal clock, which, knowing I have an alarm set for 6.30, had me up and about at 5.55; far too early I say, especially when I went to bed at around 2.00. I certainly facepalmed, would anyone else care to join?

So, not exactly well-rested but certainly prepared, I made my way down to breakfast at the hotel, a continental breakfast to be sure, but one that came with a unique surprise:

This fruit is a Grenadilla,  a sweet, soft and delicious package of flavor, with a gimmicky way to consume it. Lacking much pulp or flesh, the truly edible portions are in fact the seeds. With a slimy, sweet covering, the seeds are swallowed whole, and in spoonfuls, leaving a savory aftertaste.

With breakfast, this enlightening experience, finally complete, we stomached one last bus ride through Quito, and after yet more queuing and more airline worries, luggage worries, and general angst, we made it to our departure flight from Quito to the first Galápagos Island in our adventure: San Cristobal.

Arrival at San Cristobal was illuminating, in a literal and figurative sense. Disembarking our plane, I was hit by a direct blast of UV radiation. The sunlight here is intense, but after the chill in Quito, as well as the frigid temps back home, I believe I can live with it.

We met our contact here, who caught us a bus for the, get ready: 3 MINUTE ride to the hotel, the Gran Hotel Mar Azul. *Sigh* are we really so urbanized that we can’t handle mere walking?

Regardless, the rooms were set, roommates chosen, and, unburdened and ecstatic, we made our way to the Galápagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS). Along the way, we took advantage of the beach path to get our first real glimpse at the local city, the capital of the archipelago: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. The locales, lolling and relaxed, were indifferent to our arrival:

There was much to see, and describing it all would be tedious, so here I have a small mix of photos to survey:

After much initial sightseeing, the GAIAS building, with sandy walls, and a Parthenon-esque façade, arose, enthralling and beautiful:

Granted, the beach “Playa Mann” right across the street from the institute played a sizeable role in its beauty, but I digress. We had orientation, met our professor, and truly began our study with a trip to the local museum, of sorts.

All throughout we were engulfed in nothing but information and knowledge from our lively and animated instructor and guide, Prof. Carlos Valle:

With him at the helm, I actually can’t wait to begin the class portion tomorrow, as he sees to know so much about nearly everything concerning this archipelago. Our trip to visit the frigate bird nesting area tomorrow is sure to be exciting, though I wonder if I’ll have either time or energy to write about it.

We finished the day enjoying each others’ company. I and a friend went exploring throughout Baquerizo Moreno, and learned the ins and outs of the layout. I certainly don’t intend on being lost, if I can help it, though I can’t say I would mind terribly, so long as I’m not alone. Dinner after, which was quite good, and may have involved cross-species staring contests on our way there:

Afterward, a long, animated introductory conversation between our group really led to a break in barriers. With a good start then, we shall see what tomorrow brings.

So, we’ve had our first minor snafu of the trip, but all is well. A miscommunication I’m afraid was the source of our woes. Our poor GAIAS representative was told to expect us on an inbound INTERNATIONAL flight straight from New York to Quito, and so waited for us parked outside of international arrivals…

We, on the other hand, had just come from Guayaquil, on a domestic Ecuadoran flight, as part of our layover….

Ah well, while it is true that we were forced to wait both worried and perplexed for a good hour or so, it is rather pointless to get worked up over such things. Our guide did eventually find us, and now I am safe and relaxed in my Hotel:

This is the comfy, cozy, quaint and relatively unknown Hotel Walther. We’ll be here for a night, and the rooms are luxurious. Practically suites, they fit three people quite comfortably, and I can’t imagine a more home-like atmosphere. Add to that the lack of dinner, a “local” pizzeria, and the insatiable collegian appetite for that most delectable of traditional food, and we quickly overthrew a need for “socializing” and flew into a sustainable rhythm. I can definitely tell these three weeks will be enjoyable, if for no other reason than the group I’m here with…

…As an aside, to anyone interested, the local pizzeria’s name:

The first day, and it’s been a doozy. That flight provided a well-earned rest after the horror of this past semester. I literally feel more refreshed AFTER the flight than I did before, a first for me at any rate. Granted, my instincts tell me that the peculiar group of individuals I’m traveling with might be providing some of the energy as well =D.

A group of them seem to be playing a card game that they may have literally just invented about five minutes ago: Egyptian Mad Rhapsody (a variant of Egyptian Ratscrew perhaps?). In their own ways, they both supplement and counterbalance my perceived madness, and a rapport seems to have developed on its own, without the need of icebreakers and such.

We’re awaiting our second flight from Guayaquil to Quito now, where we’ll be stationed tonight, before leaving for the Galápagos on the morrow. My meager skills in Spanish seem to have payed off, I’ve acted as interpreter 5 times in 2 minutes, and expect to do so, countless times over. Oh well, it’s not like I mind or anything…

The countdown is literally in hours now (approximately, 7hrs 12min to go), until the flight that begins this journey takes off. How exciting, to soon follow the trails taken by Charles Darwin, knowing full well the weight of his particular journey and wondering how my own trip will affect my very being.

This waiting drives me mad, I can barely get sleep, and my head pounds with the schizophrenia of being caught between fatigue and exhilaration! I wonder at the next three weeks, three weeks and all that they will bring, and I smile, feeling in my heart, how life-changing this experience will be. Now then let’s be off already!!

Luis R. Vega is a third year, attending Macaulay Honors College at Queens College. Though not familiar with referring to himself in the third person, he has quickly adapted, in order to develop this ePortfolio as a record of his forthcoming trip to the Galápagos Islands. Luis’s studies center on a Biology major, with a concentration in research. To that effect, he currently works as an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Stéphane Boissinot’s molecular evolution laboratory at QC. In addition, as a MARC student (Minority Access to Research Careers), Luis has both attended and presented posters of his research at various scientific conferences, including the 2009 ABRCMS Conference in Phoenix, AZ.

Luis’s interests, however, extend beyond a career merely in science. Possessed of a “mischievous intellect,” Luis is known for a passionate love of the humanities, centered on Literature and Philosophy, and an ambitious, if not foolhardy, desire for polymathy. He hopes to pursue a career in Biological Research, possibly in Bio-medicine, though not limited to such, with a bit of a writing career on the side. He is currently involved in the student activist organization STAND (Students Take Action ‘N Deliver) in response to the horror of modern-day genocide, and works, in his own small way, towards an end to the current tragedies of Darfur and the Congo.

Among various personal goals, Luis seeks the pursuit of a richer understanding of the human immune system in light of host-virus interactions, the penning of a series of works of philosophy/speculative fiction, the inclusion of The Lord of the Rings into the Western Canon, and the propagation and further development of his Hispanic heritage, including his Pentecostal religious tradition.

Luis R. Vega is a third year, attending Macaulay Honors College at Queens College. Though not familiar with referring to himself in the third person, he has quickly adapted, in order to develop this ePortfolio as a record of his forthcoming trip to the Galápagos Islands. Luis’s studies center on a Biology major, with a concentration in research. To that effect, he currently works as an undergraduate researcher in Dr. Stéphane Boissinot’s molecular evolution laboratory at QC. In addition, as a MARC student (Minority Access to Research Careers), Luis has both attended and presented posters of his research at various scientific conferences, including the 2009 ABRCMS Conference in Phoenix, AZ.

Luis’s interests, however, extend beyond a career merely in science. Possessed of a “mischievous intellect,” Luis is known for a passionate love of the humanities, centered on Literature and Philosophy, and an ambitious, if not foolhardy, desire for polymathy. He hopes to pursue a career in Biological Research, possibly in Bio-medicine, though not limited to such, with a bit of a writing career on the side. He is currently involved in the student activist organization STAND (Students Take Action ‘N Deliver) in response to the horror of modern-day genocide, and works, in his own small way, towards an end to the current tragedies of Darfur and the Congo.

Among various personal goals, Luis seeks the pursuit of a richer understanding of the human immune system in light of host-virus interactions, the penning of a series of works of philosophy/speculative fiction, the inclusion of The Lord of the Rings into the Western Canon, and the propagation and further development of his Hispanic heritage, including his Pentecostal religious tradition.