GALAPAGOS

Leaving Quilotoa, you'll get ready to visit one of the most unique places on earth. From Quito, you'll fly to the Isla San Cristobal, the oldest of the three inhabitable islands. From the minute you step foot on the island, you'll see the most amazing creatures - walk to the main dock and watch blue-footed boobies do nose dives into the water after fish, listen to the sea lions (or "lobos del mar") making their interesting noises, and experience the island life.

This is adventurous travel.

Group excursions will include a truck tour which takes you to El Junco Lagoon, an impressive crater lake fed only by rain water, this is the only freshwater lagoon in the Galapagos Islands. You'll also visit La Galapaguera, a giant tortoise breeding center and reserve, as well as a private hidden beach. Another group excursion includes a boat tour to Kicker Rock (or Sleeping Lion), and Lobos Island where you'll have an opportunity to snorkel with sea lions, sea turtles, and other impressive creatures of the sea. You'll undoubtedly stumble upon untouched, hidden beaches. Just don't forget the bug spray for those beaches or the horse flies will get ya!

TAKING ACTION:

1. Work with students from two different schools on the Isla San Cristobal. Learn about how the issues their facing are different from those in Quilotoa.

2. Learn from the interpretation center and local adults about the issues the Galapagos face, as well as meeting the animals that you will find nowhere else on earth.

3. Experience life on the islands. Make notes individually and as a group about what's happening there. How does that compare to the rest of the world?

WEEK TWO - ITINERARY:

GALAPAGOS
Day 11: Travel to the Galapagos
Day 12-15: Teach 2 days with schools in Isla San Cristobal (probably mornings with one school, afternoons with a second school), 1 day on a boat tour (swimming with sea lions and sharks, finding a hidden beach), 1 day morning truck tour, afternoon in the Charles Darwin Education Center. (The exact dates of these activities will depend on your group - to see GROUP SCHEDULES, click here.)
Day 16: Return to Quito for another overnight, reflect more on your experiences and e-mail.
Day 17: Travel to Mindo

For a full ITINERARY, click here.

PROGRAM COST

The price of your entire three week trip depends on your choice for the Second Week destination. Here is the price for Esmeraldas, and what this trip uniquely includes:

GALAPAGOS: $3800
A trip to the islands includes:
Travel to and from (airfare to the remote Galapagos, 600 miles from the mainland)
Lodging
Food (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
All You Can Drink Water (Bring your own water bottle for easy filling)
$100 entry tax
$10 Visa
Boat & Truck tours (including snorkel rental, admission to the giant tortoise breeding center, etc.)

All prices include the following in Quilotoa, Mindo, and Quito:

Roundtrip Flight to Quito
Food (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)
All You Can Drink Water (Bring your own water bottle for easy filling)
Lodging
Travel to and from each destination
Cast t-shirt and bandana
Small project donation (for Quilotoa building and medical supplies)
Internet Access Fees (once a week)
Travelers Insurance (to learn about WORLD NOMADS, our insurance provider, click here)
Inner City transport fees (taxis, trolleys, etc.)
Quilotoa Visitor Tax
One Theatre or Art Performance in Quito
FUN DAY in Mindo (we have some fun excursions planned in Mindo)
Exit Tax (You have to pay to leave Ecuador. Don't worry, we'll take care of that too.)

To COMPARE PRICES of this trip with the others, click here.

PACKING SUGGESTIONS FOR GALAPAGOS:

"I have gone to the beach to swim and I have seen a turtle..."- excerpt from Flight 360

After experiencing the chill of Quilotoa, you'll be hit with a little shock of heat when you get off the plane on San Cristobal, so it's important to drink lots of water and bring the right clothes.

If you've packed well, the bottom layers from Quilotoa will serve very nicely as normal shirts for the Galapagos, and the long sleeved t-shirts, which were layered on top of each other, will serve nicely as a light over-shirt when it gets cold in the evenings.

Here's what we recommend:
- 7 light t-shirts or tank tops (your DAT shirt is INCLUDED in this number)
- 1 pair of "hardcore sandals"
- 1 bathing suit (Don't forget this, as some excursions include boat rides. Also, you'll certainly want to jump into the ocean and swim with the sea lions!)
- 1 towel
- Bug spray
- Sunscreen! (30-50 or more. Remember, you'll be on the equator!)

LINKS

Galapagos Islands - San Cristobal: http://www.galapagosislands.travel/sancristobalisland
Galapagos Conservancy: http://www.galapagos.org/2008/
Wikipedia - Galapagos : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos_Islands

THE NEXT STEP

Return to the main menu and take a look at other WEEK TWO ADVENTURES or go ahead and move on to WEEK THREE, MINDO . To go there now, click here.