Galapagos!

HELLO! from the galapagos islands.
I got here on monday (having negotiated the airport and evrything ok!). i was picked up and taken to the place in the highlands where I am volunteering. The staff do not seem to speak english so I ended up being expalined most things by the other volunteers but one lady did give me some information about the place and some history behind it but a couple of the volunteers had to translate for me. It is kind of strange having someone talk to you but not having a clue what they are saying!
I did not do any work the first day, just got shown around and had time to sort all my stuff out. I worked on tuesday through until saturday lunch time (well we did a hike one afternoon and got fri afternoon off). The work I am doing is conservation vlolunteering. There is a place called production that is abut 10mins walk away and this is where we are planting new plants. I have sowed some soya seeds and spent a lot of time watering the plants that have recetñy been planted there. I have also chopped morra (like brambles) because it was introduced here but has completely taken over so we need to cut it down to let the native plants survive. One morning we up-rooted some banana trees and then re-planted them somewhere else (carrying them from one palce to another on our shoulders). This is so that if one tree gets a fungus or something it is less liekly that all the banana trees will get it so they are more likely to get some banans every year.
On our hike we walked for about 45mins up and down scrambling over rocks etc to a waterfall. we then got to swim in the waterfall and the pool around it. It was so much fun jumping in off the rocks and the water was not even that cold. One of the places we have been to chop morra is a freshwater lake in the crater of a volcano. It is amazing and the frigate birds dip there wings in to the water to get the salt off them. The views from up at the top where stunning. The lake was on one side and then some forest and the sea on the other.
The food we have been given is really nice. There are lots of carbs but we are doing physical work so that is ok. They seem to be fine with my diet too so that is good. We have breakfast at 7 (unless you are on kitchen duty when you need to be there for 6). We then work 8 till 10 and get a juice break 10 till 10.30. We then work 10.30 till 12 when there is lunch. We get 12 till 2 off and then work 2 till 4. At 4 we again have time off untull 6 when we get dinner. After dinner people are free to do what they want. The neighbours have set up a bar thing (especially for the volunteers here) in there garden where we tend to go once ot twice a week. There are a couple of pool tables and you can buy alcohol. Otherwise people just tend to chat a bit and go to bed early because it is dark and peole are tired after work. When we have time off in the middle of the day people tend to just sit in the hammocks and read or listen to music or chat or play cards or something. There is a balcoany thing where there are lots of hammocks. it is lovely because you are surrounded by the trees but you can see the sea. It is so peaceful.
All of the volunteers are lovely and everyone gets on really well. We are from all different places. There are people from Europe, Canada, America, Mexico etc.
We came to town yesterday afternoon for the weekend (we get mon off). Apparently it is normally nice and sunny here (it is alwyas cloudy up at the lodge) but today it is raining! But it is nice to sleep in a proper bed and have hot water. The place where we are staying to volunteer is really nice but it is basic. There are bunkbeds and it is all made of wood so when you are in the sower you do feel a little bit like someone is going to peer through the slats at you! Last night we went out for dinner and then to some bars and then the club that is here. I was really good fun but we are all fairly tired today because for some reason everyone seemed to be awake at before 7.30. At least we have had a fairly relaxing day today. We went to some place called the interpretation centre. It is basically jsut and information centre. You walk around a path and there are boards telling you information about the formation of the gapalagos and darwin. It was really interesing. We also briefly went to a beach and swan with sea lions. They are so cute and liked playing games with us!
I hope to be able to update you more next friday before I go off on my crusie around the islands.
Adios! xxxxxx

I MADE IT

Hola

I am now in quito. I landed at 11ish last night (ecuador time) but did not manage to get to bed until about 2 because the house is not very close to the airport and it was very slow going through immigration. Anyway the family I am with (some people who my dad knew through work) have been very friendly to me! but tonight I am in a hotel so that tomorrow I have transport to the airport and I fly off to the galapagos islands.

The flights yesterday were not actually that bad. 9h9mins from london to texas and then another 5h down to quito. On the first flight everyone had there own TV screen so I watched tons of films. I watched Hannah Montanna (not sure how to spell it) which I had not seen before but was quite good for a plane journey because minimal brain effort is required! I also watched the porposal and finding nemo and another film but I cannot remember what it was at this moment in time! Just at the end I watched an episode of the simpsons as well. On the second flight there was one TV screen every 3 rows so I just listened to my ipod instead. I managed to fill in all the forms ok (although I did have to ask once or twice!). In a magazine they were trying to advertise things to sell and one of the things was a ramp that could be converted to steps for pets that have arthritus and want to get on to your bed or sofa. The other thing I saw that was funny was a pogo stick to use underwater! Strange!

I hope to be able to update you again soon but it probably will not be until next weekend once I have done my first week of conservation volunteering on the galapagos.

Adios

Jess x

Packing!

HELLO!
I leave for South America tomorrow morning (first thing) so everything needs to be sorted tonight. I am getting there! There are many different piles on the spare bed. Most of my luggage is clothes and then first aid kit and bottles of handwash, malaria tablets, suncream, deodorant etc. I have actually been in to town on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week (how organised!) so now hopefully I have everything.
In 24 hours I'll be sitting on a plane on the way to Texas and then I get another flight down to Quito (capital of Ecuador). I am then in Quito for a day before going on to the Galapagos islands.
Anyway I'd better go and sort out more packing, check flight tickets, emergency numbers etc.
I'll try and update you when I am in Quito.
Adios!
Jess x