The other side of the island

I just returned from another few days on Santa Cruz! I brought my computer hoping to update the blog more frequently but the internet connection didn’t allow it. Therefore, I have to play a little catch up. First, a post about the end of last week and then hopefully tomorrow a full account of our trip!

So last Wednesday we learned that several students had the chance to go to Punta Pitt which is on the other side of the island. This is a snorkel and dive area but less popular then many other spots. Only one boat has a permit to take people out here and only 16 people can go at a time. I had tried to figure out how to go previously but it seemed too complicated. I had been disappointed because I really want to have the chance to see the whole island I’d been living on. However, there happened to be 6 open spots on the boat and there are 6 IPSL grad students studying here so that worked out perfectly! The trip was on Thursday but we were all able (and excited) to go!

I can't find a good map to blow up so this will have to work for now. The red dot down on the bottom left corner is where I live. The little triangle shape up in the top right hand corner is Punta Pitt.

On Thursday morning we headed out early on the hour and a half boat ride. I like to sit in the back because the boats are usually partially enclosed and I like the wind in my face. This often means I get a little damp from the spray but that’s usually no big deal. However, this day the wind was not blowing in my favor. About 10min in I started getting spray on my face and right side. I put my sunglasses on as shields for my eyes and pulled my towel out of my bag to help stay dryer. However, the wind just picked up and soon large drops of water were flying into my face. Suddenly we turned and a huge bucketful portion of water dumped onto my head. So I ditched my top (had my bathing suit on) and figured since I was already wet I might as well enjoy it!

GAIAS students ready to go! (L-R: Maureen, Elysse, Wyatt, and Shelby) 

The ride over was beautiful – it was so cool to see the uninhabited areas and the different landscape.

Leon Dormido from the backside!

It's a little hard to tell but we boated through this neat tunnel. When you turned around you could see Leon Dormido perfectly in the background. 

We finally arrived at the other end of the island and got ready to snorkel. First however, we got to see all three types of boobies (blue footed, red footed, and masked boobies!). This is the only spot were you can see all three! The red footed boobies were only juveniles but they were SO curious. They dove down almost onto our heads again and again! The snorkeling was also amazing – big schools of colorful fish, the boobies diving into the water, sea lions…. Just awesome! Even the chilly water didn’t stop us from spending quite a while there!

The area across from our snorkel site. We couldn't land there but we did get to look from the boat and see nesting boobies!

Our snorkel site!

Red footed booby right over our heads!

Warming up in the sunshine!

Then, to our surprise, our guide said we also had time to snorkel at Leon Dormido! We weren’t expecting this and we were all really excited. We bundled together for a very chilly boat ride (the sun had gone in and it was cool and windy). However, at Leon Dormido we all jumped into the water, teeth chattering, and headed through the tunnel. This was my third time there but it was no less incredible. We saw several black tipped and Galapagos sharks below us as we slowly traveled through. About 5min into the snorkel the sun came out which helped us warm up significantly! The only downside was the many little tiny jellyfish that were everywhere. We all got several little stings that hurt for 5-10min. Nothing dangerous, just annoying. From here we headed to a quiet beach were we enjoyed a delicious lunch and had some time to warm up in the sand. 

Picture perfect sandy beach

All too soon we had to head back to ‘our side’ of the island. It was an amazing day excursion and definitely a unique opportunity that many people don't get! I'm so grateful I got to go! 

The rest of the weekend leading up to the island hopping trip was really nice. On Saturday night Elysse's host sister threw her a belated birthday party (even though her birthday was a month before)! We had homemade tacos (amazing!!), drinks, and even a tres leches dessert! It was a mix of GAIAS students and Ecuadorians which was so fun! We even went dancing at Iguana Rock for bit!

Traditional 'face in the cake' for Elysse!

On Sunday afternoon I helped coordinate a dessert potluck put on my GAIAS. Students and their families made dessert and came to socialize and be together. It was so neat to see family after family coming with incredibly delicious desserts! 

Families trying the different desserts!

Everything tasted delicious and the event was definitely a success! Through a combination of English, Spanish, and lots of Spanglish we were all able to have some great conversations! Hopefully we can do another one before the end of term!