EcuadorSabbatical

I have heard so much about Guayaquil, that it is dangerous, to stay away, not to hail a cab on the street, not to walk around on my own. When we arrived at the airport, there was no driver from the hotel as had been planned. I called the hotel in a panic and when I asked about our ride, was told that the taxi driver was not answering his phone and to take a cab from the airport for $5. I told the desk clerk that I was worried because I read so many alerts from the US Embassy warning us not to take cabs in Guayaquil. A woman overheard my conversation and informed me that it was safe to take the airport cabs and that the other cabs were as dangerous for locals as they were for tourists. She brought me outside to show me which cabs were safe and told me that she wanted tourists to have a good experience in Guayaquil and to come back. I was touched by her concern. I like Guayaquil airport because I can sit at Juan Valdez and use internet. I had to build up my courage before I took a taxi, ...

Whew! What a day! I am sad because this trip has shattered my illusions about the Galapagos. Somehow after so many visits, I still felt in awe of this place, and was excited about sharing such an incredible site with Rebecca. Instead, we have seen so much of the ugliness of this place, from Freddy's wheeling and dealing to the garbage in the bay and in the city, to the dreariness of the towns on Floreana and Santa Cruz. The boats keep you insulated from the ugliness. All you see while on a cruise are the well maintained paths through pristine islands, where the animals greet you and the sun shines and the guides inform you about evolution and El Niño and geological events from millions of years ago. I understand why Eric chooses the same boat year after year; the experience is always the same, and always good for all the students and alumni. I was hoping that Freddy would come through for us today. He picked us up at 8:00 and brought us to the harbour for our trip to Santa Fe Isla...

I am certainly seeing a side of the Galapagos that I am unfamiliar with, but I am thinking that perhaps I do not want to see the 'real Galapagos' anyway. When we travel on the big boats, we visit circumscribed paths with informative guides and learn about evolution and Darwin and look at beautiful tame animals. The islands look 'enchanted' and we have a relaxing 'learning' experience and feel good about participating in helping preserve this part of the world. Our land tour, in contrast, exposes us to the daily lives of the inhabitants. We see that many of the locals are poor, and live in shacks with dirt floors. They throw their garbage everywhere, and have primitive sewage systems and limited water. They appear unaware of the need to protect their environment and the animals. We saw feral cats and huge rats on Isabela, and dogs were everywhere on Floreana today. When we visited the Darwin Interpretation Center, we learned about introduced species and their d...