5/11/21: Packing is a big fiasco!

Greetings, fellow travelers!









Keeping the cats out of the suitcase while I'm trying to pack is the biggest challenge...everything else is "Full throttle ahead!"

So, here's the deal:  I'm traveling to Ecuador this Friday morning.  Living out of  one suitcase for three weeks.  (Said the woman who carried two gigantic pink suitcases through India several years ago!) Oh, the eyes that rolled.  

This trip is all about exploring and teaching.  I will explore, teach and visit orphanages on the mainland of Ecuador for two weeks, then take a real adventure in the Galapagos Islands for a week.  There are exciting things to see like the "Cloud forest," where you walk through 1000s of butterflies, Otavalo (the largest market in all of northern South America(!), swing on a swing that goes over a cliff, and small villages where people still dress in traditional attire.  Plus, of course, I'm going to the Amazon rainforest for three days.  ($28$/night!)

I've got all the rooms/apartments and drivers booked on the mainland.  The Galapagos are going to be somewhat of a free-for-all, as I have the places booked but don't know if I'll need a guide anywhere.  I will be exploring four islands;  ferries from island to island leave around 11:30 in the morning, and arrive at the next island at around 1.  

I'm island-hopping the four southernmost islands:  San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Floreana and Isabela, where I've been told the most animals live.

My sister told me to throw away my Nikon 35mm camera and lenses, because my Samsung 21s ultra phone shoots better/clearer pictures (the only reason I bought that phone).

Tutoring starts back up again on June 6th, but for now...ONWARD to the ADVENTURE!

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