STOP 2 | Galapagos: a child’s dream coming true

And here we are at the second stop of my sabbatical. I woke up relatively early and had a 18USD worth it breakfast. Printed the Covid test to make sure officers can believe me and I spent 2 hours in trying to book a serologic test for Israel (STOP #3): we should discuss about Israel COVID procedures probably in a separate blog as the story has not ended yet.

The first day was about traveling, after getting my Galapagos permit at the airport: a child’s dream coming true. I have always been inspired by Charles Darwin and his theories developed by traveling through Galapagos.

I landed in San Cristóbal and thanks to the Volunteering project I am doing, I didn't pay the 110 USD fee for the National Parks. We got the induction about the project and our activities: we will be doing 2-3 activities per day, including feeding turtlers, cleaning ponds, collecting food for animals, cleaning beaches and so on and so forth. We will be wearing volunteering vests to be recognized by the people - as we are not tourists.

After the induction, I took a long walk to the Puerto Baquerizo, which took me more than 1h, but I wanted to walk after the flights. I was amazed by my walk, with no headphones, only me and Ecuadorian street, their sounds, their smells: I was observing the nature, two lovebirds playing with each other, it was nice. Till a car almost killed one of the two. It was strong, but that was part of life.

I like thinking that s/he survived, despite I kept walking, as s/he was moving a bit. San Cristóbal is full of sea lions. I managed to "meet" them immediately: they may not be aesthetically nice, but they are adorable.

Also, a big realization: I am experiencing freedom: I am not surrounded by Covidiots, usually people who have been working from home over the last 1.5y and have done nothing more than listening to the news, and thinking that we all die now and they need to wear 2-3 masks to avoid the Apocalypse. Covid psychological issues are yet to come unfortunately, I am so happy I changed my lifestyle just in time to survive mentally!

The beauty of doing such kind of activities/experiences is that you meet a lot of people from around the world: connection, as said earlier, is what makes me feel alive. Different background, different countries, different beliefs, different ages, different attitudes. People who stuck the most with me so far have been:

• Judy, the Ecuador resident, a French Polynesian origin girl - who lives in Paris - who has been doing a project here as internship for more than 5 months
• Marion, a Swiss girl who wants to become a police officer
• Bowen, a Dutch young guy, who seems a way more mature and clever than many of my age

All younger than me, and all full of energies and dreams. I still feel 25 (and would still be older than them). They all got me something already in just few days:

• Judy's hyperactivity: that girls is able to listen to 3 people simultaneously (and respond to them) and still thinking about a 4th thing in her mind
• Marion's determination
• Bowen's love for history and society

Ending the first night in Ecuador talking from a hammock about North Korea, 2nd World War, and where the US society is going, with an open and honest dialogue is something I wouldn't easily forget. Not about the content, more about the spirit.

Connections come and go, and that's part of life. It felt good, it feels good: will we live a better world if we can reconnect with humans and nature?

I wanna go back to my Twenties, despite I agreed with the group above, I am 25 (still young inside)!