Puerto Chino, night snorkeling, and the best host grandpa ever

Hola chicos!!

Yesterday was absolutely amazing. We did not have class, so my school organized a trip to Puerto Chino! Puerto Chino is an amazing beach. It has fine white sand, crystal clear water, and a beautiful little area to climb on some rocks. We spent the day swimming and exploring, and had a lunch of chicken and rice (typical) afterwards. Here are some pictures from that!

Me and Indira, one of the administrators at school. We love yoga!

The apex of the hike!

The untouched parts of Galápagos are gorgeous. Hopefully we can make more of an effort to conserve the islands!

Then, my host dad told me he would take me night snorkeling in Darwin's Bay. I was SUPER excited for it, and it was incredible. We saw one of the administrators, Indira, from GAIAS on the way there and she came with us! We saw 9 turtles, caught a lobster, and pet a pufferfish! I wish my gopro was better at taking pictures in the dark! I was so scared of the black sea urchins. I don't know if I can do the experience justice in words, and my pictures aren't great. The black sea urchins come out at night. They are huge, and if one stings you, you will get a fever and be in a lot of pain! They were sparkling when we shone our flashlights on them, and I can only begin to explain how dangerously black and appealing they looked.

Langosta, the lobster we caught! Pablo literally just swam down and picked it up! I have a video, but it will take approximately 30 years to upload.

Tortuga

We pet a pufferfish! This was one of the weirder experiences I've had.

Muchas tortugas!

My birthday is in 11 days! Pepe, my host grandpa, asked me if I liked whiskey the first week I was here. Being underage in the US, I told him I had never had whiskey before. He then told me he was going to get me a bottle for my birthday. I thought he was kidding, but today he told me to come into his room, and then he pulled this out of his underwear drawer! Every Saturday and Sunday morning, he asks me if I'm "chuchaqui". That's Ecuadorian slang for "hungover". I don't really drink that much, so I always tell him no. He always tells me that I have to be chuchaqui on April 29th...the day after my birthday! We'll see, Pepe :)