AAVE Trip BLOG » Ecuador & Galapagos
August 9, 2010
Changed Perspectives - Ecuador Galapagos 2
Posted by the AAVE team in : Ecuador & Galapagos, General AAVE Trip BLOG , add a comment
Hello Friends and Family,
We have been through a lot since our last blog entry! We miss you a lot, but are having a blast.
We enjoyed our last few days at the farm in Rio Muchacho, working hard taking care of the animals, weeding, harvesting and watering the 150 different species of plants and building a library for the local environmental school.
So much of our perspective changed from experiencing life on the farm, living and working alongside the Ecuadorian farmers and the group of international volunteers. We shared the following thoughts with the farm community as we left:
Sophie: My Ecuadorian family of the farm, I will miss you all, but not too much because I will come back when I turn 18. You are the best people and I will never forget you! I love you always!
Danny: I loved the experience I had at Rio Muchacho. Thank you for being a great group of people and helping us have the best time we could possibly have. Rio Muchacho is my home.
Max: Working at Rio Muchacho helped me grow as a better person. The entire staff made this trip one of the best experiences ever. I am going to miss you all.
Ryan: I have been taught so much about hard work and how despite language and cultural differences, we have become close.
Carly: Being welcomed at Rio Muchacho with open arms was such a good feeling. Getting to know the workers better made things a lot more fun. I will never forget when Dario made the pineapple and carrot salad for us girls. Leo and Oscar were always so positive and I enjoyed the rides on the back of Leo’s motorcycle, thanks! I’ve learned so much here at the farm, so thank you Rio Muchacho!
Pauline: Dear friends, I will miss you so much! You are all so nice and kind, and I can’t believe that I already have to leave. Dario, thank you so much for everything. You always showed us so much love and caring. You always teach us so much about the farm, and I learned a lot. Leo, Oscar and Danilo, it was really fun working with you on the farm. You always helped us with our work. Juanita and all of the ladies who help in the kitchen, I loved the food here. You always helped us making chocolate or cookies, and I enjoyed this so much. And for all the rest, I thank you very much. This trip has been incredible and I will always remember it.
Erik: I really liked getting to know the guys here like Oscar, Leo and Danilo. It was great becoming friends with them and getting to know the culture. I’ll never forget this place.
Alexa: This place is like nothing I have ever seen. The food, the people… all amazing. I would like to thank Dario for being the nicest person I’ve ever met, and for caring so much. I am going to miss this place so much, but I will help by always getting organic food!
Natalie: Being here opened my eyes to so much more in life and made me realize how lucky I am for all the things I have. I feel so privileged to have been able to come to the farm and go through this amazing experience. All the people here at the farm are so kind and put so much love into everything they do. This is definitely something I will take with me and remember always! You guys will be greatly missed.
Jamie: Thank you so much to all of you for your love and kindness. I will never forget my time here, or any of you at Rio Muchacho!
Taylor: In the last 8 days, I learned a new way of thinking. I look at everything I do with the idea that it’s going to help the earth. Everything I do and everything around me should contribute to making the world function along with the moon and the sun. I’ve learned to accept the difference here from my home in New York. I now consider Rio Muchacho a place where I belong.
As you can see, we had quite the experience at Rio Muchacho.
We have also been having a whole new kind of incredible adventure here in the Galapagos. The natural beauty is breathtaking, as is the chance to interact right up close with so many kinds of rare and beautiful species of animals! So far we have snorkeled with hammerhead and reef tip sharks, swam with playful baby sea lions, canoed around a mangrove island filled with frigate birds, relaxed with blue-footed boobies and paid a visit to Lonesome George — the last of his species of giant tortoise!
We had fun yesterday playing in the waves and playing ultimate frisbee and soccer on a white-sand beach, and are now on our way to Isabela Island to climb a volcano and hang out with penguins, marine iguanas and flamingoes.
We will keep you updated as we enjoy our last few days in Ecuador, and look forward to telling you in person about all of our adventures soon! Much love,
Marcia, Ryan, and the greatest group of teens you will ever meet